Ranji Smile: The forgotten chef who opened America’s first Indian restaurant

The Indian chef who brought curry to America - then vanished10 minutes agoDinyar PatelHistorian

Courtesy: Dinyar Patel

One hundred and twenty-five years ago, in 1901, an Indian chef opened what was almost certainly the first Indian restaurant in the US.

Ranji Smile was one of the most colourful and enigmatic figures to shape the American food scene.

In the summer of 1899, Smile sailed from London to New York. We know hardly anything about his origins and early life, not even his real name.