Botiwalla Charlotte
Homegrown Chef Meherwan Irani’s Seventh Success Story
Photo by Tim Robison, courtesy of bonappetit.com
An ambitious Indian immigrant
Meherwan Irani moved to the United States from India to pursue an MBA in his twenties. The first place he lived was in the south, specifically Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He found Myrtle Beach and many similarities between the hospitable culture of the South and that in India. After receiving his degree, Irani spent ten years working for Lexus and Mercedes Benz in a management position. In 2005, he and his family moved to Asheville, where he changed career paths and got involved in the real estate development business (Inamine, 2020).
A new adventure…and then three more
2009
In 2009, Irani once again decided to change career paths. This time, the self-taught chef wanted to open a restaurant: Chai Pani. Located in downtown Asheville, Chai Pani serves authentic Indian street food. Chai Pani translates to “tea and water,” and the restaurant serves tasty bites and innovative dishes at an affordable price.
2012
Irani and his wife opened MG Road Bar & Lounge down the street from Chai Pani, a stylish lounge known for its creative cocktails and an ever-changing menu designed by guest chefs. The bar closed in 2019 and was integrated into Chai Pani after the latter restaurant underwent a renovation.
2013
Irani decided to expand his business to beautiful downtown Decatur, GA, and opened another Chai Pani. The restaurant was met by locals with excitement and a strong desire for Indian food.
2015
Irani and business partner Elliot Moss opened Buxton Hall Barbecue in the old Standard Paper Sales Company building in South Slope, Asheville, NC. The restaurant features wood-smoked, whole-hog barbecue and southern classics, created using local ingredients from local farms.
Chai Pani, Asheville NC
Est. 2009
MG Road Bar & Lounge, Asheville NC
Est. 2012
Chai Pani, Decatur GA
Est. 2013
Buxton Hall Barbeque, Asheville NC
Est. 2015
Botiwalla, Decatur GA
Est. 2016
Botiwalla, Charlotte NC
Est. 2020
Photo courtesy of Chai Pani Restaurant Group
No sign of stopping
Botiwalla is the newest restaurant by chef Meherwan Irani. There are two locations, one in Ponce City Market in Atlanta, GA, and a second in Optimist Hall in Charlotte, NC (Bekele, 2021). They were opened in 2016 and 2020, respectively. Botiwalla is inspired by the Irani cafes around which Irani grew up. The restaurants serve street foods, curries and rice plates, and sigris, which are North Indian charcoal grills that serve grilled meats and herbed flatbreads.
Spicewalla is a spice company and is located in Asheville, NC, down the street from Chai Pani. The spice collection is carefully curated by Meherwan Irani and his culinary team, led by chef de cuisine, James Grogan. The spices are sourced directly from trusted, high-quality suppliers, and are packed and processed in small batches by hand. Spicewalla sells traditional spice mixes, like Garam Masala and Chaat Masala, as well as their unique Signature Blends such as Buxton Hall Barbecue Chicken Rub and Chai Pani Ginger Chai.
The inspiration for Spicewalla came from Irani’s childhood in India. Every fall, his whole family would be involved in the spice-making process. Using old family recipes, they roasted and ground enough spices to last the year. This personal touch is what makes Spicewalla blends special (“Why Spicewalla”).
Brown in the South
Since moving to the southern United States, Irani has felt at home. He told his wife “I’m going to call myself a Southerner who happens to be of Indian origin, instead of saying, I’m an Indian who happens to be living in the South” (Inamine, 2020). Hence, the name Brown in the South was born. Asha Gomez, Cheetie Kumar, Maneet Chauhan, Vish Bhatt, and Meherwan Irani make up the talented team of chefs spearheading this project. To the chefs, Brown in the South means cooking traditional southern dishes with an Indian flair. Irani gave the examples of fried chicken fried in coconut instead of vegetable oil and spiced with garam masala, tomato pie, and upma style shrimp and grits.
“Brown in The South Supper Series” is a series of collaborative dinners by Indian chefs who have found themselves at home in the Southern United States. The goal of the dinners is to use southern ingredients and themes to showcase the culture, culinary heritage, and cooking styles of the chefs. The first dinner took place in Chai Pani Decatur in January 2018 ("Brown in the South").
An Acclaimed Chef
Meherwan Irani’s journey from home cook to successful chef has been recognized in the culinary community. Irani used his experience in sales and entrepreneurial spirit to tackle the daunting task of creating several successful restaurants. Irani has been nominated for the James Beard award five times, and now owns multiple nationally-acclaimed restaurants. His ventures have been met with excitement and deserve all the recognition they have garnered.
Sources:
Bekele, Lea. “Self-Taught Chef Meherwan Irani Brings Botiwalla to Optimist Hall.” Queen City Nerve, 4 Jan. 2021, https://qcnerve.com/self-taught-chef-meherwan-irani-opens-botiwalla/.
Brown in the South, https://www.browninthesouth.com/.
“Chai Pani Decatur.” Chai Pani Decatur, https://www.chaipanidecatur.com/.
Chai Pani, http://www.chaipaniasheville.com/#restaurant-section.
Inamine, Elyse. “Meherwan Irani Wants to Change Stereotypes about the South, Starting with Dinner.” Bon Appétit, 12 Mar. 2020, https://www.bonappetit.com/story/meherwan-irani.
Lunsford, Mackensy. “Asheville Bar MG Road to Close, Become Extension of Popular Chai Pani Restaurant.” The Asheville Citizen Times, The Citizen-Times, 17 July 2019, https://www.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2019/07/17/asheville-bar-mg-road-close-become-part-chai-pani-restaurant/1755790001/.
“Why Spicewalla.” Spicewalla, https://www.spicewallabrand.com/pages/about-us.
