Zubair Mohajir and Rishi Kumar’s new restaurant came about through an unexpected medium: Instagram. The chefs landed in each other’s DMs and began running a series of successful pop-ups. Fast forward a couple of years, and the duo is now at the helm of Mirra in Chicago, an Indian Mexican restaurant unlike anything else the city has seen.
“We like to call Mirra a cultural crossroads of India and Mexico coming together through the lens of the Chicago dining scene,” Kumar says.
At Mirra, the chefs get to lean on their South Asian heritage—Mohajir is a James Beard semifinalist for his South Indian tasting-menu restaurant The Coach House—and meld it with Kumar’s years of experience working at acclaimed Rick Bayless Mexican spots Topolobampo and Bar Sótano.
Read on for how it all comes to life at Mirra, and make a booking on OpenTable.
What to eat
This largely small plates-focused menu is all about sharing, and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a single dish that doesn’t have a cross-cultural bent to it.
Start with dishes like the chaas aguachile—the first dish the chefs created together—that pairs the classic Mexican seafood dish with a sauce that nods to a popular Indian drink. Add on the lightly fried soft shell crab that’s prepared like Indian street food with a dose of minty chutney and served with an earthy salsa negra.
The lamb barbacoa biryani is one of the larger dish must-orders. Two cultural icons, biryani and barbacoa, come together with the lamb infused with saffron, mint, and Mexican chiles. It all arrives sealed under a crispy baked roti that you should gently puncture with a spoon before diving in.
“Sometimes you find flavors that work together and start to create their own path,” Mohajir says. “As chefs, that’s the biggest gift to receive.”
What to drink
Cocktails, beers, and wine make up the drinks menu created by award-winning bartender David Mor, and they, too, nod to both countries.
The old fashioned is a highlight among the cocktails and blends Mexican corn whiskey and rum with mango and Oaxacan pasilla pepper. As is the negroni with mezcal and coriander.
Meanwhile, hard-to-find wines like a rosé from India and a sauvignon blanc from Mexico star on the wine list and can be ordered by the glass or bottle.
Where to sit
Tropical meets industrial with the interiors at Mirra. The exposed white-brick walls, basket-encased light fixtures, and lush plants all nod to elements common in Indian and Mexican interior design. Grab a spot at the marble-topped bar for a front-row seat to all the action in the kitchen or get cozy at one of the banquettes, which make this an ideal date-night restaurant.
When to go
Mirra is open Wednesday through Sunday from 4:30 pm to 10:30 pm (the last reservation is at 9:30 pm). Come on the early side so you can catch the light stream through the large street-facing window, whereas soft lighting later in the evening creates a more romantic ambiance.
Lisa Shames is a writer focused on travel and food culture in Chicago. She has covered Chicago’s restaurant scene for publications including CS, Chicago Tribune, and Time Out and is the U.S. contributor for Sogoodmag.
