Chef Ranjan Dey / Courtesy photo

Chef Ranjan Dey, the undisputed OG of Indian cuisine in Northern California, opened New Delhi, San Francisco’s oldest Indian restaurant, in November 1988. Long before Silicon Valley became home to thousands of Indian tech workers, Dey was on a mission to carve out a distinct niche for Indian gastronomy in the Bay Area.

He first arrived in the United States with the iconic Gaylord Indian Restaurant chain, then owned by Southeast Asia’s prominent Harilela family.

“The chain already had four locations in the Bay Area, along with outlets in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Having previously managed restaurants in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Singapore, I felt truly blessed to start my American journey with them and gain a deep understanding of the local landscape,” Dey recalls.

“San Francisco shares a deep connection with India through history, music and culture, well beyond the tech boom,” Dey explains. “Even before Silicon Valley took off, Indians were making significant contributions across banking, medicine and other key sectors. There has always been a genuine fascination with Indian culture here.”

Dey fondly points out that New Delhi predates the World Wide Web, Google and Facebook. “We’ve been here for nearly four decades, and it’s been an incredible ride,” he says. For him, the ultimate lesson has been adaptability. “I’ve witnessed monumental shifts, from the 1989 earthquake and the dot-com bust to the 2008 financial crash and the COVID-19 pandemic.”

New Delhi, San Francisco’s oldest Indian restaurant / Courtesy photo

Through every crisis and milestone, Dey credits one factor above all for his longevity: the unwavering support of the local community.

Being an immigrant and an entrepreneur running a small business has been challenging. “I opened my first restaurant in Hong Kong when I was just 26. Being an immigrant and small business owner is a tough and lonely journey. I made sure that when I faced tough times, I wiped my own tears and kept going,” he says.

But that was only until the COVID-19 pandemic hit. “That was a defining moment for me. We had our core staff who had been working with us for over 27 years, and I felt I had to take care of everyone. After the first two months, I didn’t know what to do. It’s then that my wife, two daughters and sons-in-law told me that it was OK to ask for help. They said that since I had been trying to enrich the community for so many years, it was my turn to ask for help.”

He reached out through a GoFundMe page for the benefit of his core staff of six. “The help didn’t come only from San Francisco. It came from across America and all over the world. That’s how we survived and that’s why we keep on going with support from our community.”

Dey describes his menu as elevated comfort food anchored by a custom gourmet spice blend.

“Rather than fancy fusion, I prefer mainstream flavors,” Dey explains. “I call it comfort with creativity. While our menu focuses mainly on North Indian classics alongside standout dishes from across the country, we also feature a signature line of house spices.”

That signature line stems from a deep dive into culinary history. “I researched the favorite dishes of three Indian kings and three queens from six distinct regions,” says Dey. “Using those historical profiles, I crafted unique spice blends and created both vegetarian and nonvegetarian versions of six specialty dishes. You won’t find them anywhere else.”

To round out the menu, Dey also offers house specialties featuring a distinct San Francisco twist.

Moving beyond his restaurant, Chef Dey has also built a catering business with a large portfolio of Indian weddings and corporate events. “We are preferred vendors of over 28 wineries and over 150 venues all over the Bay Area. But we don’t take on more than 500 guests at each event because it would become too large a number for us to do a good job.”

In January 2020, New Delhi Restaurant was added to San Francisco’s prestigious Legacy Business Registry, an honor awarded to just 242 businesses. The designation made it the first South Asian-owned business and the only Indian restaurant to earn a spot on the list.

“The Legacy Business tag honors heritage establishments that have operated continuously for at least 30 years,” Dey says proudly. “You have to excel at what you do, but more importantly, you must enrich the local community and receive an official nomination from the mayor.”

Before embarking on his global entrepreneurial journey, Dey worked at several hotels in India before relocating to Hong Kong. “I managed the Gaylord chain of restaurants for the Harilelas globally and then opened another chain for them called Viceroy of India,” he shares.

Now, he sees Indian cuisine steadily entering the American mainstream. “With the digital era and a strong Indian presence in Silicon Valley, there is far greater awareness of Indian food and culture today. That’s why we’re seeing so many fusion concepts emerge. We also organize an Indian Restaurant Week twice a year, partnering with six fine-dining spots in downtown San Francisco to celebrate Holi and Diwali.”

Dey remains deeply tied to his roots, taking a group of 20 to 25 people on a culinary and cultural tour of India every January and February. “We visit five Indian cities, including a stop in Agra to see the Taj Mahal. We collaborate with celebrity chefs to host cooking classes, and I always incorporate one or two historical dishes rooted in gastro-diplomacy. History and culture have so much to teach us about food.”

Discover more at New India Abroad.