Central by Saffron Valley is one of the hottest new restaurants in Salt Lake City, serving up Indian fare inspired by the railways of India and showcasing a train theme in its stunning downtown location.
The train theme runs deep throughout the restaurant, with some dishes served from tins often used on the Indian train system. There are platforms marking each table, and there’s even a giant train in the middle of the restaurant.
After the Italian restaurant Stanza closed earlier this year, Central owner Lavanya Mahate saw the spot had opened up and figured this is where her dream of a train-themed restaurant could be realized.
“We’ve had a lot of fun thinking through all the details because the space calls for it — it’s an amazing building and I wanted to do justice to the whole experience," Mahate told me. “I had this lovely company help me build it, and somehow it’s all come together.”
Growing up, Mahate has fond memories of taking trains. She regularly took the train to visit cousins who lived more than 400 miles away in another state in India.
“I think every Indian has a beloved story or two about their train experience growing up,” Mahate said. “It’s literally a journey and it’s built on connection, community, gathering, and good food. And who doesn’t love a good electric train, right?”
A history of shaping the food scene in Utah
Central isn’t Mahate’s first restaurant endeavor. She’s been shaping the Utah food scene for the last 14 years with multiple locations of her restaurant Saffron Valley — two of which she still continues to own and manage.
She’s come a long way since her humble culinary enterprise beginnings, starting out selling spice blends at farmers markets.
From there, she realized she wanted to do more with food and started looking into how to bring Indian cuisine to the people in the South Jordan community.
She opened her first restaurant in 2011, which offered dishes that came from regions all over India.
“My mission was to make Indian food more accessible, not just something you eat on an anniversary or special occasion,” Mahate said. “I wanted to make it more mainstream.”
A journey to sharing Indian food with Utah
Before entering the food scene, Mahate first came to the U.S. on a dependent visa. She wasn’t allowed to work in the U.S., so she received her second master’s degree, this time in marketing education from the University of Utah.
Upon graduation, she volunteered for the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce and then worked as an intern for two years before getting hired, then subsequently promoted all the way up to program manager.
After working for the chamber for about eight years, she decided to go out on her own, starting with the spice blends at the farmers markets.
Cooking was an important part of Mahate’s childhood. She first started learning to cook from her mom and from her family’s kitchen help, who taught her how to make delicious Indian sweets.
“I come from a family of great cooks,” Mahate said. “My mother, my aunts, my grandmother are all amazing cooks. And I enjoyed being in the kitchen, learning from my mom.”
The goodies delighted her friends and family and pushed her to keep learning and try out new recipes.
“I feel like a lot of what we do goes back to our childhood and that it’s really tied to our early memories and what we enjoy doing again,” Mahate said. “And I think there’s something beautiful when you can find what you’re most passionate about and interested in and wanting to make that work. Then it just becomes a way of life, you know, not just work.”
Now she works directly with the chefs at her restaurants to ensure the food is up to her quality and standards.
Recognition for quality service
And that dedication to quality and hospitality has gotten recognized in a major way. Last year, Mahate was nominated for one of the most prestigious awards in food. She was nominated for a James Beard Award for Outstanding Hospitality.
“That was really cool to be named one of 15 in the country,” Mahate said. “I’m super grateful and proud. But I guess when you put your passion and purpose and put in your 100%, it can get you great things.”
Giving back to the community
Along with all of Mahate’s success, she also gives back to the community in a major way. Two years ago, she founded the RISE Culinary Institute, which is a nonprofit organization that provides free culinary training to refugee and immigrant women.
Multiple women have found successful careers in the Utah culinary scene from the program, finding jobs at places like Flower Child and the Grand America.
“I love connecting with these women and hearing their stories and their reasons,” Mahate said. “They’re so resilient.”
What I ordered
When I sat down to talk with Mahate, we shared lunch together at Central.
Here’s what we ordered:
- Cauliflower Manchurian: The cauliflower comes out all crispy and covered in delicious Indo-Chinese garlic chili sauce.
- Railway Veg Cutlets: These are a tasty treat I enjoyed more than I would have expected. It’s golden beet and veggie patties served with tangy, tasty chutney sauces.
- Paneer Butter Masala: You can’t go wrong with a classic. Paneer is like an Indian cottage cheese and the butter masala packs a punch of curry flavors.
- Tandoori Lamb Chops: Mahate’s vegetarian, so I got these all to myself. The lamb is tender and juicy and smoky.
- Saffron Fruit & Nut Biryani: This was my personal favorite and the star of the show. The nutty textures and saffron flavors make this dish shine.
- Chai creme brulee: It was everything you hope when you see the name. The spices were perfectly blended and the top was nice and crispy like a creme brulee should be.