Inside Sifr, Chicago’s New Modern Middle Eastern Restaurant From Acclaimed Chef Sujan Sarkar
Sujan Sarkar opened one of the best new restaurants in America, Chicago’s Indienne, less than a year ago. But the chef is already turning his focus to a new spot in the Windy City.
Sifr, which opened Tuesday, is a modern Middle Eastern restaurant in Chicago’s River North neighborhood from Sarkar and the chef Sahil Sethi (formerly of Rooh Chicago and Bar Goa). Here, Sethi has taken the lead on a menu inspired by the time he’s spent in the Middle East, meaning you’ll see the region’s classic dips and kebabs presented with a contemporary feel.
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“This concept is special to me as it was inspired by the amazing food and ingredients that I experienced during my work and travels in the Middle East and I’m excited to share this with guests,” Sethi said in a statement. “Also having the opportunity to reunite with chef Sujan, who has been my mentor as we have been working together since 2015, is truly meaningful.”
Many of Sifr’s dishes are cooked over the restaurant’s charcoal and wood-fired hearth, and the mezze and larger plates are meant to be shared family-style, as is common in Middle Eastern culture. For the table, amber grilled melon tzatziki and hummus with Syrian seven-spice chicken are just a couple of the starters, while the mains include chermoula fish, Westholme ribeye, and a slow-roasted lamb shank. The aforementioned kebabs come in a variety of combinations, including maitake mushroom, monkfish, and lamb koobideh.
To pair with the food, summery cocktails like a melon Paloma mirror the flavors on the table. If you prefer darker liquor, there’s a kunafa fat-washed Old Fashioned and date molasses distilled whiskey, among other offerings.
All of those plates and drinks could be enjoyed on Sifr’s rooftop patio, but the Chicago weather isn’t always ideal for outdoor dining. Fortunately, the inside of the space is just as much an oasis, with pastel accents, light wood, and golden light fixtures transporting you outside of the restaurant’s urban setting. A mural by the artist Yomar Augusto is a particular highlight, inspired by the number zero—which is what “sifr” means in Arabic—and tapping into the infinite nature of circles.
While the restaurant’s name might translate to that number, Sarkar’s past restaurants indicate Sifr will be anything but a zero.
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