Paid Partnership CUISINE + SkyCity
Cassia
"We want to recreate the look, feel and warmth of the old Cassia but add a few new features to mark our new beginning." - Sid Sahrawat.
DEFINING MODERN INDIAN CUISINE FOR 10 YEARS.
This year is one of celebration for Cassia: not only will it celebrate one year as part of the award-winning dining precinct at SkyCity, it is also celebrating ten years as the go-to restaurant for modern authentic Indian cuisine in Auckland. But would you be surprised to learn that, previous to Cassia, chef Sid Sahrawat had never professionally cooked Indian cuisine?
What started a decade ago as the home-based passion for food of husband-and-wife hospitality entrepreneurs Sid and Chand Sahrawat, became a desire to see the food they cooked at home with their family presented in a venue: a place where Aucklanders could experience the flavour combinations of Sid’s native India.
The inspiration was the traditional dishes of Sid’s childhood fused with Chand’s delicious homecooked curries. While Sid’s professional experience had been predominantly with European cuisine, the pair saw the opportunity to show New Zealand how spectacular and complex Indian cuisine could be; that it was so much more than curry. Cassia was born.
THE PERFECT LOCATION
Cassia is synonymous with haute Indian food, but it hasn’t been an easy road to find its current place on Federal Street at the base of the Sky Tower. Its initial location at Fort Street endured many trials. Cassia survived the trying times of the pandemic, only to be closed twice by the weather. The intense flooding of the second weather event occurred during service, meaning a stressful evacuation of staff and customers. Sid and Chand knew it was time to leave this beloved location and look for a new home.
They say hindsight is 20/20, and looking back the perfect location is the SkyCity dining precinct – a location dedicated to the very best in global gastronomy where Cassia sits alongside traditional flavours of the Pacific in Metita with Michael Meredith, superb Japanese cuisine at MASU by Nic Watt, classic American deli eats at Al Brown’s The Fed Deli next to the sublime Depot, not to mention the finest Chinese dining experiences at Huami. Where else for the restaurant dedicated to the classic spice and flavour combinations of India reborn with the very best New Zealand ingredients? It’s as if it was meant to be. Sid and Chand immediately recognised the potential to recreate their cherished Cassia in this prime location.
The space accommodated the charcoal tandoors that are essential to producing the authentic flavours that have put Cassia on the map. Not only that, but SkyCity was delighted for the Sahrawats to bring their most vital asset – their people – to join the wider SkyCity family while remaining as part of the Cassia team. It is this consistency of not just the menu but the team – who create the perfect atmosphere and give incredible service – that’s made Cassia one of Auckland’s most-awarded restaurants.
COOKED WITH LOVE
As Cassia celebrates one year on Federal Street, it’s evident that the only thing that has changed is the physical location. What remains the same is everything lovers of great food have come to expect: the kitchen and front-of-house staff, the presence of Sid creating culinary magic and Chand on the floor ensuring the very best experience for customers. So devoted are the pair to recreating the Cassia vibe, that Chand salvaged the light fittings from the Fort Street location to install at Federal Street.
It’s this level of attention to detail and care that illustrates why culinary royalty Gordon Ramsey sought out Cassia on a visit to Auckland. There’s no doubt Ramsey portrays himself as one who is hard to please, so the Sahrawats are right to be proud of his glowing endorsement. So what next as Cassia heads into its second decade?
Sid and Chand are as passionate as ever in their pursuit to provide the best modern Indian food, but they are adamant that it’s a journey. Despite the mini revolt when beloved dishes such as the lamb chops or deli duck disappear – even briefly – from the menu, the team believes that nothing happens without reason and change ensures they’re never stuck in a rut. One thing you can be assured of is that the backbone of Cassia is the blending of the modern with the traditional to create authentic, mouthwatering Indian cuisine, cooked with love.
