Last Thursday Steve and I checked out Botiwalla, a new-ish restaurant in West Asheville. I’d been watching the renovation from a distance for a while now, and when I saw it was finally open, we had to try it. Basically this is a very casual eatery from Meherwan Irani, the chef who brought Chai Pani to Asheville back in the day. James Beard award-winning Chai Pani is all about Indian Street food. Botiwalla is a tribute to cafes created by Iranians who settled in India. Irani’s great grandfather ran such a place.

Asheville being Asheville, there was a line out the door at lunchtime. We studied the menu, ordered at the counter, grabbed a couple of Kingfishers, and staked out a table with our number and sat to await our food.

Used the wait to check out the hilarious decor….

Lots of little items decorating the walls that I’m guessing are a mix of British colonial artifacts, Persian, and Indian. A 3D diorama that looks inspired by Bollywood. (I don’t think the image at the top properly conveys the 3D quality of the installation. The dancers and vehicle are separate from the background mural.)

Ah! The food’s here. Lamb kofta (meatballs) in a hot buttered naan. Yes, I said hot buttered. The best way to eat any bread, in my opinion. The lamb meatballs are tasty and spicy, but in a good way. A little side of yogurt goodness to cool you off, but I promise you won’t really need it.

I know, you’re a stickler for details on ingredients. Shush, you. Go look at the menu, and let me eat in peace.

Oh—and what’s this? Okra fries. Irani made these popular at Chai Pani downtown, and it’s a hit here as well. The okra are shaved very thin, and are salty-crunchy. You could eat six of these baskets during a movie and sleep the rest of the night on your couch. I cannot say if they are authentically Irani-Indian. Kind of doubt it. But here’s a fancier article to tell you what you’re supposed to know about such things.

Here’s what I want you to know: Botiwalla is reasonably priced. It’s tasty. They have beer! And more importantly, there are a multitude of items on the menu that I’d like to try. That’s not always a given at most restaurants in this town. There’s usually only one thing I dig, and the rest tempts me not.

I sorta have a man-crush on Mr. Irani, and not because he brought great food to my little town. During the pandemic he kept us all marvelously entertained, showing us how we could make interesting dishes in the safety of our own homes. He cooked in his kitchen, and broadcasted his creations via Instagram. I loved him for it, and will follow him happily down any number of spicy culinary rabbit holes. Although, I hasten to say rabbit is not on the menu.

I’ll be back.