This Johnson County Indian restaurant will open soon, with a meat market next door
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The sign to Rajadhani Indian Cuisine went up a few weeks ago.
The “H” in the restaurant’s name points upward like a mosque’s minarets, bridging together in a pointed arch.
The logo mirrors the mammoth Charminar, a 16th century monument in Hyderabad, where the restaurant’s owner, Sai Thonukunuri, is from. He named his restaurant after the Hindi word for “capital,” hoping his place will be a landmark Indian restaurant in the Kansas City area.
For 15 years, Thonukunuri fantasized about opening something like this.
“I would call it a dream project,” he said, the space at 12030 Blue Valley Parkway in Overland Park starting to fill up with tables, chairs and a few appliances.
Customers who walk through its doors after its October opening will enter the “express” section, where a to-go area sits next to a coffee and tea counter. The sit-down section, a “fine dining” area, lies to the right.
He’ll also have a full bar with special Indian cocktails — he’s still working on the drink menu, he says.
“It’s a place where you can get something quick, or you can get … street snacks, and then you can come sit down and experience very good dining,” he said.
Next to Rajadhani —which occupies the former Tabard’s Kitchen space — is Thonukunuri’s Fresh Meats market.
He put up a wall to separate the two businesses, but their goal is the same: bring authentic Indian flavors to the Kansas City area.
“I want to focus and give them the best experience from our place,” he said.
He expects the meat market to open a month after the restaurant, potentially in November.
At Rajadhani, Thonukunuri will offer Hyderabad favorites like biryani, a meat and rice dish served with yogurt sauce. Other goat and chicken dishes will be available for pickup. At his coffee counter, he’ll offer chai and biscuits.
Inside Fresh Meats, all his products are halal, or ceremonially clean according to Islamic law. (Hyderabad is home to a large Muslim population, and Thonukunuri says it can be difficult to find halal products in the Midwest.) He’ll also carry vegetables and Indian dairy products.
Food has been Thonukunuri’s lifelong love, as is the case for many restaurant owners. It symbolizes family get-togethers and celebrations.
This led him to work in the restaurant industry for 15 years, five of which he spent as a cook in India. But after years of helping other restaurants thrive, he finally has his own place.
“This is my first opportunity in life to do something more,” he said. “I’m really excited to get this open.”
Updates on the restaurant’s opening date can be found on its Facebook page.