John Bogna
On Eater’s latest episode of Cooking in America, Chef Sheldon Simeon visits the first Indian restaurant to open its doors in Houston: Raja Sweets.
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The store opened in 1986, and is still run by the same family. Sharan Gahunia, the daughter of the original owners who currently helps run the restaurant, says Raja’s’ motto is “bring the streets of India to [Houston].” Gahunia says the place gives people a feeling of familiarity and comfort by providing a taste of home.
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When her parents came over from London and ended up in Houston, they saw that at the time, the Indian community in Houston didn’t have many places to gather. There was no Indian restaurant there, and the Gahunia’s establishment filled that gap. These days, the area of Houston where Raja Sweets does business is called the Mahatma Ghandi district, colloquially knows as “Little India.” Indian business have gone from just three in the 80s to over 60 today.
Raja Sweets is known for its hand made desserts, making over fifty pounds a day of just one item on its menu. Sharan Gahunia took Simeon back into the kitchen to see how their desserts get made, and try his hand at the process.
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