The Storm That Nearly Ended a Dream: How Dishes of India Rose Again After Hurricane Isabel

In 2003, Dishes of India faced the kind of setback no restaurant owner ever expects. Hurricane Isabel destroyed the restaurant, leaving behind a difficult question: after everything it had taken to build it, could they start again? For Chef Ramanand Bhatt, this was not simply damage to a business. Dishes of India was the dream he had spent years working towards.

A Restaurant Built Over a Lifetime

Chef Bhatt’s path to opening his own restaurant had been a long one. He began cooking at the age of 16 at a roadside café in New Delhi. Later, his work took him to Spain, where he spent five years working at an Indian restaurant. After returning to India, he worked for 15 years in Air India’s flight kitchens. In 1981, he moved to the United States, carrying years of experience with him and still holding onto the same ambition. Finally, on June 17, 1997, Dishes of India opened. After all those years, the restaurant was no small achievement. It represented decades of experience, planning, saving, and determination. Then, only a few years later, Hurricane Isabel changed everything.

The Damage Was Only the Beginning

When the hurricane destroyed the restaurant, the challenge was not limited to repairing the physical space. There were decisions to make. There were obstacles to overcome. There was the financial and emotional weight of starting over after finally creating something that had taken so long to achieve. Restoring Dishes of India would take about a year. During that time, the path forward was anything but simple. The hurdles kept coming, and at one point, Chef Bhatt briefly wondered whether reopening was even worth it. It is easy to understand why. Rebuilding a restaurant after such extensive damage requires more than a renovation. It requires the willingness to believe that beginning again is possible.

A Moment of Doubt Did Not Become the End

There was a moment when giving up crossed his mind. But it did not last. The same determination that had carried Chef Bhatt from a roadside café in New Delhi to his own restaurant in the United States returned when it mattered most. Dishes of India had taken too long to build to disappear without a fight. So, the work continued.

The Community Helped Keep the Dream Alive

One of the most important parts of Dishes of India’s recovery was the support it received from local residents and loyal guests. A restaurant can begin as a business, but over time, something else happens. The local community and loyal guests played an important role in making restoration possible. Chef Bhatt’s determination kept the dream alive, but he did not have to rebuild entirely alone.

One Year Later, the Doors Opened Again

After about a year of rebuilding, Dishes of India reopened. The return meant far more than reopening a dining room. It was proof that the hurricane had not written the final chapter of the restaurant’s story. The building could be restored. The restaurant could welcome guests again. And the dream that had begun decades earlier could continue.