Star Indian Cuisine opened in 2021, when Rakesh Sahu and his wife, Sipra Sahoo, transformed the former Pepper Jack’s at 2429 South 132nd Street into a warm, inviting space alive with the aromas of North and South Indian cooking. They remodeled the building top to bottom, creating a family-run restaurant that blends tradition, variety and genuine hospitality.
Sahu’s path to Star Indian is deeply rooted in family tradition. His father is a trained chef and introduced him to the restaurant business in 2008 where they worked side-by-side, opening Flavors in downtown Omaha. That hands-on experience taught him the day-to-day aspects of running a kitchen, interacting with customers and properly cooking the family recipes. His father returned to India in 2014, and Sahu decided to look for his next chapter in the food industry.
Star Indian dining area
Photo by Jennifer Corey
“I took some of the recipes from my dad,” Sahu said. “I love the preparation and the cooking. It’s something I learned by being right there with him.”
In 2019, he co-founded Zaika at 144th and Center. That restaurant offered a menu rooted in North Indian flavors with popular dishes such as butter chicken and chicken tikka masala. It quickly developed a loyal following. By 2020, Rakesh moved on, ready to pursue a new chapter that would allow him to fully shape his own culinary and hospitality vision. That decision set the stage for Star Indian, a restaurant his wife and he could run entirely on their own terms.
The couple met while at school in India and remained in touch when Sahu moved to the United States in 2005. What followed was a 12-year long-distance relationship held together by frequent flyer miles and late night phone calls. They shared a commitment spanning continents, later married in India, and in 2017, Sahoo moved to the United States.
Star Indian dining area
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Sahoo had no plans to enter the restaurant business, but after seeing what Sahu had developed, and the local enthusiasm for Indian cuisine, she embraced the idea.
“My wife liked the profession,” Sahu said. “Talking to people, doing these things—so we both decided, ‘Okay, let’s open Star.’”
A defining trait of Star Indian is its focus on both Northern and Southern Indian cuisine. The North is known for dishes that lean more sweet like butter chicken, tikka masala and paneer butter masala. The South is known more for robust dishes that have complex spices and heat such as dosa, idli with sambar and biryani.
For our first visit, we tried the mango margarita and jalapeno martini cocktails. Each table gets a basket of papad crisps with green mint sauce and tamarind sauce. For appetizers, we had the gobi dublex and chicken samosa. Our entrees were tikka masala chicken, goat curry, and we split an order of tandoori chicken. We also had to try the garlic naan. For dessert, it was the mango kulfi, a house-made mango ice cream.
Mango margarita
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The mango margarita is fruit forward, which slightly eclipses the tequila – sweet but not overly so, it’s smooth, fruity and fresh. The mango, in all the right ways, makes itself the star ingredient.
Jalapeño martini
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The jalapeño martini carries a deep jalapeno essence with a hint of lime. This savory sipper starts with a gentle heat that blooms as you drink, deepening with each taste. It’s a clever twist on the traditional martini, and it paired wonderfully with everything we ordered.
Papad and sauces
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The papad are airy and light-crisp chips. They’re delicately crunchy and well seasoned with a hint of garlic and spices. The mint sauce bursts with fresh, herbal brightness, cutting through the papad’s salty crunch with a cooling finish. The tamarind sauce is sweet, bursting with Indian spices and reminiscent of a bbq sauce.
Gobi dublex
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The gobi duplex is fried, crispy cauliflower with a sweet garlic sauce. The cauliflower holds its crisp edge, but the sweet garlic-tomato sauce steals the show—umami-rich, slightly sweet, and impossible to stop eating. It’s one of our favorite appetizers we’ve tried this year.
Chicken samosa
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The chicken samosa are crispy pastries stuffed with ground chicken, peas and served with tamarind and mint chutney. They’re fried perfectly and have a kiss of heat. The outside is dusted in salty citrus spices while the chicken inside is juicy and tender.
Garlic naan
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Hot, buttery and garlicky, the naan hit the table still warm from the Tandoor oven, bursting with roasted flavor. The balance was spot on with the right amount of butter and hits of garlic—prominent but not overpowering.
Tandoori chicken
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The Tandoori chicken consists of leg quarters that have been marinated with yogurt and Indian spices. It comes out on a sizzling, steaming platter with grilled vegetables. A papad formed into a cornucopia sits on the side with grilled onions inside—as tasty as it is appealing. The chicken falls off the bone, bursting with vibrant tandoori spice—savory, smoky and deeply satisfying. The vegetables are cooked perfectly, with a notable hint of that fire-roasted flavor.
Tikka masala chicken with rice
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The tikka masala chicken is tender chicken breast in a creamy, tomato-based sauce. The tomato’s natural acidity balances delectably with the cream, while the aroma of warming spices rises with each bite. Though this is a savory dish, there’s an incredible, delicate sweetness in its profile. It’s one of the most memorable tikka masalas I’ve had—velvety, deeply spiced and perfectly balanced.
Goat curry
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The goat curry has roasted, bone-in goat pieces in a dark curry sauce. The rich curry coats the tender goat, its deep, earthy aroma layered with ginger and slow-building heat. If you haven’t tried goat before, it’s an excellent protein. The flavor is a cross between beef and lamb. In this dish, it was fork-tender.
Mango kulfi – mango flavored ice cream
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The mango kulfi is mango flavored ice cream made in-house. This ice cream is bursting with mango fruitiness. The tropical fruit is accented by cashews and raisins with a sweet, creamy custard on top. It’s the perfect dessert after a heavy meal—it tickles your sweet tooth just right. It’s light and refreshing.
Indian coffee
Photo by Jennifer Corey
We also tried the Indian coffee, which is sweet, creamy and aromatic. It comes with a dusting of espresso powder on top of a luscious, creamy milk froth. Though the coffee itself is full-bodied, it’s gently cut down by the cream.
On our second visit, Jennifer and I both had margaritas. She chose the peach, and I went for the lime chili. For appetizers, we sampled the aloo tikki and chili meatball. For entrees, Jennifer tried the shrimp kabab, while I went with one of my favorites, the butter chicken. We also tried the plain naan, and for dessert, the gulab jamoon. And the Indian coffee was so good, we capped our evening off with two of those.
Peach margarita
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Delicious and deeply fruity, the peach margarita tastes like biting into fresh, sun-ripened stonefruit. Like the mango margarita, the peach takes center stage, edging the tequila flavors back a bit, which makes this an easy-going sipper.
Lime chili margarita
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The chili lime margarita isn’t as spicy as I’m accustomed, but the flavors of the pepper balance well with the tequila and lime. It’s a well-crafted cocktail that would pair well with just about any journey through Star Indian’s menu.
Aloo tikki
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The aloo tikki consists of four grated potato patties with fresh cilantro, cumin seeds and green chilies. The crispy golden crust gives way to a pillowy mix of potatoes, peppers and spices, releasing a fragrant burst of cumin and chili.
Lamb meatballs
Photo by Jennifer Corey
Made with fresh ginger, herbs and a spicy sauce, the lamb meatballs are deeply savory and salted just right. The sauce is both sweet and full-bodied with lovely hints of tomato and spices. The grilled green pepper and onions are cooked well. It’s an all-around fantastic appetizer.
Off-menu chef creation: tempura shrimp
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The night hadn’t peaked yet. Midway through the meal, the chef sent out an off-menu creation—shrimp that’s been straightened and tempura fried with an Indian-spiced ketchup. The tempura was light and crispy, the shrimp properly cooked. They paired well with the spiced ketchup.
Soft and warm, the plain naan is wonderful for scooping up sauce.
Shrimp kabab
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The shrimp kababs are skewered jumbo prawns marinated in yogurt with onion, ginger, garlic and cilantro mixed with Indian spices—served on a sizzling hot plate. The shrimp arrived perfectly cooked and very well seasoned. Notes of ginger and cilantro pop, and the garlic pairs well with the Indian spices. It’s herbaceous, savory and a delicious seafood dish.
Butter chicken
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The butter chicken is boneless chicken thighs cooked in a creamy tomato sauce. The thighs were fork-tender. The creamy tomato sauce was full-bodied with a tangy hint from the yogurt and an essence of acidity from the tomato. To my taste, it could have used a pinch more salt—easily remedied by the shaker on the table. For Jennifer, it was just right. Nonetheless, it’s a delicious butter chicken.
Gulab jamoon
Photo by Jennifer Corey
The gulab jamoon is two fried round milk cakes dipped in sugar and served with vanilla ice cream. There’s a place from my childhood, a locally owned donut shop in Westport, Wash., now called Little Richards, that serves fresh donuts all day. The donuts were so good, they’re part of my core childhood memories. These milk cakes took me back to those days—from the first bite, I could almost hear the seagulls and smell the salty air. They’re golden, delicate pastries that nearly dissolve on the tongue, their syrupy sweetness rounded by creamy vanilla ice cream. If you can’t tell, I highly recommend this dessert.
After dessert, what lingered most wasn’t just the flavors — it was the hospitality. Sahoo served us on both visits, displaying her warm personality and patience as we peppered her with menu questions. She made us feel right at home. This was true of the entire staff—and evident by the dining room packed full of patrons. We could overhear that several of them were regulars.
Star Indian bar
Photo by Jennifer Corey
For Sahu, Star Indian isn’t just about good Indian cuisine. His vision is to create a memorable experience that compels people to return.. He wants his guests to feel their visit is personal rather than transactional. I asked Sahu to expand on this a bit, and his response was delightfully humble, choosing a simple answer over a marketing slogan.
“If they ever come and try us, I want them to have a good experience,” Sahu said. “When they do, they’ll feel for themselves what we’re doing.“
This is a clearly stated philosophy. Let the food and service speak for itself, and the people will respond.
Star Indian private dining area
Photo by Jennifer Corey
I also asked about future plans, and for now, Sahu and Sahoo remain focused on keeping Star Indian the best it can be—refining the menu, keeping a high level of consistency and building their reputation in the community. Whatever happens next will likely grow from the same foundation that has defined Star thus far. It’s about family, tradition and variety built around giving guests a positive, memorable experience.
“I love doing these things,” Sahu said. “It’s about connecting with people and making them happy through food.”
There is a noticeable difference in quality here, you can tell the care that goes into every dish. You’re greeted as if you’re a member of the family, or at least a family friend, taking a seat at their own table.
It’s the kind of place where the flavors pull you in and the hospitality makes you stay—and you can be damn sure they just earned two new regulars.
