Chef Hamir Patel: Fueling the Cuisine of York, PA
To experience the flavor of downtown York, you don’t need to look any farther than the city’s emerging restaurant scene. The chefs of York are embracing more cultural cuisines and pairing culinary innovation with farm-to-table cultivation.
We asked the chefs from our Autumn 2017 edition cover story to give us their thoughts on cooking for and serving in York’s culinary community. This week, we introduce you to Executive Chef Hamir Patel of Infusion Indian Kitchen.
With a passion for cooking and teaching, Patel brings people together to share meals and a sense of community with his approach to taking traditional Indian dishes and infusing them with flavors from around the world. Patel’s roots in the York restaurant community extend to the days of his first catering company, Hampat Specialty Foods.
In 2016, he auditioned for and was accepted as the first candidate in the Taste Test: Pop Up Restaurant Series for his Infusion Indian Kitchen restaurant concept. Two separate pop-up opportunities — one in 2016 when Taste Test operated at YorKitchen inside Central Market and most recently at Taste Test’s 105 S. Duke St. bar and restaurant —garnered Patel rave reviews and a loyal following of patrons. Following his successful Taste Test run, Patel will now move into a permanent brick-and-mortar space at 24 S. George St. this fall.
HAMIR PATEL, INFUSION INDIAN KITCHEN
Q: How did you get interested in cooking?
A: Being a foodie and a picky eater looking for unique flavors all the time, I started creating my own by trial and error along with sampling my dishes with family and friends for flavor and consistency.
Q: What do you like most about creating your own recipes?
A: Unique flavor requires unique recipes; therefore, I wanted to step out of the box of traditional Indian food by creating fun fusion dishes where I can incorporate ingredients from different ethnic cuisines with Indian flavors providing a one-of-a-kind taste.
Q: What do you appreciate most about dining in York?
A: I appreciate dining everywhere in York for one reason. I appreciate the countless hours, dedication and hard work by the chefs of restaurants. I am thankful to YRK for spotlighting the heart and soul of the restaurant chefs and the kitchen team — my heartfelt thanks to them.
Q: What do you think makes York an attractive place for foodies?
A: The current revitalization of downtown York is making a huge impact on the local dining out community. Anywhere in the states, people go downtown for food and drinks. For us, the Taste Test program invites the hidden talent and the missing flavors to come alive in York. It’s an excellent concept that showcases one’s talent and makes them part of the York restaurant community.
Q: What’s one dining concept or cuisine you’d like to see introduced to York?
A: I would love to see different flavor profiles and ethnic cultural cuisines from all around the world in York. It’s definitely time for the unique flavors that York is demanding.
Like what you’re reading here? Explore all the stories in the Autumn 2017 edition of YRK Magazine.