Kama Bistro Move Comes With Bigger Space, Late-night Scene

Kama Indian Bistro is already one of the highest rated La Grange restaurants and a top Indian restaurant in the Chicago area.

Now it's moving around the corner to a spot on La Grange Road, making it possible to serve far more patrons and expand its food and drink menus. The restaurant is moving from its Burlington location to 9 S. La Grange Road, where Cafe 103 was once slated to open.

Owner Vikram Singh said he's targeting the first week of July to open, but it could be earlier than that. 

The new space will have 120 seats, a big improvement on the current spot, which is a long, narrow restaurant with many two-seat tables. This will offer more seating options and the ability to host more parties, Singh said. 

"We got a lot of customer feedback and they said the biggest issue for them is the space," he said. "They couldn't use it for an event or a party. We want to do justice to the good food we have." 

Write a review of Kama Indian Bistro in La Grange. 

There will also be a bar, something missing in the current location, and it will have a seating area for people looking to have a drink or a quick meal. The windows will also be renovated so there's the ability to open them on nice days.  

Singh said the bar will allow the restaurant to expand its drink menu, including more signature cocktails and craft beers. Kama currently offers five signature martinis and 15 rare craft beers, such as 3 Floyd's Zombiedust, and Singh wants to expand the offerings. 

"We’re all about bringing different flavors to our restaurants, and that includes beer. And beers are excellent with Indian food," Singh said. “La Grange is developing a late-night culture."

“It was limiting our creative ambition,” he said. “Food is the success here, but we can offer more.”

READ MORE: Kama Indian Bistro Relocating to Cafe 103 Spot

The food will remain the focus, of course. Kama is a Michelin Guide recommended restaurant, named a top Indian restaurant in Chicago by Gayot and is one of the highest rated restaurants in the Chicago area on Yelp.

Singh was always interested in the restaurant business after growing up in India, where his father is one of the top chefs. He came to the U.S. in 1999 to get his master’s degree in engineering at Northwestern, then married and stayed here.

“I had so much confidence in the family recipes we have, I knew it would be a success," Singh said. Still, he likes to tinker with those family recipes and put his twist on them, with a keen eye for fushion opportunities. 

His wife, Agnes, runs the restaurant with him, so it's a true family business. Singh hopes the new space will allow the restaurant to become even more well known and cater more to the patrons. 

"We never thought restricting our ambitions to being an Indian restaurant," he said. "We just wanted to be a great restaurant. We should have a stamp on everything we do." 

Get news alerts and Facebook updates from these Patch sites:

• La Grange/La Grange Park newsletter and La Grange Patch Facebook
• Western Springs newsletter and Western Springs Patch Facebook