The global icon, Priyanka Chopra yet again added another feather to her illustrious hat by opening a new restaurant called SONA in New York City. She announced this on her Instagram by posting a picture of a part of her restaurant’s sign which is situated on the 36 East, 20th Street in the Flatiron District. This boss lady when asked about her new venture, said to The Times that SONA is the embodiment of the timeless India and the rich flavors that she has grown up with and that all the love that she stores for Indian food is poured into the restaurant.
“I am thrilled to present to you SONA, a new restaurant in NYC that I poured my love for Indian food into.”, Priyanka Chopra Jonas also mentioned in her Instagram post. How will this restaurant be different from the others? What will be its specialties? Who is going to be the head chef? When did all the work begin? If you are also intrigued to know more, continue to read the article then as we share with you all the nitty-gritties of the restaurant and also a list of some other popular food spaces opened by celebrities in NYC.
About Priyanka Chopra
Before stating further about the restaurant, it is essential that we know some history about the owner first.
Born on 18th July, 1982, in Jamshedpur, Priyanka Chopra Jonas started her career as a Bollywood actor and model after she was crowned the Miss World in the year 2000. She not only severed as a phenomenal actress in the entertainment industry for almost two decades but also won several accords during her tenure including one of the highest honors in India which is the Padma Shri.
Priyanka Chopra RestaurantPriyanka Chopra after establishing herself in the Indian entertainment industry expanded her horizons and soon became one of the most affluent global icons. Priyanka Chopra Jonas became the first female Bollywood actor to sing along with internationally famed musical stars. She also received the People’s Choice Awards for the most favorite actress in a new TV series twice. Priyanka Chopra also graced her presence in popular talk shows like The Ellen Degeneres Show and The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. In December of 2016, she was introduced as the newest goodwill ambassador by UNICEF. Priyanka Chopra has always been leaving her prominent mark in whatever she does and her popularity reached new levels when she published her memoir Unfinished and recently when her film The White Tiger got nominated for the Oscars 2021.
About Her Restaurant SONA
Now coming to the recent endeavor by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, her new restaurant SONA. As mentioned earlier this restaurant is located at 36 East 20th Street. The menu of this Indian restaurant is specially curated by Chef Hari Nayak who is the main man behind some of the most famous restaurants in the world. He is behind restaurants like Soul Curry in Hoboken and Masti in Dubai. He is also the author of one of the most popular cookbooks like Modern Indian Cooking. The details of the menu are yet to be spilled, however, Priyanka Chopra mentioned in her Ig post that how the chef has curated the most innovative and delicious menu especially for her restaurant that will take the food enthusiasts on a special food journey through her amazing country.
Restaurant SONAPriyanka Chopra’s business partner Maneesh Goyal also penned a sweet message for Priyanka Chopra in his Instagram post where he mentioned how PC was involved in every little detail regarding the restaurant. “From the design, to the menu, to the music, to even the name, Priyanka has her fingerprints all over SONA”, Maneesh Goyal mentioned in his Instagram post. He also added that how nobody personifies global Indian than Priyanka Chopra herself and he is more than happy that SONA has PC as its creative force.
The design of the place has been led by some of the best designers in the business. On the Instagram post, Priyanka Chopra mentioned how Melissa Bowers and her team realized her vision and brought it into a reality. However, the construction of the restaurant took a long time. It started in September 2019 and it took more than a year to finish the project. But we can’t complain, after all, good things do take time, don’t they?
Some of the Other Restaurants to Visit in NYC
Apart from SONA being the newest addition to the F&B industry, this is not the first time that NYC is seeing a restaurant being opened by a celebrity. New York City boasts some of the best restaurants, pubs and clubs founded or invested in by celebrities. Some of the most popular celebrity restaurants in NYC are
- The Spotted Pig- Invested by Jay-Z, REM’s Michael Stipe and Fatboy Slim, the spotted pig is the first restaurant that is credited with starting the gastropub trend. A cozy space, this busy eatery serves the best Italian and British style food sourced from local ingredients.
- Mermaid Oyster Bar- Invested by actor Zach Braff, mermaid oyster bar is a unique bar that serves more than 16 kinds of oysters. A delicious meal ending with a lobster roll and some locally brewed beers, eating here definitely mean a good time.
- Laughing Man Coffee and Tea- Opened by Hugh Jackman, this cozy cafe is what self-sustainability stands for. It has been reported that Jackman came with the idea of this cafe when he met with a coffee farmer in Ethiopia. This cafe boasts of several single-origin coffee beans and all the money collected from here is given to charity.
- Southern Hospitality- Co-owned by Justin Timberlake, Southern Hospitality showcases a slice of his Memphis upbringing. This restaurant is famous for its fried pickles and BBQ-style ribs and is one of the most favorite spots for celebrities to let their hair down.
Some other popular joints are:
- 21 Greenpoint by Bill Murray
- Buffalo Boss by Jay-Z
- Locanda Verde by Robert De Niro
- SPiN New York by Susan Sarandon
- Do Hwa by Quentin Tarantino
And now to these popular lists, hopefully, we could soon add Priyanka Chopra’s newest endeavor. She is yet to announce the opening date of her restaurant but it has been sourced that it will be later this month. And for the next time you are in New York, you know where to head to for soulful Indian cuisine.
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