About this episode

This episode celebrates the contributions of immigrants to New Orleans' culinary scene, featuring stories from various restaurant owners.

From French colonists who settled here 300 years ago to Vietnamese immigrants arriving in the 1970s, newcomers to the Crescent City have made significant contributions to the evolution of New Orleans cooking. On this week's show, we celebrate the ways immigrants continue to shape the city's culinary identity. We begin with Arvinder Vilkhu and his son Ashwin, who recount the story of their restaurant, Saffron Nola. Here, diners enjoy the Vilkhu family's personal blend of Indian and Creole flavors that earned a Best New Restaurant nomination by the James Beard Foundation just months after opening. Then, we hear from Jimena Urrutia and Marcelo Garcia, the talented husband-and-wife team behind one of the city's most innovative eateries: Empanola. Combining their South American heritage with local flavors, they have transformed traditional empanadas into authentic tastes of Louisiana and beyond. Finally, Fanta Tambajang shares her journey from her home in Gambia to her French Quarter restaurant Bennachin. You may already know and love her classic jama jama and fried plantains from the Jazz Fest where Fanta has been a sensation for decades. For more of all things Louisiana Eats, be…

People in this episode

Host: Poppy Tooker

Guests: Arvinder Vilkhu, Ashwin Vilkhu, Jimena Urrutia, Marcelo Garcia, Fanta Tambajang

Topics covered

• New Orleans cuisine
• immigration
• culinary identity
• cultural fusion
• restaurant stories

Keywords

• New Orleans
• culinary gumbo
• immigrants
• restaurants
• cooking
• cultural identity
• Saffron Nola
• Empanola
• Bennachin

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Saffron Nola, Empanola, Bennachin

Places: Gambia, French Quarter, New Orleans

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