The menu included chickpea "cutlets",[6]korma,[7]turmeric-roasted Brussels sprouts, kale-infused dosas with black-eyed peas, and potato masala.[8][9] It also served roasted cauliflower with sweet-and-sour bell peppers,[10] channa masala, ginger-agave roasted carrots, and soy chicken drumsticks with jalapeño chutney and soy yogurt.[11] The Jackfruit Vindaloo Bowl has jackfruit, vegetables, vindaloo, and a kale salad,[2] and the peacock salad has soy curls and roasted vegetables on raw kale.[12] The Pakora Plate had pickled broccoli and cauliflower pakora, anasazi bean curry, kale with tahini, blueberry-mint chutney, cilantro-lemon sauce, radish, and brown basmati.[13]
On the drink menu, the Beet Tequila had tequila, cilantro, garam masala, beet juice, and grapefruit juice.[13] The Masala Film has mango puree with lime and ginger juice, and the mojito-like Bandit Queen has cucumber, lemon, and mint. The Sudra also served a vegan mango lassi with coconut yogurt and tamarind limeade.[14]
History
The Sudra was owned by Sanjay Chandran. The first location opened in northeast Portland 2013, in the space previously occupied by Basa Basa.[15][16][17][18]
A second followed in the Two-Thirds complex,[19] in the St. Johns neighborhood in May 2016. The location suffered a fire in June,[20] and closed permanently in June 2019.[21] Chanran opened another location on North Mississippi in July 2019.[17][22] The Fremont location moved to 28th Avenue.[23] In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant offere a holiday meal kit with soy "chicken" pakoras, cilantro herb potatoes, and Brussels sprouts.[24]
Another outpost opened in northwest Portland's Pearl District in 2021, in the space that previously housed Aviv.[25] The Pearl District location closed in 2022. The Sudra opened a location in Beaverton by 2023.[17]
The North Mississippi and Beaverton locations closed in 2023.[26] In late April 2024, Chandran announced plans to close the original location in May.[27] His bar Bar Asha began operating from the same space.[17][28][29]
Reception
Eater Portland included The Sudra in a list of the city's "essential" vegan and vegetarian restaurants.[30] Waz Wu included the business in the website's 2021 list of recommended restaurants in the city for "standout" vegan curries,[5] and Janelle Lassalle and Thom Hilton included The Sudra in a 2024 list of Portland establishments for non-alcoholic mixed drinks.[14] Ron Scott also included the restaurant in a 2024 overview of "exceptional" Indian food in the metropolitan area.[11]
The Sudra was a runner-up in the Best Indian Restaurant of Willamette Week's annual readers' poll in 2020.[31] It was also a runner-up in the same poll's Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant category in 2022.[32]
