This article has been updated to reflect a new opening date for Faava.
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The team behind the Chandler fine-dining Indian restaurant Feringhee will launch a new eatery next door on March 18.
Faava, a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant, may be a departure from both the cuisine and experience diners recognize from Feringhee, but they’ll note the same dedication to quality, says Madhavi Reddy, president of Zest Hospitality Group.
“Everything in the location will be coming from a Michelin chef. There’s nothing pre-bought or anything like that,” Reddy says. “It’s fresh ingredients.”
Chef Sujan Sarkar, a co-founder of Feringhee, has worked in kitchens around the globe, logging time at Michelin-starred restaurants in London and launching fine-dining spots in Dubai. That experience working in the Middle East informed the menu he crafted for Faava.
“Our goal with Faava is to make exceptional cuisine accessible, where every meal feels like a celebration of heritage and flavor,” Sarkar said in a press release announcing the restaurant.
Faava is “fresh, everyday Mediterranean,” Reddy says, serving a selection of mezze, grilled kebabs and stuffed pitas.
The mezze, or small plates, include falafel, pickles and several dips. There’s whipped labneh with zaatar honey, babaganoush, the spicy red pepper dip muhammara and hummus that can be jazzed up with zhoug sauce, puffed chickpeas or grilled harissa chicken. All of the mezze are served with house-made pita.
Kebab options include vegetarian cauliflower or mushroom, as well as lamb, chicken or salmon, all served with dill rice. Pitas can be stuffed with options including falafel or lamb, as well as pickled onions, tomato, lettuce and garlic sauce.
Add on a side of traditional fattoush salad or fries topped with zaatar mayo and parmesan. House drinks include a charred jalapeno lemonade and sumac spritz. Reddy suggests saving room for dessert; her go-to is Faava’s date cake.
Faava is the second restaurant from the team behind the fine-dining Indian restaurant, Feringhee. Faava is a fast-casual spot next door, featuring a breezy dining room and patio.
Zest Hospitality Group
Although Faava will open in March, Reddy says they will host a grand opening party with Sarkar in April. The eatery opens in its sister restaurant’s former banquet hall space. A rendering shows an airy dining area accented by pops of aqua and marigold. Faava seats 60, including a patio.
The Zest team knows that people visit Feringhee – one of Phoenix New Times’ Top 100 restaurants – for date night or on special occasions. Faava offers a much more flexible, casual counterpoint that offers lunch and dinner six days a week.
“We also want something people can quickly grab. They don’t need to dress up,” Reddy says. “That’s why we call it fun fast casual, but at the same time (there’s ) no compromise in food quality.”
Faava
Opens March 183491 W. Frye Road, #2, Chandler
