The Food Guy: Swadesi Café

May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and NBC Chicago's Food Guy is going all-in.

After highlighting Thailand last week, a South Loop coffeeshop staying true to its Indian roots is on the docket this week.

It’s a classically trained chef’s dream - opening a coffeeshop based on the chai houses of his native country.

Pastries and sandwiches using Indian spices and ingredients, creating a gathering space for both South Asians as well as those of us just really hungry for something different in the morning.

The circular, custard-filled croissants are a clue there’s something a bit out of the ordinary going on at Swadesi, a café and coffeeshop in the South Loop where the wide open space is filled with daylight, and coffee is just the beginning.

“I want to bring Indian chai drinking culture to America, so basically this a modern chai shop inspired by Indian coffeeshops,” said Sujan Sarkar, owner of Swadesi.

And that chai is exquisite, a heady combination of black tea and cardamom, boiled, strained and then poured with gusto to create frothiness. Gulab jamun might be a familiar dessert in your neighborhood Indian restaurant; here it’s on another level.

“Gulab jamun is a deep-fried cheese dumpling; we’re doing a croissant ring, and inside a gulab jamun and cheesecake custard,” he said.

Tikka Masala – or butter chicken – can be found in a handheld puff pastry, but also in an open-faced croissant for a considerable lunch.

“So it’s in a croissant ring, then we add burrata on top, little bit of pickled onion and black pepper, that’s it,” he said.

There are toasties, or grilled sandwiches, sort of panini style. Their take on a grilled cheese has just a bit of heat.

“Primarily it’s vegetarian. One of the most popular one is the chili-cheese. Amul cheese, chutneys and chopped chilies in that, that’s the basic one,” he said.

Breakfast sandwiches include eggs and potatoes of course, but again, here they have an Indian accent.

“So we did a spiced potato patty, then you have a steamed egg, and then a little bit of the chili mayonnaise, sliced cheese in a brioche bun,” said Sarkar.

Naan bread is also used as a way to make griddled wraps, filled with chicken, cheese and chiles. But it’s the chai Sarkar likes to hang his hat on, and hopes this concept can be replicated across the city, if not the U.S.

“A good quality coffee, amazing chai and then pastries and savory items,” said Sarkar.

The pastries travel well, and the nice thing about this part of the South Loop, plenty of street parking nearby, so it’s easy to pop in for a coffee or do some work over breakfast.

Swadesi Café

328 S. Jefferson St.

708-553-6350