Zubair Mohajir of Lilac Tiger and Mirra on His Favorite Spots in the City
Lisa Futterman
March 12, 2025
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Every month, people from Chicago's hospitality industry will share recommendations for food, drink, ingredients, and more as part of our Chef Picks series.
Chef Zubair Mohajir has been busy lately. After creating two successful South Asian-inflected restaurants – the casual Lilac Tiger and fine dining Coach House – in the Wicker Park space where he formerly ran Wazwan, he and partners chef Rishi Kumar and beverage pro David Mor opened Mirra, Bucktown’s wildly popular Indian Mexican spot, in late 2024, where they’ve been getting raves for dishes like laksa baked oysters and octopus sopecitos.
A call from Bravo’s Top Chef added an extended trip to Canada to his plate to compete as a chef-testant on the cooking show’s 22nd season, which premieres Thursday. March 13.
Now that he’s back home, we asked him to share his favorite local tips, and his list – like his personal heritage and his restaurants’ menus – reveals the dynamic, multicultural side of Chicago.
Favorite Restaurant
Favorite Bite
Grilled quail at Brasero
Favorite Place to Drink
Truce (which is operated by his business partner, David Mor) and MOTW Coffee in Lombard and Naperville
Favorite Place to Shop or Buy Ingredients
Joong Boo Market or Metro Spice Mart
Favorite Local Chicago Brand
Favorite Place in the City to Bring an Out-of-Town Guest
A Person in the Industry You Admire
Erick Williams of Virtue, Daisy’s Po-Boy and Tavern, and more; John Manion of El Che Steakhouse & Bar and Brasero; and Won Kim (who is a partner in Mohajir’s Lilac Tiger) of Kimski
