Yesterday, we sat down with Chef Jalal Esmailkhanloo of Epicure Café, a quaint European café on West Gray.
Eating Our Words: What would you recommend on the menu?
Chef Esmailkhanloo: My favorite is the lamb shank with saffron basmati rice. It happens to also be our best seller.
EOW: When you're not at Empire Café, where is your favorite place to eat?
Esmailkhanloo: On my days off, I eat at Oporto Café, my other restaurant. I'm usually either here or there. I also go out to my place in Chappell Hill. I have a lot of friends in the industry, so we all go out there and spend the day cooking and relaxing.
EOW: When you're cooking at home, do you cook the same types of meals as you do in your restaurant?
Khan: Not really. At home, I can cook whatever I want, so I experiment a lot with different dishes. You can't really go wrong with good ingredients.
EOW: What are your plans for your culinary future?
Khan: In a few months, I'm opening a third restaurant called Queenvic. It's an English-style bistro with some fusion. It will have a little bit of everything.
