ZUBAIR MOHAJIR

MIRRA / Coach house / Lilac Tiger / Muhajir

Chef Zubair Mohajir is a Chennai-born, Chicago-based chef whose cuisine explores migration, memory, and cultural exchange through a distinctly modern South Asian lens. Raised in Doha, Qatar, and later the United States, his cooking reflects a layered global perspective—bridging regions, techniques, and traditions with intention and narrative at the forefront.

After beginning his career in finance, Zubair pivoted to the culinary world in 2008, training in some of the industry’s most rigorous kitchens. His experience includes time at Jean-Georges’ The Pump Room in Chicago, Thomas Keller’s Bouchon in California, and an apprenticeship at Gaggan in Bangkok—one of the world’s most influential progressive Indian restaurants. These formative experiences shaped his technical foundation and sharpened his interest in pushing the boundaries of South Asian cuisine.

Zubair first gained recognition with Wazwan, an underground supper club that evolved into a defining voice in Chicago’s dining scene, followed by the opening of Coach House and Lilac Tiger. He is now co-founder and chef of MIRRA, where he collaborates with Chef Rishi Kumar to explore the intersection of Indian and Mexican cuisines through a bold, globally informed lens. MIRRA has earned a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand, been named one of Esquire’s Best New Restaurants in America (2025), and received national recognition for its genre-defying approach.

A multiple-time James Beard Award nominee and StarChefs Rising Star Chef, Zubair continues to push forward a new narrative around South Asian food in America—one rooted in identity, movement, and evolution.

He is also preparing to open Muhājir, a deeply personal new concept in Chicago. Named after the word for “immigrant”—and sharing his own last name—Muhājir reflects Zubair’s ongoing exploration of displacement, belonging, and cultural storytelling through food, offering a more intimate and introspective expression of his culinary voice.