A new restaurant announcement at Disney World is like Christmas for us here at Disney Food Blog!

And just like kids who sneak around in the weeks before Christmas, trying to discover where their mom and dad hid the presents, we cannot wait for the big day to know what the new restaurant will be like! We scour the internet for clues about the new restaurant’s atmostphere, potential menu items, and prices.

When it was announced that celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan would be opening a restaurant at Disney Springs, it touched off our newest investigation, and luckily we didn’t have to go far! Chauhan’s restaurant in Nashville, TN — Chauhan Ale and Masala House — is considered one of the city’s best, so I traveled there recently to check it out!

In July, we found out that Maneet Chauhan and her business partner and husband Vivek Deora would be opening EET by Maneet Chauhan! The restaurant will serve the couples’ “famed Indian cuisine,” according to Disney’s announcement. We don’t have an opening date yet, but Disney says the restaurant will open “later this year.”

Chauhan is a James Beard-award winning chef and Food Network Star — you may have seen her as a judge on the competition cooking show Chopped, or competing herself in the Food Network Tournament of Champions, which she won in 2021.

I even got to see her Tournament of Champions championship belt on display in her Nashville restaurant!

Let’s check out more of the Nashville restaurant! Chauhan Ale & Masala House is located in a former brick garage building, close to the city’s famed Broadway entertainment district.

This is a popular restaurant, and reservations are recommended. I made a reservation about 2 weeks in advance and had no trouble getting the time I wanted.

Inside, the space is long and narrow, and tables are laid out in two corridors. A series of projectors play Bollywood movies on the brick wall at the back of the dining space.

The decor is eclectic and colorful, with a mix of patterns and prints. Colorful curtain and garlands separate dining areas.

I arrived a bit early and received a warm greeting. I was told I would receive a text when my table was available, and it was ready right on time. The table was set simply with a cloth napkin, small plate and flatware.

The menu includes an extensive appetizer selection, breads, the restaurant’s “design your own dish” entree selections, sides, and the resturant’s Tournament of Champions Thali — a “large plate” meal that includes a tandoor roasted ribeye, saag mac and cheese, the vegetable of the day, daal (lentil stew), and garlic achaar (a pickled condiment).

The back side of the menu includes specialty cocktails, mocktails, draft and bottled beers, and wines.

This restaurant opened in 2014, and in looking at older information about it, the menu used to include some Indian/Southern Food fusion items like burgers, but the current menu — with the exception of some appetizers and cocktails — seems to be centered more on traditional Indian cuisine.

Cocktails

I opted to start the evening with an Ol’ Chauhan — the restaurant’s version of an Old Fashioned. The $16 drink was made with rye whiskey (an interesting choice over bourbon in the south), amaro, vanilla, and orange bitters. It was garnished with an orange peel and served over a large ice cube.

I really enjoyed this drink. Some old fashioneds can be cloyingly sweet, especially with a syrupy cherry garnish, but this one was well balanced, with an herbal quality from the amaro. Vanilla was a prominent aroma and flavor here — an unusual note for an old fashioned — a variety I appreciated. If you like whiskey cocktails, I think you will love this one!

Appetizers

It was SO hard to choose an appetizer from the extensive menu here! Nashville’s influence is most evident on the appetizer section of the menu, and I was tempted by the Nashville Hot Cauliflower with chow chow, ghost pepper aioli, and raita ranch, the Cremini Mushroom Toast with tandoori roasted cremini mushrooms, garlic whipped paneer, and masala sourdough, and the Desi Walking Taco with kurkure, vindaloo pork keema, queso fresco, kachumber, and tamarind chutney.

Ultimately, I opted for the Tandoori Chicken Poutine for $18, because … POUTINE, amirite?!

This poutine is masala-spiced french fries topped with tandoori chicken, makhani sauce (the same sauce you would expect on butter chicken), and cheese curds. It is broiled and served in a cast iron skillet on a wood coaster. This is most definitely fork food. The chicken was chopped small, making it much easier to eat with the fries, the sauce was ample, and well, just look at the perfect broil on that cheese.

The fries here stayed impossibly crispy under the heavy load of toppings — I don’t know what kind of sorcery was involved in that, but I’m 100% in favor. You know how when you order a stacked appetizer — like a poutine, nachos, or loaded fries — the toppings don’t last to the bottom of the dish and you end up with plain fries or chips? That’s not an issue with this dish — at all. You will have plenty of toppings in every bite.

If you are not a fan of spicy food, do not be concerned about this dish — it is mild and would be enjoyed by just about everyone. The acid in the tomato-based sauce is well balanced by the richness of the cream and cheese, and the variety of textures here — crispy fries, tender chicken, buttery sauce, rubbery cheese — all combine for a great bite. This is rich, infinitely splittable, or could be a meal all in itself. I had to make myself stop eating this because there was more food on the way! My only appetizer regret is that I didn’t bring a crowd with me so that I could have sampled all the things.

Entrees

As I mentioned above, with the exception of the Tournament of Champions Thali, the entree section of the menu is a “design your own dish” affair. You choose your protein and sauce, and your entree is served with rice.

Proteins include:

• Braised Pork Shank
• Tamarind Lamb Chops
• Steak Kabab
• Braised Chicken
• Fresh Fish of the Day
• Ginger Garlic Shrimp
• Chicken Kababs
• Paneer Cheese
• Local Farm Vegetables

On the night I visited, there was a second paneer cheese choice — paneer napoleon. It was paneer cheese layered with chutney and mushrooms. My server compared it to a lasagna. The proteins range in price from $19-$42.

Sauce choices include Tikka Masala (tomato cream sauce), Saag (fresh green creamed spinach sauce), Moilee (plant-based coconut milk curry), Korma (saffron cashew sauce), Bhunna (plant-based tomato-onion curry), or Vindaloo (spicy tomato sauce).

I ordered the Braised Chicken ($25) with Tikka Masala Sauce ($2) because it is a popular entree that many people enjoy. But I’ll be honest, I was again wishing I had brought a crowd with me so that we could all have ordered something different and shared. My server said the chicken tikka masala and lamb korma were the most popular entrees here.

I was brought a large plate before my entree was served to me in metal bowls with spoons to serve myself — one with my protein and sauce, and a second with my rice. The set-up here makes it super easy to share several different entrees at the table. The Chicken Tikka Masala was high quality — with tender, meaty braised chicken and a silky, creamy, richly flavored sauce. The portion here was HUGE and would be easily split among two people. I wound up with plenty to take home for a meal the next day. Even if you are not familiar with Indian cuisine, this dish is a “safe” one to order — there is no heat in the sauce, and the flavors are warm and comforting.

Bread

What would a meal be without bread service? Trust me — you will want some bread to soak up the sauce with your meal. Choices here include roti (grilled flatbread), papadum (Indian crackers), chili cheese kulcha (a stuffed roll), and naan. At my server’s recommendation, I opted for the garlic parmesan naan ($6). I did take note of another interesting choice — the Short Rib French Onion Naan ($12), which was described to me as a “naan quesadilla” stuffed with beef short rib, with an au jus-style dipping sauce. This sounded DELICIOUS to me, but I only have one stomach, and knew I had already ordered way too much food!

This was a huge piece of Naan, cut into fourths, and could have easily been shared with the table. It was perfectly cooked — soft but not doughy, brushed with butter, and topped with a salty, sharp parmesan and garlic topping, served in a metal bowl. It was delicious eaten out of hand, and perfect for soaking up the tikka masala on my plate. Unless you do not like garlic or parmesan, you will enjoy this bread choice.

Sides

Oh yeah, there are SIDES. Now, do you NEED a side to get full at Chauhan Ale and Masala House? Um, the answer to that question is a decisive no. But did I try a side because, well, the sides sounded delicious? Yes. Yes, I did. The sides included Brussel Sprouts or Spicy Quinoa, but being the well-established cheese lovers we are here at the Disney Food Blog, I ordered the Saag Mac and Cheese for $12.

And, well, sorry not sorry. This side is spinach pasta with a creamy chili-spiced cheddar cheese sauce with fenugreek, topped with bread crumbs for that slight bit of crunch. Now, this dish threw me a bit — the slight sweetness of the fenugreek felt unusual in a mac and cheese. After a second and third bite, though, I decided it was a flavor that balanced the sharpness of the cheese and contributed to the dish — it was just unexpected at first taste.  If you’re not familiar with fenugreek, the flavor is often compared to maple syrup. My only complaint with this dish is that the texture felt a bit off — the pasta was soft and lacked the chew I prefer, though I can’t tell whether it was the texture of the particular spinach pasta used in the dish, or whether the pasta was overcooked. That said, if you like trying unusual mac and cheese dishes — give this one a try.

Desserts

Choices here included a Mango Icebox Cake, a Layered Chocolate Cake with garam masala spiced ganache, and a Gulab Jaman Cheese Cake. I opted for the cheese cake for $12.

What are Gulab Jamun, you ask? They are balls of fried, sweet dough — a donut hole, if you will. This dessert was a New York-style cheese cake with gulab jamun inside, served with a blackberry coulis and a gulab jamun on the side. I am a cheese cake lover, and this one did not disappoint. It was a solid, classic New York cheesecake, and the gulab jamun inside was a playful addition that added an injection of soft texture to the firm dessert, as well as pops of sweetness. The blackberry coulis was good, and while I generally think a fruity sauce elevates a cheese cake, this one had so much going on with the fried dough inside that the flavor of the coulis was lost and probably not needed. I loved having the single gulab jamun on the side of the plate, too, to be able to taste it without the cheesecake. This dessert was an unusual combo, and I appreciated the variety. It’s definitely something I would recommend!

Overall

I understand why Chauhan Ale & Masala House is such a popular fixture in Nashville’s restaurant scene. The atmosphere is eclectic and fun, the food is flavorful, rich and comforting, and the restaurant is a good spot for a large group or a more intimate, small table for 2. Service here was excellent throughout my meal. I was dining alone, and every staff member who stopped at my table was warm and willing to make conversation. But I believe that this restaurant is best for large parties because of the sharable nature of the appetizers and entrees here. You’re going to want to try it all, and the only way to do that is to bring friends!

If this restaurant provides clues to what we’ll experience when EET by Maneet Chauhan comes to Disney Springs, we are in for a treat. Indian cuisine will be a new addition to the Disney dining scene, and a menu suited to large groups is a great fit for Disney travelers.

And a note for gluten-free and plant-based eaters, the menu here is clearly marked with gluten free and vegan dishes!

Nosh or Not

Visit Chauhan Ale and Masala House in Nashville, and try the new EET by Maneet Chauhan in Disney Springs when it opens if:

• You’re looking for a spot with sharable dishes to feed a crowd.
• You love Indian cuisine.
• You’re looking for warm, comfort food with big flavors.
• You have plant-based or gluten-free eaters in your party.

Skip EET by Maneet Chauhan in Disney Springs when it opens if:

• You don’t like the flavors of Indian cuisine.
• You’re looking for a light meal or snack.
• The portions could be intimidating for a single diner.

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We’ll keep you posted as we see progress toward EET by Maneet Chauhan’s opening at Disney Springs! Keep following Disney Food Blog for the latest Disney news!

Are you excited about this new restaurant coming to Disney World? Let us know in the comments!