As Vice President Kamala Harris is now in the spotlight of the 2024 presidential campaign, both her ethnic and cultural background and her political career shed light on her leadership qualities and values. It is fitting, then, that an Indian restaurant in San Francisco would connect her career and socio-cultural identity. Harris was born in Oakland to Indian and black parents. Early in her career and during her tenure as San Francisco District Attorney from 2004 to 2011, she was a frequent visitor to San Francisco’s New Delhi restaurant.

According to a speech by Harris shared on the New Delhi Restaurant’s Facebook page, she spent her childhood summers visiting her mother’s family in India and enjoying the tasty and varied food. She spoke about her Indian grandfather’s career as a civil servant and how his conversations about politics and social change in India had a profound influence on her own career.

The food at New Delhi Restaurant reflects Harris’ Indian cultural identity, but it has also been a center for activists and a political meeting place for the Democratic Party for decades. Owner Ranjan Dey is a major supporter of San Francisco’s Indian community, and his restaurant serves as a veritable town hall for communication and collaboration between Democratic politicians and the local Indian population. In addition to Harris, New Delhi Restaurant has also hosted former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, former President Bill Clinton, and the late Senator Dianne Feinstein. Dey has expressed his appreciation for Harris both as a longtime regular and as a Democrat, fully supporting her presidential bid.

New Delhi Restaurant in downtown San Francisco is a large, upscale Indian restaurant with high ceilings, opulent carved columns, and an award-winning menu. The restaurant opened in 1988 and was named a San Francisco Legacy Restaurant by the city.

Kamala Harris visited the New Delhi restaurant in part because of the delicious, traditional Indian cuisine that owner Ranjan Dey makes from scratch. The menu is a lesson in history and culinary traditions, with brief explanations of the origins and preparation of a variety of curry sauces, as well as Dey’s own line of fresh spice blends. He wants the public to know that there are many other types of curry besides the yellow powder you can buy at the supermarket. He highlights the spicy, complex character of his Indian dishes by offering wine pairings for everything from tamarind chicken to fish curries.

While the quality ingredients and critically acclaimed taste of the dishes speak for themselves, the menu also serves to educate non-Indian diners about Indian culture. His food is a means of gaining more support and understanding for the Indian population and the issues of immigration and multiculturalism. Dey also has his own non-profit organization, Compassionate Chefs Cafe, which advocates for social justice within the Indian community.