You might consider it a stroke of luck or one of the few damn good things to come out of the pandemic. Raymond Sandhu and Kanwal Jhand, owners of the hot new Indian restaurant Mausam Indian Flavors, consider it nothing short of destiny.
In 2020, Sandhu and Jhand discovered that their favorite chef, Dharam Singh, was out of work. The Michelin-awarded restaurant, Tandoor in Guangzhou, China, where Singh had been head chef, closed down during COVID. Under Singh’s leadership, Tandoor received the Michelin Bib Gourmand award in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
The two businessmen are both extensive world travelers, especially Sandhu, who owns an import-export business. The pair had also opened the successful Indian restaurant Urban Tandoor on North Academy in 2019. They told Singh of this beautiful place called Colorado Springs. It wasn’t an easy or quick process, but they helped Signh get a visa, and four years later the chef signed a three-year contract to helm the kitchen of the new restaurant Mausam.
Now this unlikely space between Old Colorado City and Manitou Springs boasts the only chef in the Pikes Peak region to have led a restaurant awarded by the prestigious Michelin Guide.
In culinary circles, Michelin is where the rubber hits the road (Sorry, couldn’t resist.). Gastro-tourists and foodie fanatics travel the globe to restaurants awarded with the most coveted Michelin star or Bib Gourmand awards. Michelin describes the newer, latter honor “just-as-esteemed rating that recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.” Michelin-awarded head chefs often become giants in the industry.
I recently met with Singh at Mausam, and he brushes off the high culinary status as no big deal. He says it’s the diners who come in every day wanting something special who keep him striving for greatness.
“You’re Michelin. I’m Michelin. We’re all Michelin,” he says, laughing.
If he’s after the affection of the average diner, he’s clearly getting it.
On Yelp, Mausam has a 4.9 out of 5 stars (with only one bad review). On Tripadvisor, it gets 5 out of 5. And on Google, it ranks 5.0 out of 5 from 216 reviews.
“The menu, rich with flavors from India, gave a taste of home away from home, with each dish showing the quality of ingredients and culinary skill,” writes a Google reviewer from India.
“Mausam is, decisively, the best Indian restaurant in Colorado Springs … and possibly all of Colorado,” writes another diner.
“I wasn’t sure the people in the neighborhood would like it,” Sandhu admits. “But they do. They’re people who travel a lot and clearly know good food.”
Jhand says the rave reviews keep the staff motivated to keep service at the same level as the food.
The few non-raving reviews I saw complain about the prices. They are slightly higher than other Indian restaurants in Colorado Springs, but not much. For instance, Tikka Masala at Mausam is $21. At Little Nepal, it’s $20. At Norbu Himalayan Hut, it costs $18.
Mausam means seasons in Hindi, reflecting the restaurant’s emphasis on the freshest seasonal ingredients. I’ve eaten there six times since it opened in April 2024. I’ve tried the curries, the tandooris, the biryanis, and I will continue to go back for more.
Like most social media reviewers, I have found the food kicked up several notches from most other Indian restaurants. The curries just taste deeper, more complex.
Sandhu and Jhand have given Singh free reign to create the menu and make the food as authentic and innovative as he wants.
The menu leans toward northern Indian cuisine and features a few Singh creations you won’t find in most other Indian places. For instance, there’s Edamame Papad Fries, a blend of fried potatoes and edamame shaped like fat french fries, coated with a crunchy papadam crust. It’s served with a slightly sweet chutney. “I’ve never tasted anything like this,” a fellow diner tells me.
There’s Palak Paneer Corn, a variation of saag paneer with nuggets of corn kernels mixed in with the spinach. Farther down the menu, you’ll find another rarity: Goat Curry.
“Goat is actually a more premium meat than lamb,” Sandhu says. “It’s delicious, when you get this kind of high quality and freshness.”
After my interviews, Singh ducks into the kitchen to make me a couple of dishes I hadn’t tried. He looks giddy as he stirs his pans, then, with a smile full of expectation, places the plates up to the service window. A waiter delivers them to where I sit at the bar. I marvel at the plating — colorful and dynamic presentation for each dish.
The King Prawn Masala is a masterful entrée. The giant shrimp are perfectly cooked (so many places overcook them), and they are swimming in a creamy, delectable sauce that’s spicy without causing pain.
But the other offering he delivers proves even more unexpectedly wonderful. The Vegetarian Diwani Handi may be the finest veggie dish this carnivore has ever put in his mouth. It’s a mixture of cauliflower, potatoes, tofu, green beans, peppers and corn — all softened but without losing their flavors — bathed in a crazy scrumptious Indian gravy. On my first taste, things are happening on my tongue. Very good things. Wow.
The food here is certainly worthy of tablecloths and candlelight. But Jhand and Sandhu opted for a contemporary comfy, casual vibe, with clean lines and cushioned Bronco-colored chairs. (The football connection is accidental. Sandhu says he just thought the orange would brighten up the small space.) One big-screen TV beside the dining room usually shows the obligatory Bollywood channels, but this week it is focused on cricket matches.
Everything — glasses, cups, dishes, chairs — is monogrammed with the Mausam logo, a stylized “M” with a fork at the end.
Behind the intimate bar is some serious high-end booze: Mithuna Indian Single Malt Whisky, Duckhorn cabernet, The Prisoner Red Blend.
Once inside, you would never know the building near Safeway in the Red Rock Canyon Shopping Center most recently housed an IHOP, and before that a Pizza Hut.
For Jhand and Sandhu, who own three 7-Eleven franchises in the area, getting into the restaurant industry was more than a business decision.
“I always dreamed to do a restaurant,” Jhand says. “I always liked going to really good Indian restaurants, and I used to say we’d open our own someday.”
Now that they run two successful Indian restaurants in Colorado Springs, Jhand and Sandhu plan to use their star chef, along with lessons learned at Mausam, to elevate the quality at Urban Tandoor.
After that, they’re considering some kind of expansion. Another Urban Tandoor location? Another Mausam location? They’re not sure. But they tend to be optimistic. Destiny works its own kind of magic, and with hard work and a path smoothed by killer curry, they have reason for optimism.
