Zubair Mohajir
The Coach House, Lilac Tiger, and Mirra | Chicago
SEPTEMBER 2024
In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, Zubair Mohajir was laid off from his job, but, after several years as a financial analyst, he saw it as his chance to choose a new path forward. Mohajir started as a prep cook at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s The Pump Room, learning French techniques and working with Southeast Asian flavors as he worked his way up to sous chef. In 2016, he left Chicago and headed west. After a stage at Otium in Los Angeles, Mohajir went up to Napa and joined the team at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon, where he gained a sense of urgency in the kitchen and expanded his culinary knowledge while working with local agricultural products.
Mohajir and his wife left California and returned to Chicago after they were evacuated from their home during the 2017 Tubbs Fire. Back in the Windy City, he started his supper club, Wazwan, in Bucktown before getting an unexpected email. While working at Bouchon, Mohajir had reached out to Gaggan Anand on a whim, and several months later, the world-famous chef replied and invited him to come work at Gaggan. Mohajir went to Bangkok to immerse himself in the flavors, techniques, and culture of the restaurant and the city. Six months later, he came back to Chicago invigorated and inspired.
In 2021, Mohajir opened his first brick-and-mortar, Wazwan, but in 2023, he decided to transform the space into two new concepts, Lilac Tiger and The Coach House. At Lilac Tiger, comforting Indian and Southeast Asian street foods dominate the menu and accompany lively cocktails in a colorful and energetic atmosphere. In the back of the space, Mohajir translates his global cooking experiences into a fine-dining tasting menu at The Coach House. And with the opening of his latest restaurant, Mirra, a Southeast Asian-Mexican concept, Mohajir continues to tell stories, both personal and historical, through his food.
