Recently named as one of the “Top U. S. Chefs to Watch” by Esquire magazine, Sachin Chopra leads the menu at Arka along with Executive Chef Surbeer Rawat.  He is also currently the Executive Chef and Owner of All Spice in San Mateo, CA.  During his career, he has worked at many prominent Indian restaurants in the Bay Area including and continues to impress guests with his innovative and delicious menus. 

Sachin’s passion for cooking began at a young age while working in the kitchens of his native India. Graduating from New York’s Culinary Institute of America in 1998 gave him the chops to work the line at Manhattan’s famed four-star Daniel, one of Chef Daniel Boulud’s restaurants. While there, second-in-command Chef Alex Lee took notice of Sachin’s talent for integrating the flavors of Indian cuisine with the formality and complexity of Daniel’s French cuisine.

After his time at Daniel, Sachin became sous chef at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan. For almost two years he worked as a private chef and subsequently was hired as executive chef of Manhattan’s Restaurant Tiffin. Soon after, Sachin opened his own small-plate Indian-Spanish restaurant, Tapasserie, in New York. A year later he became the executive chef and partner of Manhattan’s Spice Grill.

In 2003, Sachin ventured to California to be part of the launch team of Santana Row’s Amber India. His role as executive sous chef at this classic San Jose spot brought him back to his traditional Indian roots. Within the last several years, the South Bay Indian restaurant scene exploded with fresh and innovative concepts, many of which Sachin helped launch. For two years he was executive chef at Palo Alto’s Mantra.

In 2009, Mountain View’s Sakoon Restaurant opened its doors with Sachin heading the kitchen as first executive chef and acting as opening consulting chef. Sakoon’s festive atmosphere played off Sachin’s creative assimilation of flavors, textures, and ingredients. Not only had Sachin won over reviewers and critics, but also diners craving Indian fusion cuisine. In late 2010, Chopra opened his own restaturant, All Spice, where he presents a seasonal menu that incorporates California’s fresh-food sensibilities with the traditions of Indian cuisine.

Originally from Dehradun, India, Surbeer Rawat has been working as a chef since the age of 17, where he trained with “Mumbai master chefs.” With his dishes, he always seeks to strike the perfect balance of fresh, flavorful ingredients with a spicy flair.  His passion for the authentic Indian flavors has brought a new level of sophistication and innovation to Indian cuisine in the Bay Area and now he leads the kitchen at Arka Restaurant, Bar & Lounge.


His professional career began at the Hotel Jewel Palace in Mumbai, India, where he gained a steady training in kitchen expertise from baking and garden management to butchery and classic elements of Indian cuisine.  After four years, Chef Surbeer Rawat was eager to hone his craft in the art of Tandoor cooking and joined the world-renowned Royal Palms Golf & Country club in Mumbai.  Later he joined “The Club” at The Holiday Inn Hotel, Mumbai, one of the top chain hotels in India  to further expand his culinary horizons in tandoor as well as curries.


During his career Chef Surbeer Rawat has distinguished himself as a talented tandoor chef at some of Bay Area’s top Indian restaurants like Amber India in Santana Row & San Francisco (A “Top 50” Bay Area Restaurant by  the San Francisco Chronicle), and Sakoon (Michelin 2009) in Mountain View.  He teamed up with Chef Anish Potdar in 2007 to open the high-end restaurant Amber India in San Fransico, garnering rave reviews. Later in 2009, working with Chef Sachin Chopra, Surbeer’s cooking created a buzz at the highly-acclaimed restaurant Sakoon.