Outside Vikas Khanna’s restaurant Bungalow, there was a cascade of traditional red-and-white Gamusa, draping the entrance like a woven whisper from India’s northeast. It wasn’t a random decoration or some contrived theme night, it was something more human. It was a nod to 200 years of Assam tea, but also to memory, migration, and the art of carrying home in your hands. And, it was also a hint towards a celebration of teas from Assam, all ready to be hosted on Friday at the restaurant.
Gamusa: The Fabric Of Assam
Let’s talk about that fabric. The gamusa is not just some ethnic motif made to dress up a doorway but it is Assam’s heartbeat in textile form. Try finding an Assamese household without one; it’s nearly impossible! Hung on walls, tied around foreheads during Bihu, folded neatly and offered in reverence to elders or guests, it’s a towel, a totem and a talisman. And yet, like most things handmade and sacred, it rarely gets the spotlight outside its own borders. Which is why, seeing it front and centre in Manhattan, not on a runway or in a museum but right there outside a fine-dining restaurant, felt significant.
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Vikas Khanna’s Bungalow Celebrates India
But then again, Bungalow isn’t just any restaurant, and Vikas Khanna is not your average celebrity chef. This is the man who once cooked at the White House and then spent years documenting Indian temple cuisine with the obsession of a historian. You could call him a chef, but that feels narrow, he’s a kind of cultural archivist with a rolling pin. Bungalow, his latest and perhaps most intimate culinary space, is a love letter to regional India. He cherishes an India with edges, textures and accents. Did you know, he has travelled to Assam 11 times?
The Assam Tea Festival
Vikas Khanna’s Bungalow opened in 2024, and since then, it has been quietly reprogramming what New York thinks Indian food should be. So, of course, Bungalow is all set to host a earthy festival coming Friday. Guests can expect an assorted collection of Assam teas like robust black, pungent CTC blends, and delicate single-estate varieties. Deep conversations on the state’s tea history shall follow. To sweeten the day further, they will also serve Tilor Laru, an Assamese delicacy made with sesame and jaggery.
Also Read: Chef Vikas Khanna Met ‘What Do You Do For A Living’ Host In NYC; Netizens Call Him The Real Star!
And yes, the internet is noticing the Gamusa too! Photos of the red-and-white draped entrance spread, and suddenly, people were asking what it was, or how old Assam tea really is? It felt like someone remembering where they came from. In a city obsessed with novelty, Bungalow dared to do something radical: looking back. We can’t wait to see what the upcoming event holds for the people of New York.
Cover Image Courtesy: vikaskhannagroup/Instagram
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