Family bonds and Chef Rita Sekhon’s love for cooking are the driving force behind this great eatery

Northville, MI — Whenever I’m on a foodie adventure, whether impromptu or planned, I’m often euphoric. The second I arrive on-site or step out of my car, I’m smiling from ear to ear, and my stomach’s rumbling in anticipation. That’s exactly how I felt after I rounded the corner from a parking lot in downtown Northville and spotted Mithai & Chai.

I got word of this fine establishment from friends at Near Perfect Media. Morgan was a fan of my post on MEX and wanted to get this cool Indian café in downtown Northville on my radar. I’m a big fan of Indian cuisine, plus I spent my teen years growing up in Northville, so I was totally down to return to my old stomping grounds for this recommendation.

FULL SECTION: MI Foodie Adventures Blog

Morgan informed me that Mithai & Chai has quite a unique menu, featuring weekly specials and seasonal rotations with items like a Tandoori Quesadilla, Masala Mac n Cheese, or Butternut Squash Curry Soup. I love tandoori and masala, so seeing nuanced twists like this spurred my curiosity (and stomach). In addition to fusion foods, Mithai & Chai offers various drinks from their traditional house-blended Cha (chai), teas, coffees, sweet sips, smoothies, and refreshers. And to top it all off, there is a sensational story behind the family and chef who have brought to life this special café in the heart of downtown Northville.

After taking several exterior shots, I approached and walked into Mithai & Chai on Thursday at noon. I loved that the café sat on a corner, right at the intersection of Griswold and Cady streets, on the eastern edge of downtown Northville. I walked in and was immediately welcomed by the aromas of sweet cha, scents of ginger and garlic curry, and the ambiance of fall. A warm and quaint café space, with room for a few tables and a row of window seats on either side of the entrance. I noted charmful seasonal themes and decor, along with an impressive array of teas and spices along the countertop, which brought attention to the large display of baked goodies.

I met up with Morgan and was introduced to Co-Owner Rebecca Grewal. Rebecca and her sister-in-law, Rita Sekhon, are the architects behind Mithai & Chai. Rita, the chef of the café, curates the menu with her special family recipes from Punjab, India. Rita moved to Michigan when she was 15 and was enamored by cooking at an early age as she grew up watching and learning from her mother.

I sat down with Rebecca and Rita to learn more about this wonderful family endeavor. Seeing family come together to present something unique and manifest such personal recipes for all to enjoy is heartwarming and the kind of folks you want to support. I started by asking Rebecca what initially spurred the idea for Mithai & Chai.

Rebecca and Rita designed a menu to offer these marvelous traditional dishes with some modern approaches. I would go on to try the Chicken Tikka Panini and the Mixed Hot Wrap (with chicken tikka and aloo). As you’ll read below, these dishes, and some of the others I tried, are some of the best cooking I’ve had in a while! I was honestly blown away by the amount of flavor encapsulated in every bite, from the incredibly tender and heavenly seasoned chicken tikka to the sauces, savory sides, and stellar sips. The Butternut Squash Curry Soup and Rice Pudding were the best I’ve ever had for both dishes.

I asked Rebecca what some of her favorite aspects about opening Mithai & Chai have been:

I began noticing several strong themes emerge as the guiding principals of Mithai & Chai: family and love within the cooking. The conductor behind the curtain, responsible for the food that tastes like it was cooked personally just for you, is Rita Sekhon. Rita, who was born in the northern Indian state of Punjab, takes some of her family’s traditional recipes and nuances the dishes in fun and familiar ways, like in the form of lightly toasted paninis. I asked Rita where she gets the ideas for some of these unique spins:

During a discussion before our interview, I was chatting with Rita about the plethora of flavors I was discovering in her cooking. I was happily surprised to find every dish I tried was exceptional, time and time again. Whether it was the precise range of preferred heat, the freshly ground seasonings, or the sheer depth of flavor, this homemade cooking felt like it was all prepared and made by someone with genuine dedication and appreciation for the craft.

Over the years, Rita continued learning her family’s recipes while also experimenting in the kitchen to create concepts developed from Indian classics. Rita explained what it was like when her brother and sister-in-law, Rebecca, first approached and asked her to be the chef of the café. According to Rita, it was like a dream come true:

I sat down to try several of the menu items after I spoke to Rebecca and before I interviewed Rita. As previously mentioned, these meals were some of the finest dishes of Indian cuisine I have had in some time, alongside Akshaya Patra, a foodie adventure from six weeks ago. I tried a range of items in order to get a good spread of the flavor profiles on the menu:

• Hot Cha (chai)
• Masala Mac & Cheese
• Chicken Curry Over Rice
• Butternut Squash Curry Soup
• Samosas
• Chicken Tikka Panini
• Mixed Hot Wrap (aloo and chicken tikka)
• Rice pudding

I usually walk away from a meal having at least one or two favorites, but in this adventure, I can enthusiastically confess that everything I tried was truly enjoyed and highly coveted, and essentially, a favorite. Read more on the food breakdown below.

The Food

Hot Cha: The traditional Indian spiced-chai tea. This particular family recipe shines with deep, rich spices that Rita grinds fresh daily and is a refreshing milky spiced delight. Once it cooled, it was right about when the first round of meals arrived at my table. So I took a few minutes to enjoy the warm tea, making sure to have stirred and mixed the spices about. This drink was delicious and a great sip to enjoy for any tea enthusiast.

Butternut Squash Curry Soup: I enjoyed every spoonful of this seasonally perfect soup! I loved the back end low hum of spice, with flavorful impact from the butternut squash. The soup was on point for the season, bringing everything and more. It is definitely a great choice (if available). I could eat bowls of this soup throughout a picturesque Fall day in Michigan and be a happy camper.

Masala Mac & Cheese/corn muffin: This is a seasonal special, and absolutely perfect for Fall vibes. This dish speaks to the ingenuity of Rita, taking tasty masala chicken and blending it with a cheesy noodle classic. With the addition of the roasted baby spinach into the mac, I immediately picked up on pepper jack in use within the cheese blend, and it turned out I guessed correctly! What can I say? It’s one of my favorite cheeses.

The flavors were cheesy, earthy, garlicky, and zesty. It was truly a masterpiece of flavor and deliverer of stomach satisfaction. The baby spinach was notable and flavorful, contributing wonderfully to the dish. The dish was also served with a hot corn muffin. The muffin was baked to perfection and held together very well, even after I took several bites. The ingredient balance is managed perfectly, delivering a sweet, doughy taste in a spicy and grainy soft corn bake. The pepper jack makes another guest appearance, lending additional spice and cheesy goodness for this incredible rendition of a classic side.

A random idea I had as I was writing this, it would be a cool to maybe break down the corn muffin into baked breadcrumbs that you could put on top of the Masala Mac & Cheese. Just a spontaneous idea of an avid foodie!

Chicken Curry over Rice: This was also a weekly special, but I must say, bravo! Again, the flavors of this dish were something wonderful to experience. One of the best parts about this dish was that there was an enormous amount of chicken, easily outnumbering the rice, but in a very fair and balanced manner. There was still more than enough fluffy rice to enjoy with every bite, with the rice becoming saturated from the curry sauce as bites of seasoned chicken melted in your mouth. This was a remarkable dish and one that I really enjoyed! I even had to refrain at one point from eating it all in one sitting.

Chicken Tikka Panini: I took two back-to-back bites of decent-sized portions, really getting a full display of what was at taste. The freshly cut and diced veggies gave the dish a bright flavor and color, making the yellow chicken tikka more prominent and seemingly tender. All between a perfectly toasted but light and soft pita bread, with everything encased in the blend of cheeses on the next level of the interior. As seen more definably in the photo on the left, you’ll note the exceptional cheese clusters in the left corner of the panini and along the bottom and top. An A+ for the amount of and blend used to help round out this Italian-inspired sandwich as a must-try if you visit!

Mixed Hot Wrap (chicken tikka and aloo): I was excited the second I picked up one of those halves below and felt how heavy it was. It’s truly encouraging when you pick up a stuffed wrap overflowing with ingredients, two different but phenomenal sauces, and juicy chicken. And the bread is toasted to perfection, resulting in a great but light crunch with every bite. The tandoori and curry sauces brought great heat and earthy flavors, soaking the chicken tikka and vegetables. The addition of the cheese blend again comes in like the zesty glue to hold and encase the interior contents in a web of spicy cheddar heaven. The chicken was well spiced, just enough to kick up additional flavors waiting to be activated. Aloo, which is potatoes in Punjab, gave a noted starchy presence and a nice texture differentiation amid all of the other ingredients and tender chicken. While the heat was definitely kicked up a bit due to the tandoori sauce, I loved every bite of it and can’t wait to get this wrap again the next time I return to Mithai & Chai.

Samosas/Rice Pudding: Knowing that the samosas are made in a healthier effort is very appreciative, and if anything, the air fry works even better for keeping that dough airy and very easy and soft to bite and tear into. The aloo interior is warm and doughy, with the roasted potatoes doing a great job holding down the interior. I was very much a fan of these samosas, especially with the tangy and moderately spicy chutney sauce. These definitely hit the spot.

And lastly, some of the best Rice Pudding I’ve ever had. There’s only been one other time I’ve had rice pudding that delivered me to the doorsteps of Flavortown, and that was back in Arizona at a Cajun barbecue joint in Glendale. Rita’s Rice Pudding is a culinary item to behold, and her dedication to creating everything in-house from scratch for the freshest finished product is greatly appreciated. The balance of ingredients for this came out perfect; from the amount of fresh cream and cinnamon spice to the density of the rice, the overall consistency was perfect. I mixed the contents and wolfed down several bites, admitting to Rita that the dish had captivated my rare sweet tooth. I ended up finishing every bite of this pudding It was cool and creamy, with soft, sweetened rice cooked proficiently at a low and slow boil for quite some time. It’s all about the art to the craft, and there’s beauty in art, as demonstrated by the creation of a remarkable rice pudding seen in the photo below to the right.

I savored every bite I was able to enjoy, repeatedly praising every dish to Rita. It was one of those moments where I was really happy and in my foodie zone. I was thrilled to have enjoyed every dish that I tried. Especially because now I know where the taste goalposts are established, I can push the heat boundaries a bit more during my next visit. I want to check out a Tandoori Mixed Wrap or as a panini, and I may even kick it up a spice level. I would also love to check out the lentil soup (I saw a very positive review online) and Chicken Biryani.

FULL SECTION: MI Foodie Adventures Indian Cuisine

I knew I would enjoy every bite of whatever I selected because it’s being made by a chef who is living her dream, so you know she’s giving it her all to deliver the best product possible — and she is! The proof is literally in the Rice Pudding; there’s a next-level layer of respect and appreciation for the process in what Rita is creating, and your tastebuds will all the more benefit as a result.

My leftovers were graciously boxed up in chic little boxes with cool wrappings and messages written across them, along with the identity of the food item inside. I then parted ways with Rita, Rebecca, and Morgan and set my next destination in the direction of my job. But, from the fantastic food to the great people who dedicate themselves to this craft, this foodie adventure definitely lifted my spirits as I set out with vigor to go out and win the day. Rita and Rebecca are such kind and wonderful owners. Go check out the cozy corner café they’ve opened in downtown Northville, and experience the Punjab/Indian cuisines and fusions of Rita Sekhon; you’ll rejoice after the fact that you did.

For more information on Mithai & Chai or to check out their latest weekly specials or seasonal menu items, click here.