36 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • JULY 29, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
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Creative force behind Astoria’s Kurry Qulture helps launch foodie platform
BY BILL PARRY
bparry@schnepsmedia.com
@QNS
Michelin star restaurant owner Sonny
Solomon, whose recently closed Kurry
Qulture in Astoria became the go-to spot
for Indian cuisine in western Queens
when it opened in 2015, will help launch
Craft ed, a live streaming platform for food
creators, on July 28.
Th e platform is designed for the thriving
and diverse community of food lovers,
bringing people together to celebrate
culture through food.
“I am very excited to stream on Craft ed
because there isn’t any other platform like
it,” Solomon said. “It allows chefs to showcase
their talents and tell their unique stories
virtually, and build community around
loving and appreciating food. I think it’s
important that people have access to creatives
around the world who love to connect
with and educate people on new cultures,
cuisines and experiences in a more personal
and intimate way than just a recipe.”
Th e Punjabi-born immigrant arrived
in New York City over 20 years ago and
began his career waiting tables at restaurants
like Mercer Kitchen and Jean-
Georges Vongerichton’s Spice Market and
Town by Geoff rey Zakarian.
“Before joining them, I was in the wrong
business,” Solomon said. “In India, restaurants
were all business, with no knowledge
of hospitality. Th ese chefs taught me
hospitality.”
Solomon brought those learnings with
him when he opened his fi rst restaurant
Devi. Two restaurants and four Michelin
stars later, Solomon opened Kurry
Qulture in the heart of Astoria, winning
the Bethpage Best of the Boro’s Best
Indian Restaurant for fi ve years in a row.
Th e restaurant closed in July 2020, a casualty
of the pandemic shutdown. Now he
is looking forward to sharing his culinary
wisdom on Craft ed, the platform created
by Sarah Nesheim and Todd Baldwin.
“I’ve done a live cooking show before
and it was so much fun to be able to share
the art and meaning of these dishes I grew
up with,” Solomon said. “When I met likeminded
and passionate people like Todd
and Sarah, I knew I had to share Indian
food and culture with them and their
audience. I’m so excited for this chance to
partner with them.”
Solomon currently owns Veeray Da
Dhaba, a casual Punjabi spot in the East
Village, and as he is anxiously awaiting the
“soft launch” of Craft ed on July 28, which
can be viewed online at usecraft ed.com.
Th e chef shared some preparation tips for
those foodies planning on participating.
“For the Craft ed show, I decided to start
with samosa chaat and tandoori chicken
because these are two of the most popular
street foods of Punjab, and they’re easy to
make at home,” Solomon said. “You’ll be
able to buy samosas, spices and chickpea
curry from your local Indian market, and
chicken from any grocery store.”
In July 2020, Solomon announced that
Kurry Qulture would be permanently
closing and posted a heartfelt goodbye
message on Instagram, saying that
COVID-19 proved challenging for his
business.
“COVID-19, and the subsequent
restrictions placed on fi ne dining restaurants
like Kurry Qulture, made it impossible
to keep the business viable while
maintaining our high standard of food
quality and service,” Solomon said. “We
want to thank all of our loyal customers
and fans from Astoria and beyond. It was
an honor and a pleasure to serve you over
the years.”
QNS fi le photo
Sonny Solomon
QNS fi le photo
Sonny Solomon, the creative force behind Kurry Qulture in Astoria, is helping to launch Crafted, an online platform for the culinary community.
/ed.com
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