Sanjay Chandrasekaran — the Indian-American chef best known for the inventive Indian meets New Mexican vegan plates at The Sudra — is adding handmade pasta and pizza to his portfolio. Lilla will open in Southeast Portland, transforming the former Aviv space into Portland’s first fully vegan Italian restaurant since Portobello shuttered in 2016. The new restaurant is just one of the new Chandrasekaran spots opening in the next three years, with a new cafe and another Sudra on the way, as well.
Portland’s vegan community is responsible for planting the idea for Lilla — which means “lilac” in Italian and is pronounced like the chef’s grandmother’s name, Leila —
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