Countdown to Dan’s Rosé Soirée: A Conversation with Sam Mohan of Saaz

Among the chefs that will be supplying noshes at the beautiful indoor-outdoor setting at Dan’s Rosé Soirée on July 9 will be chef Sam Mohan of Saaz, the only Indian restaurant on the East End.

Patrons can expect plenty of mouthwatering noshes from the restaurant to go along with over a dozen local and international rosé wines to be poured at the third event in the Dan’s Taste Summer Series presented by Yieldstreet. Saaz, which means “symphony” in Hindi, opened its doors in Southampton in 2013.

“My wife Sonia, who runs Saaz with me, came up with the name,” says owner Sam Mohan. “We love it because we consider the dishes at the restaurant to offer our customers a symphony of delicious and authentic spices.”

Mohan goes on to note that he and his wife picked the Hamptons to open their popular Indian restaurant by pure chance.

“Spontaneously, we came across the space and signed the next day,” he says.

While dining in is always popular at Saaz — especially for lunch when the restaurant has their famed buffet on display — it also offers delivery.

“People love our buffet because it’s an all-you-can-eat affair for only $20 — anyone who has been to the Hamptons knows you usually can’t get a sandwich for less than $27 or $28, let alone a proper meal,” says Mohan. “People can pop in and out for a quick bite or linger, whatever they prefer. A la carte is always an option as well and while reservations are recommended, especially on weekends, they are not required.

While Mohan comes from a family of chefs and is skilled in the kitchen, he prefers to be front of the house having fun with his guests.

“We pride ourselves at Saaz for having a very calm and relaxed atmosphere that is focused on delivering excellent services and authentically prepared dishes,” he says.

He singles out Saaz’s onion fritters, lamb chops and chicken tikka masala as being particularly popular. Lucky for guests at the upcoming Rosé Soirée that chicken tikka masala will be among the dishes available for tasting.

Like most Indian restaurants the offering at Saaz is very extensive and there is plenty for vegans and vegetarians to pick from. They even have lassi options. For those who are not familiar, a lassi is similia to a smoothie, but whereas in a smoothie, fruit plays the leading role, in a lassi it’s yogurt that plays the leading role.

“I love doing what I do,” says Mohan. “We’ve become friends with a lot of the other restaurant owners in the Hamptons. Most people don’t realize how special this community is. People think of the Hamptons as just a summer destination, but not it’s truly a community of absolutely amazing, hardworking people.”

Saaz is located at 1746 County Rd 39 in Southampton. For more information, visit saazindian.com

Dan’s Rosé Soirée will be held from 7–10 p.m. on Saturday, July 9 at The Muses in Southampton. Visit DansTaste.com for tickets and more info.