.::Mirchi Cafe::.

Mirchi

1. Seasoned, with spice;
2. Aromatic or fragrant;
3. Slightly improper or risqué: a spicy novel;

Coming to life in 2004 a by product of husband and wife duo Lisa and Khursheed Ahmad, Mirchi is a combination of 2 foreign cuisines & cultures, Italian and Pakistani. Lisa being a native Californian with an Italian-American background and Khursheed a Pakistani native immigrating to the US at the early age of 20 were introduced to each other at her family’s Italian restaurant, Lucia’s. Here the two got a chance to mingle for quite some time, 15 years to be exact, during which they experimented with the idea of infusing Indo-Pak flavors and spices into traditional American cuisine, conjuring the mix of international and traditional lives.

FOOD

Fresh ingredients, assertive flavors and a spicy way of life.
Lisa Ahmad’s comfort food blends fresh local ingredients with bold Indian and Asian flavors, always with a focus on quality. Everything is made from scratch in-house. You’ll find a tantalizing range of snacks, salads, sandwiches, stir-fry, specialty dishes, masala pizza and desserts. Ask your waiter about our fun and exciting drink menu.

CHEF

Lisa Ahmad, born in the Bay Area vividly recalls visits with her grandparents to their family’s Italian restaurant, Lucia’s, where she had her first taste of understanding the hard work and devotion her Grandparents put into their restaurant.

Inspired by the family tradition bringing her closer to her grandparents, she decided to pursue an AOS degree in Culinary Arts. Graduating from the California Culinary Academy of San Francisco at the age of 20, Lisa interned at La Patisserie Francaise, a French Bakery in San Francisco, where she worked with bread cake and pastries. Upon her graduation the duo embarked to Khursheed’s homeland, Pakistan, where she found herself drawn to the cuisine, adding another layer in her understanding of cooking styles and use of spices. While in Pakistan she received the tragic news of her Grandfathers passing. When she arrived back in the Bay Area she decided to continue to work at Lucia’s. During this time period Lisa worked in all aspects of the business. It was an honor to work in her Grandfather’s footsteps.

In 2000 she took a break from her family’s restaurant to open her own catering business, Sophia’s Delights, named after her daughter. She returned once again to her family’s restaurant, but a year later the family made a joint decision to close. However in 2004, the desire to further expand her culinary horizons, led her back to her catering business. This was her opportunity to create the business she had always dreamt of. Mirchi Café opened for business September 1, 2004.

Lisa’s cooking passion has led her to many different cuisines. She specializes in all areas of food technique. Ethnic foods from India, Pakistan, China, Thailand and Morocco are a constant favorite. Classic American, Italian and French hold a special place in Lisa’s food experiences as well. She also has extensive knowledge in bread, cakes and pastries. Her focus is always fresh & local when possible, healthful whole food.

Currently, Lisa takes part in many culinary opportunities including cooking demonstrations, cooking classes, high school mentoring, food articles, photography and restaurant consultation. She lives in Fremont, CA. with her husband and three children.