Hement Bhagwani, the seemingly tireless Indian celebrity cook and entrepreneur, has decided to take a break from the pressure of his many restaurant businesses. Two of these are the Indian Street Food Co., 1701 Bayview Ave. and the Amaya Express chain, one of which was until recently at 1574 Bayview. “I needed a break,” Mr. Bhagwani has told the Star. “I’ve opened 34 restaurants since 2002 and didn’t stop. I probably sponsored 40 cooks from Dubai and India, so there’s probably a guy who previously worked at an Amaya in most of the Indian restaurants in the city. But I stopped enjoying it, so it’s time to step back.” it is said that the new owner of the Bhagwani interests has hospitality experience in Iran. That seems to relate to new signage at the former Amaya storefront which now reads Taste of Persia.
