The Sudra
Restaurant information
Established	2013 (2013)
Closed	2024 (2024)
Owner(s)	Sanjay Chandran
Food type	Indian vegan vegetarian
City	Portland Beaverton
State	Oregon
Country	United States

The Sudra was a small chain of Indian restaurants in the Portland metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Oregon. There were four locations, including three in Portland and another in Beaverton. ^[1] Sanjay Chandran operated the business from 2013 to 2024.

The Sudra was a small chain of casual counter service ^[2] Indian restaurants that served vegan and vegetarian ^[3] food in Portland and Beaverton, Oregon. It was named for Shudra, one of the four varnas of the Hindu caste and social system in ancient India. ^[4] According to Eater Portland, food at The Sudra was also influenced by New Mexican cuisine. ^[5]

The menu included chickpea "cutlets", ^[6] korma, ^[7] turmeric-roasted Brussels sprouts, kale-infused dosas with black-eyed peas, and potato masala. ^{[8] [9]} It also served roasted cauliflower with sweet-and-sour bell peppers, ^[10] channa masala, ginger-agave roasted carrots, and soy chicken drumsticks with jalapeño chutney and soy yogurt. ^[11] The Jackfruit Vindaloo Bowl has jackfruit, vegetables, vindaloo, and a kale salad, ^[2] and the peacock salad has soy curls and roasted vegetables on raw kale. ^[12] The Pakora Plate had pickled broccoli and cauliflower pakora, anasazi bean curry, kale with tahini, blueberry-mint chutney, cilantro-lemon sauce, radish, and brown basmati. ^[13]

On the drink menu, the Beet Tequila had tequila, cilantro, garam masala, beet juice, and grapefruit juice. ^[13] The Masala Film has mango puree with lime and ginger juice, and the mojito-like Bandit Queen has cucumber, lemon, and mint. The Sudra also served a vegan mango lassi with coconut yogurt and tamarind limeade. ^[14]

The Sudra was owned by Sanjay Chandran. The first location opened in northeast Portland 2013, in the space previously occupied by Basa Basa. ^{[15] [16] [17] [18]}

A second followed in the Two-Thirds complex, ^[19] in the St. Johns neighborhood in May 2016. The location suffered a fire in June, ^[20] and closed permanently in June 2019. ^[21] Chanran opened another location on North Mississippi in July 2019. ^{[17] [22]} The Fremont location moved to 28th Avenue. ^[23] In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant offere a holiday meal kit with soy "chicken" pakoras, cilantro herb potatoes, and Brussels sprouts. ^[24]

Another outpost opened in northwest Portland's Pearl District in 2021, in the space that previously housed Aviv. ^[25] The Pearl District location closed in 2022. The Sudra opened a location in Beaverton by 2023. ^[17]

The North Mississippi and Beaverton locations closed in 2023. ^[26] In late April 2024, Chandran announced plans to close the original location in May. ^[27] His bar Bar Asha began operating from the same space. ^{[17] [28]}

Eater Portland included The Sudra in a list of the city's "essential" vegan and vegetarian restaurants. ^[29] Waz Wu included the business in the website's 2021 list of recommended restaurants in the city for "standout" vegan curries, ^[5] and Janelle Lassalle and Thom Hilton included The Sudra in a 2024 list of Portland establishments for non-alcoholic mixed drinks. ^[14] Ron Scott also included the restaurant in a 2024 overview of "exceptional" Indian food in the metropolitan area. ^[11]

The Sudra was a runner-up in the Best Indian Restaurant of Willamette Week's annual readers' poll in 2020. ^[30] It was also a runner-up in the same poll's Best Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant category in 2022. ^[31]

• List of Indian restaurants
• List of restaurant chains in the United States
• List of vegetarian restaurants