Star of India
Address: 1000 South Main Street, Suite #102
Telephone: 801-363-7555
Website: starofindiaonline.com
District: Ballpark
“This is my baby. I come in each day to see the people who return again and again - who share their stories, their lives. That’s what makes it all worth it.” When Paramjit Kaur was eleven years old, she moved with her family from Punjab, India, to Salt Lake City. They already had family in the area and "it made sense for us to come here." A few years later, at the age of fifteen, she began working as a server at her family’s restaurant, Star of India.
Param's father, Avtar Singh, had opened the restaurant in the early 1990s, shortly after arriving in Utah and working in a handful of local restaurants. "It just came to my father that this is what he should be doing, and he made a profession out of it." He had no formal training but recognized the need for an excellent Indian restaurant in Salt Lake. Star of India quickly became a central part of their lives, and for Param, it has been her world ever since. Throughout her teens, she would come to the restaurant every day after school. Even once she married in 2007, followed by two children, she continued to make the restaurant her second home. "At this point, I can do almost anything here, but what has always made me the happiest is being in the front of the house. I am the people person."
Now, more than three decades and several moves later, Param is proudly leading the way. The restaurant reopened in March of 2025 in a small shopping strip that includes Leavity Bread and Sweet Hazel. The welcoming contemporary space has high ceilings, concrete floors, rich yellow walls, and enormous windows that flood the place with natural light. Param smiled and said simply, “The light does the magic.” The room is accented with handpicked artwork from India that lends warmth, while leather banquettes and a striking black and gold swing - called a jhoola - add both character and comfort. “It’s open, it’s airy, it feels good to be in here,” she said. “You’re not congested into a dark building. It’s a place where you can relax.”
Though the address has changed, the heart of the restaurant has never wavered. Star of India remains a family operation. Param’s mother makes the breads, her father spends most of his time in the kitchen cooking alongside Param's cousin while Param prefers to greet their loyal regulars, remembering their stories, and ensuring the experience is as memorable as the food. “I enjoy meeting people. Some of them have been coming since I was a teenager. It really feels like family.”
The menu is rooted in Northern Indian tradition, with beloved classics that are slow cooked meticulously. They include tandoori specialties, a variety of paneer dishes, and coconut chicken, lamb, or vegetable curry. Other distinctive offerings are chili chicken tikka masala that adds a vibrant twist with bell peppers. “It gives the dish a whole new texture and flavor,” Paramjit explained. The garlic naan is always a favorite, as is the aloo paratha, stuffed with spiced potatoes and perfectly crisped. This is not fast food. Dishes can take up to thirty-five to forty minutes, and that is by design. “It’s fresh, it’s homemade, and it’s never microwaved,” she said. “We want people to understand that good food takes time.”
After weathering a fire, multiple relocations, construction disruptions, and the pandemic, Star of India continues to stand strong thanks in large part to its customers. “We were shut down for several months at one point, and people kept asking, ‘Where are you? Are you coming back?’” she said. “They waited for us.”
That deep sense of community is what has kept the family committed, even when times were difficult. A second location is now in the works on North Temple near the Rocky Mountain Power station, where Param’s father will likely take the lead. But no matter how they grow, Param is determined to preserve what makes the restaurant special. “You have to teach things the same way over and over,” she said. “I want the quality, the consistency, and the connection with customers to always stay the same.” According to Param, "We’re not trying to be fast. We’re trying to be meaningful. When people come here, I want them to feel welcome, to leave happy, and to tell ten more people. That’s what success looks like to me.”
