BIOS-
Nikki Sood Owner, Tanzore

Sood attended UCLA, completing a formal course of study in Sociology and the Fine Arts. She received her Masters Degree in Graphic Design from San Francisco’s Academy of Art Institute. Nikki began working with her father, Mr. Sudesh Sood, in 2004 on re-concepting and refurbishing the Los Angeles Restaurant Row classic, Gaylord Indian, a family holding since 1990. In 2006, the family formalized their plans for Tanzore, with Sood helming the design and marketing strategies for the business.

The resulting Tanzore Restaurant and Lounge repositioned Indian cuisine in Southern California, infusing the abundance of fresh California produce with traditional Indian cooking techniques and spices. Nikki continues to helm all creative and business aspects of Tanzore Restaurant & Gaylord India Special Events.

Mr. Sudesh Sood
Owner, Tanzore

In 1990, Sudesh Sood took over the classic Gaylord Indian on Los Angeles’ Restaurant Row – a sentimental holding that he always considered a gift to the Indian community of Southern California.

Impressed by the recent creative work of Indian chefs around the world, Mr. Sood brought his daughter, Nikki Sood, into the Gaylord business in 2004, with plans to remake the restaurant into an upscale, contemporary destination restaurant. Mr. Sood traveled frequently to London and India, acquiring handcrafted Indian artifacts for the new restaurant, as well as initially commissioning consulting chef Sanjay Dwivedi. Mr. Sood is a respected philanthropist, as well as an active member of SKAL and other organizations dedicated to the social and economic transformations of Indian commerce in the United States and abroad.