Our Story
Aruna Cafe is the creative concept combining all of Dhiru’s passions as a chef of flavorful and nourishing food; a gardener in any climate; and the proud father, husband and friend to a supportive Santa Fe community excited to see an immigrant success story in the making.
Chef Dhiru came to Santa Fe by way of San Francisco and Philadelphia. Trained in culinary school in India from age 17, Dhiru first worked in the U.S. at Dosa, a South Indian restaurant in San Francisco, from age 23.
When Dhiru came to Santa Fe in 2014, he planned to stay just long enough to help Chef Paulraj Kumasamy open Paper Dosa, but in early 2015 he was introduced to his future wife, a Santa Fe native, and his life took a different turn. They were married in New Mexico in 2016, and had a baby girl in the summer of 2018, who is the namesake of his first solo venture - Aruna Cafe. In 2021, they welcomed baby Anjali.
Chef Dhiru is proud to share the food of his homeland with those who appreciate it.