Before there was Guy Fieri, Anthony Bordain and Julia Child, a young Indian Muslim immigrant changed the culinary landscape of America. Often deemed as America’s first celebrity chef, this boy, in his 20s, took the country by storm with his delectable curries, and incredibly good looks.
Ranji Smile—also referred to as Joe Ranji Smile or Prince Ranji Smile in some accounts—belonged to Karachi and arrived first in London in the late 1800s, where he worked for the Cecil Hotel, one of the largest hotels in Europe at the time. Here, he was spotted by Louis Sherry, a prominent restaurant owner, who ran Sherry’s in New York. Louis tried Ranji’s curry and immediately fell in love. He brought him, and his young English wife, to New York in 1899 to give American elites something new and “exotic” to swoon over.
In this day and age, Indian food may be a popular choice for take out food in America but when Ranji first arrived…