At Nimki, 2025 James Beard semifinalist for Emerging Chef Nikhil Naiker serves up a vibrant culinary experience hard to find anywhere else in the city. Naiker’s dishes marry aromatic Fijian Indian flavors like tamarind chutney and curry leaf with local vegetables, seafood, and meat. Expect bright flavors and layered textures – punchy spices, tangy sauces, crunchy toppings, and refreshing acidity.
Naiker’s cooking is a thoughtful personal expression of his cultural heritage blended with the creative energy he honed at former Providence restaurant North and wine bar Fortnight. Naiker was born and raised in Fiji before his family moved to the California Bay Area. He studied culinary arts at Johnson and Wales and has been making moves in the Providence food scene ever since.
When the semifinalists for the 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef awards were announced in late January, it was no surprise that several Providence names were on the list. And emerging chefs like Naiker are further expanding the boundaries of Providence’s culinary potential, highlighting the city’s remarkable depth.
When he was younger, Nikhil Naiker was unsure about cooking and serving Fijian cuisine. “I was hesitant because I didn’t know if people would like it or how they would respond to it,” said Naiker. But as he grew older, he found purpose in aligning his passion for cooking with his cultural identity. He described the first time he served Saina, a crispy lentil fritter snack his parents would serve with tea. At Nimki a version of it is served with kale, onion, and tangy-sweet tamarind chutney. “When I first put Saina on the menu, people would tell me they’ve never had this before and were pleasantly surprised to try something new,” says Naiker. “It feels special to be able to share something new with people.”
Naiker’s food is described as “New England Tropical.” He and his team strive to coax tropical flavors out of locally available ingredients – even in the dead of winter. “We are always trying to make our dishes taste light and fresh with the ingredients we have available,” says Naiker. “For example, we replicated a pounded papaya salad with locally grown butternut squash. “ Naiker builds depth by layering in flavor, acid and textural interest.
Nimki’s dishes relies on the deep bench of farmers and fisherman in the state. “We’re really lucky to work with the farmers we know,” says Naiker. Spending years in the Providence culinary world has allowed him to cultivate connections with food growers to get first dibs at high-quality and rare ingredients. Naiker says he often gets asked where he gets certain exotic ingredients like hardy kiwis and passionfruit (which they are even more amazed to learn that they were grown nearby at Foggy Notion Farm in Johnston). He relies on local lamb from Hopkins Southdowns, which has a similar clean, yet fatty flavor as the lamb he used to eat in Fiji. He also cites high-quality produce from farms like Wishing Stone Farm in Little Compton and City Farm in Providence. “Almost everything on our menu you could take a walk down the farmers market and be able to buy the same ingredients.”
For Naiker, earning a James Beard nomination validates his commitment to honoring his roots through his cooking. He emphasizes the importance of Nimki’s small and mighty team, including sous chef Ricardo Silva and prep cook Greyson Roderick. “It takes years to find people that can be so supportive and mesh well together,” says Naiker.
Nimki’s success so far is just the beginning for Naiker. He is eager to explore new ways to harmonize the food and drink experience and to expand Nimki’s current dessert offerings to be as memorable as his savory dishes.
Providence’s culinary scene continues to evolve and surprise thanks to creative and passionate chefs like Naiker. Along with the James Beard nomination, Nimki’s vibrant Fijian Indian flavors and celebration of local ingredients showcases Naiker’s talent, while promising an exciting future of what he has yet to create.
Nimki is located at Courtland Club, 51 Courtland Street in Providence. They are open Thursday – Sunday 5 – 10:30pm. Reservations are accepted at www.courtlandclub.com
Amber Ma lives on the west end of Providence with her husband and two cats. She loves gardening, shopping at farmers markets, and cooking with local and homegrown ingredients. She is also passionate about transit, sustainability, and pollinators. She is a volunteer at the Community Cat Center in Johnston. She and her husband went car-free in 2022 and are always exploring new restaurants in the city by foot, bike, or bus.
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