The Bengali Restaurant That Blew Guy Fieri Away On Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives

Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" on Food Network has highlighted dozens upon dozens of local restaurants, greasy spoons, and humble food joints over the years. And while the Mayor of Flavortown's boisterous enthusiasm can come off as a little cheesy, Fieri isn't as obnoxious as people think, due to the fact that he's traveled enough miles to know a good restaurant. He also celebrates places with a deep history that you want to root for, like the true vintage treasure DDD featured in Richmond, Virginia. Even so, the featured restaurants don't get by on history alone; they also need to serve good flavors. Usually, that all comes down to the chef, which is precisely the case with Columbus, Ohio's esteemed Bengali-American restaurant Joya's, run by Chef Avishar Barua.

Chef Barua is no newcomer to the spotlight — he competed on Bravo's "Top Chef" and Food Network's "Beat Bobby Flay." On Season 40, Episode 8 of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," Fieri steps into Barua's kitchen at Joya's and is impressed with his creative mix of flavors and spices — clearly amazed he can do so much within such a small space. Joya's is named for Barua's mom, Joya, who was born in Bangladesh. "If you walked into her house," Barua says on the episode, "she'd say, 'I'll feed you.'" Joya's son carries on her tradition, using his own practiced skill and his mother's influence to feed locals unpretentious dishes with a heavy hit of spiced flavors.

The main focus of the episode is Joya's Fried Rice with housemade chicken nuggets, smoked pork belly, peanut chili crisp, and fried egg. Barua shows Fieri his "house magic spice rub," a toasted blend of cardamom, star anise, cloves, fennel seeds, cinnamon, Szechuan peppercorns, Kashmiri chili powder, and Indian bay leaf that's used in the batter (along with a little sugar and mushroom powder) for the fried chicken nuggets. It's a serious mixture that gives some numbing spice and huge savory payouts. The magic spices also season the smoked pork belly and Barua's signature chili crisp, and it's a lot of work for a single dish. "This is just one component of one item on the menu," Fieri says, eyebrows raised. But it's not complete without stir-fry sauce made with chili oil and oyster sauce that's actually smoked in-house.

Tasting the fried rice, Fieri can barely contain himself: "Are you kidding me! ... This is one of the biggest flavor bombs I've ever had on 'Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.' This is the pinnacle. I get the spice, I get the sugar. I get the texture. I get the acid ... We used to take the bus to Flavortown, now we're in a bullet train to Flavortown. Lights out!" Beyond the fried rice at Joya's, you can enjoy wok-charred noodles, glazed tofu sandwiches, crunchy Bengali-inspired tacos, seasonal salads, and smoked chicken wings with Alabama white sauce, all of it made with Chef Barua's impressive mix of spices, eye for detail, and his mother's culinary influence.