If the “utter magic” and “homey environment” described in Yelp reviews doesn’t lure you to Chutney, a Pakistani eatery in the Tenderloin, then perhaps the enthusiasm of mixed martial art champion Khabib Nurmagomedov will.
In a recent interview on the Russian language podcast Hustle Show, the decorated Russian fighter — considered one of the greatest of all time — name-dropped the under-the-radar establishment as his all-time favorite. “That’s our number one spot,” he said. “For all of us.”
“All of us” possibly refers to the fighters that Nurmagomedov, now retired, travels across the world to train. Khabib Nurmagomedov, who went undefeated for all 29 career matches, is the son of the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, today a legend in MMA coaching. Abdulmanap assembled a group of boys in the quiet mountain village of Sildi in the Republic of Dagestan and transformed many of them into world champions. The success of the Nurmagomedovs has turned Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region of western Russia on the Georgian border, into an international destination for MMA training.
Following Abdulmanap’s death in 2020, the younger Nurmagomedov retired from the ring to take over his father’s role as a mentor to the next generation of Dagestani fighters. He still meets for weeks at a time to train the fellow fighters he grew up with — many of whom hold champion titles of their own — at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
Nurmagomedov recently made headlines on his way to San Francisco from Vegas, apparently because of his love of Chutney.
“To be honest, I flew to the US recently, and I booked my ticket specifically through San Francisco,” Nurmagomedov told host Adam Zubayraev according to the English translation provided by YouTube. The fighter and his travel companion considered business seats on a Delta flight, but the 8 p.m. departure wouldn’t get them to San Francisco in time for Chutney, Nurmagomedov said. Instead, the superstars opted for an earlier flight via Frontier and grabbed the exit row for some extra legroom. However, a very routine conversation with the flight attendant devolved, potentially due to the language barrier. Eventually they were asked to deplane.
“I just wanted to make it to that restaurant before it closed,” Nurmagomedov said. Needless to say, they didn’t.
On a recent visit to Chutney, I asked the staff about Nurmagomedov’s fondness for the place. Upon mentioning the fighter’s name, Mehran Ali, who greeted me at the counter, lit up. “Yes, he is in here a lot!” Ali said. Apparently Nurmagomedov is often there in the middle of the day.
In the interview, Nurmagomedov said he’s been eating at Chutney for 12 years. In that, he’s not alone: Like Nurmagomedov, reviewers on Yelp and Google frequently lead with their decade-plus of Chutney loyalty. Ali described Nurmagomedov as a beloved familiar face among many beloved familiar faces.
The spot sits between Geary and O’Farrell on Jones St. amid several Pakistani and Indian establishments. It’s also close to Union Square, which Nurmagmodev visits often, judging from his Instagram posts.
Chutney epitomizes “no frills”: There is no soundtrack beyond the murmur of food prep, street traffic, and the chatter of customers. Forks scrape, the door clunks closed. Tables are slightly askew and sparsely decorated. You could say the restaurant and its staff are entirely unconcerned with curating a “vibe” beyond cleanliness and friendliness. (The complimentary chai is on tap and piping hot.) The food is generously portioned, priced fairly, and tasty — exactly the sort of thing you might seek between sessions of training people to beat each other bloody.
Despite online sleuths claiming “the place has changed since the new ownership,” Chutney has been owned by the same family for 25 years. “We’ve kept the quality good and the taste the same as it was 25 years ago,” Ali, a family friend of the owners, said.
We couldn’t get Nurmagomedov on the phone for this article to ask him how he stumbled upon Chutney. All we do know is, from halfway around the world and for 12 years and counting, he sends his love.
