Just as Rilke wondered to the young poet if the answer to "why do you write?" is resoundingly "I must," chef Jasbir Singh has built his life around his passion to cook because "those with passion do not know another way to live." In other words, he must. As owner of Guru Palace, Singh spends most of his time in the kitchen, where he puts his many years of experience to use. But that experience is also a jumping-off point for experimentation. The result is a vast menu of aromatic Indian and Thai cuisines, many of which are prepared in the traditional methods (such as tandoori), while others serve as evidence of Singh's open-minded interpretation of well-executed dishes.