The Peninsula B次元官网网址 ReviewB次元官网网址檚 Business Profiles edition hits the streets on Nov. 8. This one of four stories coming out this week from that special publication.
Sahej Singh is taking a chance on Sidney and has opened the communityB次元官网网址檚 first Indian cafe/restaurant on Bevan Avenue at Fifth Street.
Singh is a newcomer to Canada who has been in this country for a little more than seven months B次元官网网址� and he came with a plan. Working with his wife Nav Preed, he used his familyB次元官网网址檚 traditional spices and recipes to create gluten free and vegetarian Indian dishes from his home in Punjab, India. He learned to cook by watching his family, who operated restaurants all their lives.
B次元官网网址淪idney didnB次元官网网址檛 have (an Indian restaurant) and all I needed for my idea was a good location,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭here are already a lot of Indian restaurants in (downtown) Victoria and since I live in Sidney, it looked like the right place.B次元官网网址�
The cafeB次元官网网址檚 location on Bevan has great visibility, Singh said, and since he opened, foot traffic has increased steadily.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 getting busier every day.
B次元官网网址淚 always kept an eye on how my family was cooking back home in India,B次元官网网址� he continued.B次元官网网址漈hatB次元官网网址檚 where I learned to cook and work (in the restaurant business).B次元官网网址�
He added itB次元官网网址檚 been great to be able to cook with his wife in their commercial kitchen, creating vegetarian dishes, from pakora to spring rolls and more. He said they offer good, fresh food, like him family used to make back home.
Singh added that so far, Sidney has been good to him and the people who come into his cafe have been very friendly.
Still, he hasnB次元官网网址檛 forgotten his roots. Singh maintains connections to his native India, where he contributes to organization that take care of street dogs. He said he loves dogs and has wanted to help them all his life B次元官网网址� and will keep doing so now that heB次元官网网址檚 moved to Canada.
The Indian Cafe is open 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday B次元官网网址� and Singh said he hopes to grow, after taking those first small steps to get a new business off the ground.
