I grew up in a middle class family in the Southern State of India, Kerala. Family circumstances kept me away from Film School and I Graduated from India’s Most Prestigious Hospitality Institution, Institute of Hotel Management Bhopal, India. Doesn’t matter what you do, but be good in what you do and enjoy doing it. I spent time traveling India understanding its culinary and cultural fabric before taking flight to the United States. Spent time in New York and LA before deciding to settle in Vancouver, Worlds most coveted destination. Vancouver is evergreen, beautiful, with its vast waterfronts, inlets, lakes, parks, mountains, snow peaks, and shallow beaches and there’s something for everybody, all year round. The miner’s capital, is west coasts booming city is frequently ranked the best place to live on earth.
Found time to travel to Europe before reassuring myself to settle in Vancouver. Moved here in the summer of 1999 as I surveyed the city streets, I came to this intersection of Burrard and Alberni the heart of Vancouver and looked around. There were the Finest Luxury shopping windows of Vancouver but what caught my sight was the Restaurant upstairs I saw and I said to myself. If one day I have to have a restaurant, I should have a location like this. Little did I knew then what fate have kept for me. Again I was in the hunt for a nice restaurant and had seen over 40 locations. Some I like the location and kitchen but I don’t like the dining room, some I like the dining room and location but not the kitchen, but this was waiting for me. The location I wanted, beautiful dining room and a spacious kitchen. Spring of 2008 on a very auspicious day, Friday the 13th Salam Bombay was incorporated. Everybody I knew in the business advised me not to touch this location because many restaurants have failed here, primarily of the high rent and operating costs. But I was confident. Like a nightmare I witnessed the recession and tough days and I didn’t had an exit plan and wasn’t ready to give up. I hang in there and just did what I had to do. Passionately. Looking back I feel those tough days were a blessing in Disguise. It took over 3 years for me to be on stable grounds and since then it was a steady growth. I haven’t won any awards or accolades and neither do I intent to win any. I have done it the very old fashioned way, worked hard for it. Food is never my weakness but Good food is. I am found of traveling and savoring every cuisine available. Love History and embrace the goodness in every Culture.
Salam Bombay is all about food. Good Indian food. Our dishes are from various regions of India. In creating so we use the freshest and finest of ingredients. Our microwave free kitchen and is scrubbed and washed down daily.
I wouldn’t want to say more about my own food. I would love to hear from you.
In a speech in South Africa in 1890 Mahatma Gandhi said :
“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises. He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him. He is not an interruption of our work. He is the purpose of it. He is not an outsider of our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favor by serving him. He is doing us a favor by giving us the opportunity to do so.”
I can’t put my appreciation in words for your time. I thank you in advance, for giving me the opportunity to serve you and I am looking forward, to having you at Salam Bombay.
