WHAT A DAY IN THE LIFE OF AN INDIAN RESTAURANT LOOKS LIKE
Jun 16, 2025The love that we pour into our dishes does not come easy. We make sure that every dish that we serve has the same amount of love and hard work poured into it. To achieve it our day starts very early. Before the sun is fully up, the kitchen lights are on. A few cooks are already here, tying their aprons, warming their hands over a gas flame. One of them is crushing fresh ginger, while another is mixing flour for the first batch of rotis. There is no music, no loud chatter, just the familiar sounds of knives on cutting boards and the slow hum of a kitchen coming alive. This is Shalimar Of India for all our customers. We are up and running to create dishes that take you back to our hometown. There is a saying that has been carried forward for a long time in our tradition. It says that our guests are equivalent to god. We try to achieve this with every ounce of energy in us and make sure that you have the perfect treatment every time.
What you get on your plate has hours of hard work behind those closed doors. Around 7.30, the real work begins. Onions are peeled and diced, not in haste, but with steady hands that have done this a thousand times. Pots of lentils go on the stove. Rice is soaked and left to rest. The smell of fresh curry leaves mixes with the earthy scent of soaked toor dal. Someone brings out the spice box. Or as we like to call it the magic box. The reds, yellows, and browns, each spice ready to add depth to the flavor and make it more interesting every single time. By 9 am the kitchen is warm. Not from the weather but the stoves doing their part of simmering and cooking the dishes. As the lunch hour nears, the pace changes. One of the cooks is grilling paneer, carefully turning each piece so it does not burn. Another is stirring a thick tomato gravy with one hand while adding kasuri methi with the other. The tandoor master is rolling out naan. You can hear the hiss as each one hits the side of the clay oven.
The orders come in quickly. A table wants aloo gobi, not too spicy. Another asks for extra chutney. One more wants a vegan version of the thali. We have something for everyone. If you are a meat lover, the butter chicken will make you visit us again and again. We love to see the smiles on your faces, as soon as you take the first bite of the food. Plates are filled with care. Even the garnish is placed with intention. A sprig of coriander here, a pinch of chaat masala there. No plate leaves the counter unless someone is proud of it. When the doors are shut and the last pot is cleaned. We leave with content and happiness that we get to do this every day .
