Sula Indian Restaurant shares the cuisine and culture of Mangalore
Celebrating 10 years on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive serving the food of their homeland, the restaurant’s owners prepare to open a new location in Riley Park
Having grown up in Mangalore, Sharath Vittal and Nitesh Shetty are bringing spicy, tangy fish curries and other seafood specialties from the region to the second location of Sula Indian Restaurant. Photo by Leila Kwok
SHARATH VITTAL AND and Nitesh Shetty opened Sula Indian Restaurant a decade ago on Commercial Drive to share the cuisine of their native Mangalore. On (or about) November 16, they’ll open the doors to a second location in Riley Park.
Mangalore is a coastal town in the southern part of India and the gateway to the state of Karnataka and the Konkan coast. Situated on the Arabian Sea, the port has been a key stop on international trade routes for centuries.
The restaurant takes its name from the Sanskrit phrase “to make peace”. Vittal and Shetty are re-creating dishes they remember from childhood, like char-grilled lobster with coconut and mustard curry and prawn sukka. The latter evokes memories from the state of Karnataka, the shelled prawns in thick roasted desiccated coconut and curry leaves. Other spicy and tangy seafood dishes will be on the menu, as will chicken ghee roast, which originated in a small nearby town called Kundapur. There will also be a selection of Mumbai street foods. The pair ground their own spices, including garam masala, and make paneer in house.
Vittal and Shetty are partnering with award-winning bartender Jeff Savage, who’s creating cocktails that incorporate traditional Indian spices such as star anise, tamarind, and amla, or Indian gooseberry.
Sula Indian Restaurant will occupy the former home of the Reef at 4172 Main Street.
Photo by Leila Kwok
Related Articles
