Cilantro’s offers twist on Indian cuisine

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This article was published 31/12/2021 (1613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The minds behind East Kildonan’s Cilantro’s Restaurant are offering a contemporary twist on traditional Indian dishes at a second Winnipeg location.

Co-owners Kapil Gusain and Ritesh Patel opened Cilantro’s Modern Indian Cuisine (1132 Portage Ave.) on Dec. 23, exactly five years after the launch of the flagship eatery. The pair is prepared to take on a new venture, now that Cilantro’s is a well-established name in the city’s Indian food scene.

“We have a good thing there,” Patel said. “We want to make sure everything is consistent.”

The staples Gusain and Patel offer at Cilantro’s Modern Indian Cuisine are based on the same recipes that patrons have come to know at the East Kildonan restaurant, but with a twist. For example, the butter chicken’s ingredients are the same, except at the new spot, customers can enjoy the dish on poutine or in a wrap called a “currito,” Patel explained.

“If somebody who has not tried Indian food, I think it is very interesting for them to try Indian food and have something they kind of know about,” Patel said. “The recipes are all tried and tested.”

Gusain and Patel’s new menu tackles Indian street food favourites, inspired by the flavours of Bombay and New Delhi. In contrast to the restaurant’s spicy mains, Gusain and Patel dial down the heat with some sides and snacks.

The Dahi puri, a type of chaat (a family of Indian street foods), features crispy, flour-based shells adorned in yogurt, cilantro, cucumber, red onion, and green mango chutney.

“If you have a bite of it, you feel like summer; it’s so refreshing,” Patel said.

Rose falooda, a milk-based ice-cream drink featuring nuts, basil seeds, rose petals and a drizzle of rose syrup, makes for a cool dessert.

Apart from the new menu items, Cilantro’s Modern Indian Cuisine also features the flagship restaurant’s same menu for dine-in, takeout, and delivery. Gusain and Patel anticipate the menu will be popular in the new restaurant’s home community.

“If you want something vegan, you can come here. If you want something vegetarian, you can come here. We have all the options,” Gusain said.

The sleek new space  — with its large-scale modern artwork in the dining room and an area where the cooks assemble the dishes behind an all-glass counter — is a departure from the cozy booths of Cilantro’s east.

The fresh look aside, Gusain said the Portage Avenue location is designed for families who want to enjoy a meal or for those who want to grab a quick lunch or dinner to-go.

“We’re just trying to make Indian food more convenient,” Patel added.

Prior to becoming business partners, Gusain and Patel were students at Rizvi College of Hotel Management in Bombay, India. Gusain studied front-of-house management, and Patel trained as a chef. Before moving to Canada 10 years ago, the pair worked in up-scale hotels in India.

“What we are trying to do is make a mark for us and give something back to the community at the same time,” Patel said. “Somewhere down the line, we will be working with other organizations to make Canada better.”