24 April,2011 08:59 AM IST | | Lhendup G Bhutia
A new reality show on US television that is looking to fund an unusual idea for a restaurant chain with centres in New York, Los Angeles and Minneapolis, has a Vijayawada local in the last four. Will Sudhir Kandula's spicy but light and healthy coastal food concept come out on top?
Sudhir Kandula, 41, is like many other Americans of Indian origin. Born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, Kandula graduated from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, and moved to the US to study at the Michigan State University before charting out a successful career in software. He is currently Vice President, Sales, at eCert Inc, a New York-based firm that works with companies and institutions to reduce email fraud.
Sudhir Kandula with his chef on the show America's Next Great Restaurant
But in the last few years, Kandula has been developing a keen interest in food. Two years ago, he became part owner of Village Tart and Permanent Brunch & Burger, two popular restaurants in New York. Now, he entering still more unchartered territory. He is among the final four contestants on America's Next Great Restaurant, a reality TV show on NBC where participants with non-chef backgrounds compete on restaurant ideas.
The winner of the show will see his idea translated into a chain of three restaurants in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and New York, with the judges investing money in the idea. The show started off with 21 contestants chosen during a nationwide hunt, and Kandula is now the current hot favourite. Come May 1, Kandula with his idea of Spice Coast, an Indian fast casual restaurant that does not serve the typical Chicken Tikka Masala, may have his chance, of recasting Indian food in a new light.
An interview:
Do you plan to make a switch from the software to the culinary industry?
Although I was never permitted to enter my mother's kitchen when I was home in India, over the years I have learnt to appreciate food. When I was working in Paris in 1999, I enrolled for cooking classes at Le Cordon Bleu. But now having had a successful run of 20 years in the field of technology, I want to spend the next 20 years with food.
Can you share a little more about your concept, Spice Coast?
I have been toying with this idea even before the show happened. What I intend on doing, is to create a chain of fast casual Indian restaurants that serve light and healthy Indian food and target the urban American professional. I plan on serving Konkani and South Indian items that are otherwise under-represented in the US. There will be healthy items like salads too.
And food items that are popular but unhealthy like the samosa, will undergo a change. My samosa, for instance, will be grilled and served with mango, avocado and mint relishes. While I will not shy away from being non-traditional, the food will carry Indian flavours. And with modern vehicles that deliver these items, I want to recast Indian food in the US and make it as popular and healthy as Sushi.
How did you come up with the concept?
Almost 90 per cent of Indian restaurants in the US serve Tikka Masalas and Baltis, an idea that probably originated in the UK. There are very few restaurants that serve Indian cuisine from areas other than Punjab. These dishes are great, but they are heavy, greasy and unhealthy. While I want to bring about more awareness about Indian food, I also see a business possibility here.
Do you think there is a market for a different Indian food in the US?
There certainly is. In the last seven weeks that the show has been on air, I have already received offers from investors. And, I don't see why it won't work. Just look at Chipotle Mexican Grill. It serves spicy Mexican fast casual food but it is doing so well that it now serves out of 1,000 locations in the US.
While Spice Coast will serve spicy food for adults, I will also work out a less spicy menu for children.
Your idea was initially called Tiffin Box. Why the change in name?
The name Tiffin Box is very special to my heart. The inspiration being the tiffins that Indian mothers pack for their children. And there are also the dabbawallas of Mumbai, whose job is to deliver these packed lunches across the length and breadth of the city. However, the judges felt Americans won't easily understand the connotation of the word. That's why I changed it to Spice Coast. If Spice Coast does take off, I plan to use the name Tiffin Box in another concept. That concept will be mass marketed in various parts of the US and I will introduce a range of Indian food which won't otherwise fit intou00a0 Spice Coast's fast casual light food menu.
You initially planned on making Spice Coast vegetarian.
In India, my family ate meat, just about once a month. Indian cuisine is one of the best at treating vegetables. And through my concept, I wanted to show how vegetarian food can be tasty. On the insistence of the judges, I plan on including non-vegetarian items, but it will be a predominantly vegetarian restaurant. I will make Americans see how tasty vegetarian Indian dishes can be.
Any other plans?
In the future, I want to try and work out a US TV show that will showcase Indian food from various regions. I might also come back to India to work in the restaurant business. While I won't be able to compete with my Spice Coast idea in India, I can try starting restaurants that serve global cuisines like Italian and Mexican. A big food revolution is taking place in India, and my experience of living and working in these areas will help.
You can follow Sudhir Kandula on Twitter: @SudsNYC
