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.