All India Cafe: A Father’s Dream that has Turned into a Sibling Legacy
-
All India Cafe is a well-known restaurant chain renowned for its diverse offerings.
(Chris Mortenson/Staff)
For Pawandeep Kaur Khinda, opening a new restaurant in Arcadia was more than a lifelong dream. She wanted to continue her father’s dream and build a legacy for the All India Cafe.
Her father, Santokh Singh Khinda, opened his first restaurant in 1996, with her mother, Parminder K. Khinda, in Pasadena after they moved from India.
They yearned to share their culture of Indian dining with every guest who walks through their doors.
Nearly 30 years later, their children, Pawandeep and her younger brother, Harsimran, have helped open two more restaurants and have redefined Indian dining.
Growing up in Arcadia, “We always wanted to open one in our hometown because we have a lot of community around here,” Pawandeep said about the location of the new restaurant.
When the Khinda siblings opened the doors in late May, they were overwhelmed by the support of Arcadia residents. In fact, the Khinda family grew up just 5 minutes away from the new location.
“We opened one in our hometown, and they’ve been going crazy about it,” Pawandeep said.
“In this area, there was no proper sit-down Indian restaurant, I would say. They love it so far.”
All India Cafe is a well-known restaurant chain renowned for its diverse offerings. Chef Santokh proudly owns all of his recipes, and all of their food is organic.
The eatery prides itself on using fresh ingredients, such as freshly peeled tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and onions, which are prepared separately to be served to the customer’s liking.
“We use our own in-house ground spices and everything,” Pawandeep said.
“We actually buy them in bulk and then we grind them in the restaurant. Then we serve them in the food. We don’t buy anything pre-made.”
The family is praised for its curries and cocktails, ranging from tikka masala to butter chicken curry to its new fan favorite, coconut curry ($16 to $20). All the recipes are gluten-free with vegan substitutions offered.
Two of their locations have liquor licenses, where they have a vast menu of Indian cocktails; Arcadia’s license is in the works.
“We have Indian whiskeys that are imported from India,” Pawandeep said, excitedly.
“We’re actually one of the only restaurants in LA to have a selection of five different Indian whiskeys and Indian gin.”
These cocktails include the Delhi sour (Indian whiskey sour) with bourbon, fresh egg whites infused with saffron, and a dash of orange juice ($14); and a saffron martini, made with Kashmir saffron-infused vodka, lime juice, cranberry juice, and a cherry garnish ($14).
When opening the third location, Pawandeep and Harsimran wanted to put a modern twist on a traditional Indian restaurant.
“My dad wanted to keep the culture, life and the language alive. I’m fluid in both languages very well and there’s no accent in both of my languages,” Pawandeep said.
Bringing her Indian culture to the lively streets of Los Angeles means everything to Pawandeep.
“It means everything to me, to be very honest with you,” Pawandeep said. “I know those struggles that my parents went through being first generation.”
The Khinda family’s passion for All India Cafe is evident through the meals served and the experiences created. Three established locations later, the local favorite continues to share its family recipes and culture to communities in Glendale, Pasadena and now Arcadia.
“We want to stay true to our roots, but we are obviously bringing some modern and authentic twist to the dining experience,” Pawandeep shared.
