The cluster of women standing outside the King Mahal Restaurant in Burnaby Heights are in on a tantalizing secret.
Those outside the restaurant and those still inside chat happily, leaving behind a large table scattered with the remnants of the restaurant's buffet lunch.
At a small table farther back sits the staff, taking a quick lunch themselves, the subtle, warm scent of curry wafting from the buffet area.
What the women know - and more people in the neighbourhood are learning - is that King Mahal is the newest spot in the Heights for affordable, delicious Indian cuisine.
Owner and chef Keshav Dutt took the long way to the Heights but says it is exactly where he wanted to set up his most recent venture, which opened last October.
"People are very nice, very friendly, and polite," he says of the neighbourhood.
Dutt moved from India to Montreal in 1988, travelling and working in hotel management and as a chef at a variety of top hotels throughout Canada, and landing in Vancouver in 1993.
He opened the first King Mahal on Kingsway in Vancouver, he says.
"I did well there," Dutt says, adding he then moved to a location on West 10th Avenue, near the University of British Columbia, for about seven years.
"It goes very well," he says. "It was well-established."
Dutt had to move after a rent increase, and set up shop at Edmonds Street and Kingsway in Burnaby for about three years. He then opened a location at Broadway and Main Street in Vancouver. But it didn't do as well there, as the neighbourhood was changing and a new generation was taking over he, says, so he sold the restaurant after three months.
Dutt decided to go to India for six months to work in hotels, he says.
"I went back to learn what's new on the market, new spices, new technologies," Dutt says.
When he returned to B.C., he started working at Saffron Indian Cuisine, which has been voted Best Indian Restaurant by readers of the Burnaby NOW for the past seven years.
"Everywhere I've been, I've gained experience," he says.
Dutt worked as a chef at the esteemed restaurant, leaving to start his own - King Mahal in the Heights.
"I started looking for a place in the Heights," he says. "I finally got this new location."
Dutt invested a lot of money in renovating the restaurant at 4051 Hastings Street.
The setting is warm and inviting, with deep red and gold walls adorned with small Indian tapestries and paintings.
The first few months were difficult, according to Dutt, but now that word has started to spread, the restaurant is seeing more and more customers.
King Mahal participated in Crave last month, the inaugural dining event put on by the Heights Merchants Association.
Dutt keeps his prices affordable and offers deals when he can, he says, as that ensures more people will try his food and tell others about King Mahal.
The restaurant also offers discounts to people over 60 and to students, according to Dutt, especially those who bring in large groups.
King Mahal also has a $9.99 lunch buffet.
Dutt recently hired a new chef, Ved Prakash, who arrived from India last month.
Prakash brings with him a wealth of experience from top hotels throughout India, Dutt says, and knowledge of the latest advances in Indian cuisine.
Cooking is a constantly evolving art form, Dutt explains, adding Prakash will bring a new array of flavours to the menu.
Prakash has worked in many Indian regions, from Kashmir to Mumbai, from Calcutta to Chennai, he says.
Dutt's goal is to build word of mouth about the restaurant through his affordable prices and unique cuisine.
"I want there to be people lined up here," he says. "I want to give good things for the customers."
Regarding his many years of success in the hospitality industry, Dutt says it is because his career makes him happy.
"If you're happy in your job, you're doing well," he adds.
King Mahal can be found online at Kingmahalrestaurant.ca and www.kingmahal.com, or check out the restaurant's Facebook page by searching for King Mahal Restaurant.
