Indian Delights celebrated its third birthday this August. Their third year in business has proved to be their best yet, with the challenges of Covid long behind them, Ramesh and Sara Saraswati look at the past three years and look to the future with optimism.
Every year it seems as though the popular Indian Restaurant in Playa Blanca grows ever popular, and we can’t believe that they are now approaching their third year in business. It seems like only yesterday that we spoke to Ramesh and Sara about their first month in business!
Ramesh, we can’t believe that another year has passed, and it is now three years since you first opened the restaurant. How is business?
It has been a good year for us, our best in fact. The restaurant has always been popular but this year we have been fully booked almost every night, with many returning customers and happy faces. It’s a joy to see and makes the running of the restaurant worth it.
Many of our customers know us by name, even the new ones! They always come into the restaurant asking for Ramesh, Sara or their favourite waiter and we love that.
What do you think has continued to make the restaurant grow in popularity?
The important thing is mine and Sara’s attention to detail – it’s all the little things that make the whole experience. We’re not just an Indian restaurant, some of our waiting staff wear traditional headdresses and gowns, we hold special regional menus and events for Diwali.
Everything we do is for the love of our food and traditions. We want customers to try and enjoy new things, and we’re happy to tell them about some of the dishes they may not have tried yet.
Talking about your menu, how long does it take to prepare the kitchen every day?
The food preparation in Indian cooking is very important, it isn’t a cuisine that you can throw together in minutes. To develop the intense flavours it takes time, patience, and expertise.
In the mornings we make the base gravy for the curries, that can take up to five hours of cooking time. The gravy is the base of every curry, and we add to that gravy to make it into some of our most best-selling dishes such as Tikka Masala, Jalfrezi, Bhuna, and Butter Chicken.
Looking back at the past three years, what are some of your favourite memories?
Ramesh: Two come to mind. One was a little girl who ate at the restaurant with her family, she drew a picture of the restaurant and gave it to us – we still have it behind the bar, and we are going to frame it.
The second is a German lady who ate with us and as thanks she gave us a signed copy of her newest novel… anything like that makes my day.
Sara: For me I don’t have any standout memories, the best is day-to-day when we have happy customers coming and going. The smiles on their faces and full bellies are enough for me!
What’s new in the restaurant?
We have brought back our popular South Indian menus for one day a month, with classics such as Masala Dosa, Idli Sambar, Meduwada, Sabudana Wada and Uttappam. It’s a way for our customers to enjoy the flavours of South India.
There will also be a desserts bar soon, with classic Indian sweet treats like Gulab Jamun, Kulfi and Barfia.
Do you have any messages for your customers?
Just a thank you. Thank you for the support, reviews, and recommendations over the years. We couldn’t have done any of this without you. Our customers make this worthwhile, we’re not satisfied unless they are.
A special anniversary
Indian Delights held a special anniversary night on the 5th, with a dancer performing a mixture of Bollywood and Oriental fusion dances for the diners. Check out some pictures of the Indian Delights team from the night:
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