Lachi cooking up success with Penticton chamber

After losing his job of 30 years, Jaswinder Grewal and wife Surinder Pal decided to begin a new chapter in their lives and opened Lachi’s Indian Restaurant.

It was their vision to serve fresh, delicious and most importantly, authentic Indian cuisine similar to the fine quality and flavour-packed dishes they grew up with in the Punjab region of India.

“Mom is extremely good at cooking, that is her passion and together they turned their passion into a business venture,” saidSurinder’s daughter-in-law, Upkar Grewal.

They then began selling fresh samosas and Indian dishes out of their house however soon found they were not able to keep upwith the increasing traffic due to the limitations of their small kitchen.

“Customers love the food, even if someone comes for the first time and they eat they say it was the most authentic Indian foodoutside Indian,” said Upkar. “They find it delicious and authentic because of the style of cooking, the way it’s prepared and hequality is always consistent, that’s very important.”

So with the help of their son Jazz they took the plunge and opened their current restaurant in the 500-block of Main Street.

“We have been at this same location since August 2009, and have become known around the Okanagan for our delicious andfresh food, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and welcoming restaurant environment,” said Jaswinder.

Led by executive chef Dambar Khatri, with over 20 years of international experience in Indian Cuisine and his experienced staff,including chef Rabin Karki, Lachi continues to proudly produce for the Okanagan fresh and tasty Indian dishes.

Offerings range from jalfrezi, vindaloo and korma, to the mouth watering butter chicken and tandoori chicken.

“We have something to cater to everyone’s taste buds,” said Jaswinder. “Whether you are a lover of heat and spices, or someonethat likes the spices to be on the milder side so that you can enjoy the flavours and aroma of our delicious Indian dishes, Lachican tailor our dishes to your preferences.”

Upkar agreed: “That’s the thing that customers like the most is that they choose their own spice level. Normally Indian food issupposed to be hot but they can make it mild or medium to their choice.”

This feature is part of a series in partnership between the Penticton Western News and the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber ofCommerce featuring winners of their social media contest.