www.restaurantvanderhoof.com

In 2016 Sarabjit Kahlon left his job as a chef at the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George and struck out on his own. He moved with his wife, Simran, to the community of Vanderhoof and opened the Tasty Tandoori in the Vanderhoof Inn. The Kahlon’s devise their own recipes and source their food locally. “We have very wonderful lamb and other local foods here that help us to create our fine East Indian cuisine,” says Sarabjit. The couple and their East Indian cuisine were very well received by the community, so Sarabjit began to search for a more permanent location. He found a great position on the main street in Vanderhoof and began to develop a new vision for the restaurant.

It was then that Sarabjit approached Community Futures Stuart Nechako to assist him with this venture. “Community Futures helped us to acquire and renovate the new location. They helped us with contacts and advice and were very excellent to work with through the challenges,” he said. One of the “challenges” Sarabjit was referring to was that the newest member of his family had arrived prematurely, which delayed the new restaurant’s opening for 10 months. The family went back and forth for many months between the BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver and the St. John Hospital in Vanderhoof. Although 9 months later than expected, Tasty Tandoori opened at their new location in September of 2019. The community turned out in full force for the grand opening, and the family gave all of the profits from the event to the BC Children’s Hospital. “The hospitals and the community have been so supportive,” said Simran.