Story & photos by Bernard Supetran
Food photos and styling by Dan Cruz
IT has been said time and again that the shortest way to a person’s heart is through the stomach.
This has been the sweet lesson that Indian restaurateur Komal Khanchandani and her husband Sanjay learned when they made their foray into the food business almost two decades ago—here in the Philippines.
A rural lass from the Indian state of Andra Pradesh, Khanchandani learned about the favorable prospects of setting up shop from friends and in-laws who managed to establish a foothold in Manila’s crowded restaurant scene.
In 2000 Khanchandani opened a canteen-style outlet named Sangam at a high-rise, mid-end condominium in the periphery of Makati City’s financial center. Within a few months, her vaunted home-style cooking caught the attention of compatriots who were also residing in her area of activity.
And it was not long until she charmed urban professionals who stepped into an Indian culinary adventure for the first time.
Patronage grew and Sangam eventually became crowded, prompting her to scout for a bigger and better space in the heart of the central business district.
Because of this necessity, Khanchandani’s new venture, Swagat Indian Cuisine, was born in 2003 with a more ideal location along Rada Street—a lifestyle and dining row—in Legazpi Village.
Swagat, which means “welcome” in Hindi, has provided a welcome atmosphere to diners, particularly those who are sinking their teeth into Indian food for the first time.
The Indian food entrepreneur said that when she opened the restaurant, it was also her way of introducing Indian culture and hospitality to the Filipino market, which has fortunately reciprocated her and her family with the same degree of warmth and openness.
It offers no bhangra musicians, belly dancers, ornate interiors or fancy stuff, but Swagat more than compensates with its healthful dishes and the personalized attention of its solicitous proprietress.
The diner’s only design motifs from the exotic subcontinent are framed hand-weavings, brass sculptures, Bollywood music videos and its food attendants garbed in traditional long sari dresses.
Influence from way back
“INDIAN food is one of the most sought-after in the world because of its exotic taste, but it is still relatively foreign to most Filipinos,” Khanchandani noted.
She pointed out that India’s 71st Independence Day, which her compatriots from the local community observed on August 15, was an opportune time to spotlight on the elements they share with the Philippines: history, way of life and culinary traditions.
Speaking fluently in Filipino as if it was her native tongue, Khanchandani takes pride in the fact that her family has been able to build a network of customer friends, even among the pickiest local eaters.
“Only a few months after opening Swagat, we were able to make our food a familiar fare among the local and expat Makati crowd, while Indians provided a steady stream of customers,” Khanchandani enthused.
Its house specialty is the sangam biryani or flavored spicy Indian basmati rice with lean, tender pieces of chicken, lamb, cooked in herbs and spices. Diners can also feast on a wide array of fish, chicken, shrimp, vegetable, mutton, tofu, mushroom, cottage cheese and lamb dishes cooked in the signature masala spice, turmeric or curry.
Khanchandani also makes sure the menu gets an occasional revamp to surprise its patrons, especially during special occasions such as the Diwali, India’s most important festival.
Sweet delicacies symbolizing the Hindu virtues of happiness and positive virtues such as kulfi hand-made ice cream with pistachios, the cheese-filled gulab jamun and the coconut-laced burfi, among others, are mainstays in Swagat’s menu.
Prestigious listing
SWAGAT has also positioned itself as a vegetarian and halal food outlet to cater to Muslim and Indian vegan diners.
Its talked-about home-style cooking and reasonable pricing has earned it a consistent listing in the prestigious Esquire’s Best Restaurants, and has helped bag the Best Indian Restaurant Award in the Philippine Quality Awards for Business Excellence and the Global Brands Awards.
Complementing her efforts in the kitchen front is Sanjay, who periodically shuttles to his home state of Gujarat in western India to source authentic ingredients and spices, dining implements and decorative interiors.
Finding a home
TO cater to its growing patronage, Swagat recently transferred to a new home early this year at the ground floor of an upscale high-rise residential tower along Arnaiz Road and the corner of Amorsolo Street, in the fringes of Legazpi Village.
Khanchandani said that with the new location comes the continuous development of the restaurant’s menu and service so that customers could keep looking forward to new dining experiences.
A decade and a half after her foray into the food business, she still brims with confidence that she still poses the same dare to every diner since Day 1: “Don’t pay if you are not satisfied with the food.”
If home is where the heart is, the Philippines has undoubtedly become the Khanchandanis’ residence, as they have done well to capture Pinoy hearts, being India’s de facto ambassadors of goodwill through culinary excellence.
Log on to www.swagatindiancuisineph.com or visit its Facebook page for details. Customers can also order online via www.foodpanda.ph. Food styling and photography by Dan Cruz: dannc.home@gmail.com
Image credits: Bernard Supetran, Dan Cruz