Buddies of 20 many years open up Biryani Palace in the coronary heart of Quadra Village

(Photo by Travis Devonport)

A deep passion for Pakistani and Indian delicacies and a life time put in building meals with appreciate is the basis driving Biryani Palace, a recently opened Pakistani and Indian cafe, now calling Victoria home. 

As a storm swept around Larger Victoria final 7 days, shutting down quite a few services all over the region, Saqib Cheema, Mona Saqib, Pradeep Nagam, and Jahir Sheikh did not make it possible for that to get in their way. 

On Monday, December 19th, as a lot of Victorians battened down the hatches for a heap of snow, 30 cm deep, the modest staff serving significant foods opened their doors and fired up the grills. 

By the conclude of the week, the freshly established restaurant was met with praise from prospects impressed with the quality of food items they had been served from the local cafe. 

This is reaffirmation the associates are having in stride as they chase their culinary dream. 

“Food is our enthusiasm, we want to serve all the communities. That is our dream,” Saqib tells Victoria Buzz. 

Identified for cooking reliable dum biryani. Saqib and Pradeep decided to fill a culinary void in Victoria by opening a restaurant that serves excellent Pakistani and Indian meals.

In the method of bringing Biryani Palace to lifestyle. Saqib, Pradeep and Mona hired Jahir as the head prepare dinner and partial owner of the newly minted restaurant.

As 1st time cafe owners, Saqib and Mona at first regarded opening a franchise restaurant. 

Right after a fantastic offer of thought, everyone agreed their eyesight for a Pakistani cafe required to provide innovative flexibility. An important high quality a franchise company could not provide. 

“Whatever they say, we have to do it. In the restaurant company, we can improve our menu. We can serve whatever we want to persons,” says Mona. 

For those seeking to try something new on their future culinary excursion, Mona indicates newcomers flavor their signature rooster, goat or veggie dum biryanis.

For the Victoria residents of 17 years, Biryani Palace represents a position for mates, household and new friends to hook up by sharing recollections more than a plate full of scrumptious Pakistani food. 

The introduction of Biryani Palace is a passion job Saqib, Pradeep, and Jahir have expended several many years working on. 

With a world-wide pandemic throwing a wrench in their ideas. This thirty day period, the trio made a decision there was no much better time than the existing to take the chance. “One day we all had been sitting down and we just suddenly believed, let’s just open up it,” states Mona.

As the price of meals continues to rise, Mona states their vision of building Biryani Palace as a neighborhood hub representing Pakistani foodstuff society in Victoria, considerably exceeds the working day to day pressure of working the company.

Biryani Palace now fills the former dwelling of the preferred Victoria restaurant, Pluto’s Diner, and just before that, Sam Remo.  

Immediately after 34 yrs of serving food, beer and smiles, on Oct 29th, Pluto’s Diner closed its doors for excellent. 

Associated: Pluto’s will permanently close its doorways in Victoria immediately after 34 decades in small business

As the workforce settles into their site on 2709 Quadra avenue, they search forward to the new faces they will provide during the decades to occur.

“Five pupils from UVic are sitting down right here and they are so enthusiastic. There are so several learners coming down and they are like, we are so fired up to ultimately have authentic Biryani listed here,” Mona tells Victoria Buzz.

Now in the delicate launch stage of its opening, Biryani Palace currently gives takeout and confined dine-in selections for these eager on eating in person. A grand opening is anticipated in the new calendar year.

Biryani Palace

  • Where by: Biryani Palace, 2709 Quadra Road
  • When: Monday to Sunday, 1 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday 1 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

With files from Curtis Blandy.

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