If you know, you know: How this Indian restaurant found community and a loyal following in Kits
Written by: Gabby Peyton
It all started with a Chai Negroni.
In 2022, Rahul Kumar was running a successful poke shop but had always been excited about the idea of owning a bar. So, when he came upon the space in the Kitsilano neighbourhood of Vancouver, he knew it was meant to be, but a pivot to open a full-service restaurant, Karma Indian Bistro, with his father, Vishal Kumar, would lead to even more (delicious) success.
Eleven months later, the pair of restaurateurs was in the Michelin Guide.
The father-and-son duo has backgrounds in restaurants. Vishal has more than 30 years of experience working in kitchens around the world, from his home country of India to Germany and now Canada. Rahul cut his teeth working in hotel hospitality, first as a banquet server at the Pan Pacific, before eventually managing Honey Salt at the Marriott, and then opening his poke shop.
Like many large multicultural cities, Vancouver has neighbourhood pockets with distinct communities and a small town-within-a-city feel—but Kitsilano is special. Even before he opened Karma, Rahul frequented the beachside neighbourhood, visiting its waterfront, parks, coffee shops and bars.
“Karma is a North Indian neighbourhood restaurant, and we focus on neighbourhood with Karma,” says Rahul. “The community is really great, and it means a lot to us to be part of the community in Kits.”
“It’s a tight-knit community. We see a lot of events happening, a lot of people connecting over coffee, there are a lot of coffee shops. You walk around, and you see smiling faces, everyone talking to everyone. That’s what we enjoy, and that’s a bigger part for us; everyone is engaged.”
“We received tons of support from the neighbourhood—the people around us are very supportive of small businesses, especially when they see a young guy like me. I was 29 when I started the business. When they see someone younger trying to do something good in the community, they always pull in a lot of love and support, which we are very lucky to receive.”
The inspiration behind the menu comes from the northern region of Punjab in India, where the Kumars are from, but there are traces of ingredients and methods from all over the country. Dishes like popular street food Patiala Chicken Curry, served with an egg or Paneer Pakora, are presented with their own flair, with the local community in mind.
The cocktails are also infused with Southeast Asian flavours, and Rahul is particularly inspired to pair the cocktails with spicy dishes, so the menu leans fruit and fresh-forward to refresh the palette. “We have this really amazing cocktail that everyone loves, a Chai Negroni,” explains Rahul. “Traditionally, a Negroni is made with gin, Campari and sweet Vermouth, but we make it with a dark rum infused with chai. Then we mix it with Aperol and Sweet Vermouth to stay in the same Negroni space. It’s one of our signatures and our best-sellers.” Rahul himself loves the Night in Delhi, a cocktail with bourbon, peach bitters and passionfruit, then smoked with cherry wood.
Karma is open for lunch service, then eases into Happy Hour with snacks and drinks and regular dinner service. There are also rumblings on social media and Reddit about secret menu items, and the restaurant really leans into it, doing its best to accommodate.
“It’s like one of those things for the people who know—if you know you know,” Rahul laughs. “We’ve been testing new items, we tell our regulars about them, or we do some specials. Last year we did a Lamb Bhuna, a lamb dish with a thick tomato sauce with fried onions in it, and it was quite popular. And it’s not on the menu.”
Recommended by neighbourhood regulars and local foodies in the know, the Lamb Bhuna—which hails from the region of Bengal—is ordered on the regular. There’s also a Gulab Jamun Cheesecake, a dessert inspired by the sweet dessert of the same name, that Karma offered during the Dine Out Vancouver Festival last year patrons cannot get enough of.
“We don’t have that, but we can make it happen,” Rahul acknowledges. “Just give me three days’ notice, and you will have a Gulab Jamun Cheesecake on your table.” This is where the focus on community comes into play for Karma—they have regulars who come in weekly, on the same day, at the same time. And if someone makes a suggestion about a menu item, the Kumars will try to make it happen.
“We love to cook it for them, this is what we do, we love doing it. We love the community,” says Rahul.
Despite this devotion to their craft and their community, the owners were shocked to learn they made the Michelin Guide in 2023.
“I woke up one morning, and I saw an email from Michelin Guide, and I thought it was a scam,” recalls Rahul. They had only been in operation for 11 months, and most of their staff, save for Vishal and a few cooks, were new to the industry.
“We hire for attitude. If you have the right attitude, it’s very easy to hire if you’re consistent,” says Rahul. This mindset has proven to work for Karma: they’ve been awarded a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide three years running and make sure to bring different employees with them to the award events so everyone gets to experience it and feel appreciated.
So, what’s next for Karma Indian Bistro? Well, more Michelin Guide spots for certain, but there’s a new venture on the horizon, also in Kitsilano. A small dosa shop is soon to join the community and feel the love, wrapped in support by the patrons of Kits.
Presented with support from:
Training people has also proved easy thanks to Karma Indian Bistro’s use of Square. “We love it, it’s very easy to use, efficient and quite quick,” explains co-owner Rahul Kumar. “And, for training people, it’s been very straightforward.” Rahul also praises Square’s connection to the local community, running social media campaigns and events in Kitsilano.
“I think it’s amazing, I don’t see anyone else doing it,” he says. “No other POS company is doing that; they are actually connecting with the community and know who their customers are. They play an amazing part supporting us.”
With Here for the Good Stuff, Square is not only celebrating hospitality businesses but investing in the stories of operators who help make Canadian neighbourhoods feel distinct, connected, and alive. In collaboration with MENU Magazine, the campaign shines a light on iconic and emerging businesses whose impact reaches far beyond their walls.
Gabby Peyton is an award-winning author, food writer and culinary historian based in St. John’s, NL, where she’s always planning her next trip to eat. Her work on travel, dining and history has appeared in The Globe and Mail, Canadian Geographic, and EnRoute Magazine. Gabby’s first book, Where We Ate: A Field Guide to Canada’s Restaurants, Past and Present, is a bestseller and chronicles the history of Canadian dining through the stories of 150 restaurants nationwide.
Follow Gabby: @gabbypeytoneats
