One-Man Restaurant Making a Splash in Dartmouth
HALIFAX– People love service with a personal touch when they go out to eat. Halifax’s Simply Asian tries as hard as it can to provide that kind of service. That’s because the owner of the Dartmouth restaurant is the only one who works there.
Owning a restaurant has been a lifelong dream for Sairaj Coondapur, ever since he was a young man living in India. Through hard work and sacrifice, Coondapur was able to achieve his goal in November of 2022.
“It’s like a dream everybody has when you pack your luggage and go to another country,” says Coondapur. “You have a certain picture in your mind where you want to be in the next five or 10 years. So, for me that was starting my own business.”
Operating a restaurant without employees has its challenges. But Coondapur says when you do something you love, the long hours melt away.
“I pretty much work 12 hours a day but it just feels like maybe six hours,” says Coondapur. “I just don’t feel a mental stress or anything like that. And most of my customers, I know them by name. So, I think that’s why they feel more welcomed.”
“I think the customers appreciate that because most of them are regulars now and they kind of know me.”
To say customers feel welcome at Simply Asian is an understatement. Huddle recently asked for people to name entrepreneurs they consider inspirational. Coondapur and Simply Asian were mentioned several times.
“Sai is amazing,” Lauren Forrester told Huddle. “He’s so personable and kind, he truly shows how much he cares and how passionate he is about food in the amazing dishes he creates.
“He is always there putting in the hours to turn out the most delicious Asian-Inspired dishes with his own flare. He had a dream and turned it into a reality. He’s such a blessing to have here in Dartmouth.”
Genna D’Angelo worked with Coondapur in the restaurant industry not long after he moved to Canada. Witnessing her friend work his way up to being a restaurant owner makes her proud.
“I don’t want to hate on chain restaurants. There are some decent ones out there to fill the void, but small restaurants are always the best and his is no exception,” stated D’Angelo. “The restaurant business is hard, no matter the position, and he’s worked so hard to open this spot. Most days, it’s just him. The prep, the cooking, and taking orders.”
Coondapur says he’s still surprised by how many good reviews he’s received, despite being open less than a year.
“Honestly, I’m kind of surprised almost when I see my Google reviews, they’re already past 100, which is a really big deal for a restaurant that only opened for six months or so.”
Coondapur has tried various jobs throughout his life but food has always been his passion. He learned the joy of cooking from his grandmother and mother back in India. He moved to Canada in 2014 to chase his restaurant dream.
“Even since my childhood days I remember doing stuff with my grandma or my mom in the kitchen. But my mom basically wanted me to be an engineer back home,” he explains.
“The thing is, cooking back home where I come from, it’s a very challenging field because it’s not well-paid. So, my mom was like, ‘well if you want to pursue this, you got to be ready to take a bigger step moving ahead, like school or moving to some other country to better your future.’”
There are many reasons why people desire to be a business owner. Being your own boss and setting your own hours are two. But for Coondapur, he loves having the freedom to create his own unique dishes.
He strives to have a few items on his menu that customers won’t find anywhere else in Halifax. His most unique and popular dish combines an Asian classic with a Canadian staple: Pho Poutine.
“People are loving the fusion [concept],” says Coondapur. It’s something new and creative; something they haven’t seen fired up before.”
“I enjoy just putting it out there and seeing if it works. That freedom brings out the best in you. It keeps things interesting, rather than just following the same routine every day.”
Derek Montague is a Huddle reporter in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].