Chef Abhishek Roy’s Atithi cuisine offers a symphony of Indian flavors and spices that’s sure to excite both the novice and the connoisseur alike.
Established in 2008, Atithi is an inventive restaurant in Kitsilano serving Executive Chef Abhishek Roy’s signature Home-style Indian Cuisine.
Named after the word for Honoured Guest in Sanskrit, it offers diners a unique take on Indian food, mixing flavors and spices of India with western cooking techniques and the finest, seasonal, local ingredients. “We want to introduce customers to the way Indians eat at home. From fresh, handmade rotis to seasonal and daily specials, we make everything from scratch and maintain a focused menu that honors centuries-old cooking traditions.”
The menu at Atithi is affixed, but daily specials highlight the Chef’s local finds. “We are committed to using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. From produce to meats, fish and specialty products we try to find conscientious, quality driven purveyors to partner with.”
Anchoring the menu is the Frankie, a house-made parantha wrapped with lamb or chicken mixed with wok-fried Indian cheese with peppers, onions and chutney.
The Jackfruit & Potato dish is delightful and the Prawn Hara Bhara is unforgettable. Be certain to explore the sautéed prawns with green veggies and finished with local BC wine.
And the Aloo Gobi, a frequent player in the daily vegetable spectrum, takes on an exotic braised treatment of cauliflower that will snake charm anyone who claims not to like the vegetable into a trance. Among the meats, the Chicken Chettinad has great flavor with black pepper, mustard and coconut milk making for a tasty sauce. The Railway Station Curry, which is New Zealand lamb curry, is tinged with ginger, tomatoes, and cilantro.
By forging a deliriously satisfying union of local products with the strong, heady spices and bewitchingly aromatic condiments of India, Roy has a success on his hands. So much so, that he recently opened an Indian Snack Bar named Masala Chai next door.
Offering an inviting place to sit and drink a variety of chai, lassis, and Indian citrus drinks. The quick bites offered resemble Indian street food including hearty sandwiches with a variety of charming ingredients.