Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Kurshid Khan and his wife Yasmin moved to Vancouver in 1997 so their children could have a better life. But after a decades-long career as a project manager for a construction firm in Kenya, Khan couldn’t find work in his field here in Vancouver.
If the family was going to make a go of it in Canada, they’d need a Plan B.
Khan long had a love of cooking (and eating), so he decided to turn that passion into a business and bring the authentic flavours of East Africa to Vancouver.
And so, 18 years ago, the Khan family opened Simba’s Grill at its original location on Edmonds Street in Burnaby.
“It was just a little hole in the wall,” says Khan of Simba’s humble beginnings.
With few other restaurants in Metro Vancouver serving authentic East African food, Simba’s Grill became a hit with the expatriate crowd, and the locals soon followed.
The East African region has long been a crossroads for trade routes and the cuisine reflects that, Khan explains. The Indian influence led to curries made with local ingredients, like coconut. Spices came by way of the Portuguese and the Dutch East Indies Company, who both operated out of Zanzibar. And then there are the Arab influences from nearby Yemen and Oman, evident in the strict halal preparation of the meat.
“The food is very multicultural,” says Khan.
Khan says he’s tried to adapt some of the more traditional recipes to make it palatable for Canadian tastes. Ugali, for example, is an East African dish made from cornmeal, traditionally prepared with an almost dough-like consistency.
“We make ours a bit softer, so it’s like corn grits,” says Khan.
Unlike Indian curries, Khan uses no onions in his curries, and everything on the menu is gluten-free (except the naan bread).
“We don’t use any flour in our food back home, so we don’t use any here,” says Khan.
Khan and his wife opened Simba’s Grill’s Denman location in 2004, and closed the Burnaby location five years ago to focus their efforts on their West End restaurant. He’s still the first person in the kitchen every morning, and when it comes to dinner service, Khan likes to work the floor and ensure his customers are enjoying themselves and every plate comes out perfect.
“That’s why I stay No. 1,” says Khan. “It’s easier to be No. 1 than it is to stay No. 1.”
