Six weeks ago, bulldozers were making their way through the interior of large vacant business space at Nordel Way and 120th/Scott Road on the Surrey-Delta border, with no way of knowing Metro Vancouver's restaurant industry was about to get turned on its head thanks to COVID-19.
The restaurant in the works is Happy Singh Eats, an Indian street food spot from the people behind the largest Indian buffet restaurant in North America, Tandoori Flame - which happens to be located just across the street.
Happy Singh Eats is going into the same plaza that houses the North Delta outpost of thrift shop Talize. The restaurant, when completed, will seat 160 inside and 72 outside on a covered patio.
Modeled after popular roadside cafés in India, Happy Singh Eats will feature 10 live-cooking stations where guests can see their Indian street eats being made right before their eyes.
The new restaurant will offer dine-in and take-out options, and the menu is slated to include dishes like kathi rolls (street-food dish or a vegetarian or meat filled rolled inside a parantha bread); a chaat station (a savoury small bite which traditionally includes a mixture of potato pieces, crisp fried bread, yogurt, chickpeas and tangy-salty spices); a Jr. Happy Singh box meal for kids; thali style meals (plated tray meal consisting of several small meat or vegetable dishes accompanied by rice, bread, etc.); traditional curries; Paranthas (a flat unleavened bread that is fried on a griddle), a samosa station, a dosa station, traditional curries, pizzas, sandwiches, and more.
While Happy Singh is prepping to open later this summer, they are working with Tandoori Flame right now to keep key community members fed during the COVID-19 crisis: health care workers.
Tandoori Flame and Happy Singh Eats deliver hundreds of meals to hospital workers in Delta and Surrey. Photo courtesy Happy Singh EatsThis week they prepared meals for medical staff at Delta Hospital and Surrey Memorial Hospital, including their Emergency Room. They are providing between 100 to 200 individually-wrapped meals every day for those working on the front lines.
"This is just our small gesture of appreciation for all healthcare workers are doing to keep us safe," said Managing Director, Shraey Gulati. "We all have to do our part."
We'll keep you posted on Happy Sing Eats as they get closer to opening. You can follow them @happysingheats on Instagram.
