After years in the making, Chef Tushar Tondvalkar’s long-awaited restaurant, Kavita, opens at 250 West 3rd Avenue next week. Named after his late mother, the restaurant folds memory into motion by taking the roots of Indian cooking and running them through the raw material of British Columbia. There’s nostalgia here, but it’s sharpened by intent: a kind of evolution that honours where Chef Tushar came from without submitting to stasis.
That through line becomes clearer when you trace how he got here. Tondvalkar’s journey has taken him from kitchens in Mumbai to Gaggan and Gaa in Bangkok, to Bauhaus and Blue Water Café in Vancouver. But Kavita has always been the destination. Its foundation stretches back to childhood summers spent in Malwa, where cooking meant open fires and mangoes eaten under the sun. That early rhythm — food tied to place and season — also writes the menu here.
FOOD & Drink
Last week I slipped into the new Kavita space for a look around — to meet the team, take in the room, and get an early taste of what’s to come. Chef Tushar shared a few dishes from the upcoming menu: compressed Chicken Bhujing, served beneath a playful blanket of crisp flattened rice; bright Malvani Prawn Pulao lifted by kokum and koshimbir; and a quietly brilliant Paneer Saag made with house-made paneer (a nod to Tesfa Farms buffalo milk and Chef de Cuisine Narendra Panwar) that swaps traditional spinach for locally foraged nettles – the latter being a small switch that nevertheless says a lot about the kitchen’s intent. All three dishes were precise, balanced and deeply satisfying, and landed with confidence. They spoke less of experimentation and more of a chef sure of his footing, and ready to build something lasting.
On the beverage side, Nikhil Kumar (previously The Victor) directs the wine program; while Kabir Sehgal (formerly Chupito, Good Thief) manages the bar. It was too early for me to get into the wine (or cocktails, for that matter), but I did have a few sips of the bold and layered Jaipuri Laal Maas (lamb fat–washed bourbon, acid-adjusted bell pepper juice, smoked honey, and Yellow Chartreuse). In short: I’m confident that the cocktail list will be lockstep in thoughtfulness, expressiveness and balance with the food.
SPACE
Concrete and wood form the bones of the 40-seat restaurant, which is softened by deep green banquettes and framed by matte black windows dividing the restaurant into clean, architectural sections. Light moves easily through the room, catching the edges of curved wooden chairs and gloss of the tabletops. From the chef’s counter, everything connects; cooks move in rhythm behind the open kitchen. The design doesn’t shout for attention; it simply works in quiet service of the cooks and guests alike, and the flow in-between them.
Though my visit was mid-afternoon, I could easily imagine the transition from day to night: tables filling with diners; light shifting to amber; the clink of glasses and low hum of service setting the pace. Kavita mirrors Tushar’s food: deliberate, contemporary and, ultimately, human. It’s a space built for the exchange of ideas and stories, and of flavours that cross continents but meet in one place.
Design intentionally spills into kitchen. Rows upon rows of neatly contained and labelled ingredients — spices, dried fruits, salts and herbs – line the area behind Kavita’s bar seating. The pantry blends BC and many regions of India, with rice, herbs, spices, seeds, salts and dried fruits shipped directly from small farms that Tondvalkar has worked with for years; while wild foraged ingredients such as nettles, mushrooms and herbs come from nearby forests. Every object in the room carries a sense of purpose, including the stones and lichen gathered and displayed by Chef Tushar.
THE PEOPLE
Yash Shah (GM); Kaustubh Gokhale (CDP); Kabir Sehgal (Bar Manager); Chef Tushar Tondvalkar: Narendra Panwar (CDC).
Tondvalkar knows how to build a strong team. Although each person brings their own experiences and way of working, they’re united by a shared curiosity about ingredients, methods and meaning. From sourcing and foraging, to plating and presentation, everyone has a voice here — and Chef Tushar listens. The collaboration feels alive, and you can sense his excitement in letting that energy guide the restaurant forward.
Yash Shah, formerly of Autostrada – as well as being Tushar’s childhood friend since the age of five – leads the front of house with warmth. Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Sous Chef Narendra Panwar brings Michelin-recognized experience and a steady hand; and Chef de Partie Kaustubh Gokhale adds creative spark, rounding out a kitchen that feels both pragmatic and ambitious.
CONTEXT
Kavita feels like the start of something special — the kind of restaurant that could shift how Vancouver thinks about Indian food in a way we haven’t seen since Meeru Dhalwala (Lila) and Vikram Vij (Vij’s) opened Vij’s more than three decades ago, in 1994. Alongside the food, there’s a real sense of hospitality here, that’s generous, unhurried, and without limits.
If all goes smoothly with the final paperwork and inspections, Kavita will be open Tuesday to Saturday, offering happy hour from 3:30 to 5pm, and dinner service from 5 to 11pm. When they are fully open the restaurant will offers two paths: a seasonal à la carte menu shaped by India’s festival calendar, and an 11–12 course “Amma-kase” tasting menu served at the nine-seat chef’s table (a wink to Japanese omakase and the Hindi word amma, meaning “mother”). The plan is to open softly next week, and move into full service and hours shortly thereafter.
OPENING CREDITS
Tushar Tondvalkar – Chef/Owner
Yash Shah – General Manager
Kaustubh Gokhale – Chef de Partie
Kabir Sehgal – Bar Manager
Narendra Panwar – Chef de Cuisine
Designer – Janks Design Group
Dining and Cooking