In Hindi, there is a saying ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ that translates to ‘The Guest is God’ in English.
Far from simply a motto, it offers both spiritual and professional motivation for Navneet Mroke.
As co-owner of West Vancouver’s Swad Indian Kitchen, Mroke makes it a point of pride to ensure that her meals border on the divine.
“Our food speaks of our Indian history, specifically Punjab in Northern India, where we were raised and taught of our heritage,” Mroke says. “To be able to share our upbringing with our clientele and watching them delighted by each flavour, brings up not only joy but a sense of pride in being Indian.”
Mroke’s customer commitment has stretched over three decades and close to 20 restaurants alongside her husband Kamal and son Sahib. Having operated restaurants in both Washington State and B.C., the Mroke family has cooked for Hollywood A-Listers Jason Momoa and Robert Pattinson; tech power brokers Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos; and Bollywood luminaries known the world over.
And come this summer, Swad marks 10 years as a West Vancouver fine dining fixture. It’s a year-long celebration that will include countless perks, including:
- specialty dishes on certain days of the week
- prix fixe menu for specific celebrations including: ladies lunch-ins, business lunches, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, engagements and more
- Indian high tea
- patio-specific menus along with specialty cocktails
- Teppanyaki-like cooking experience, where chefs will create specialty tandoori dishes in front of customers
“It is an honour to serve multiple generations of families since 2015,” Mroke says. “To know our food is able to be experienced and enjoyed by each generation, we believe is indicative of our ability to remain innovative and authentic to our culture.”
That multi-generational customer appeal carries over to multiple generations of the Mroke family. Despite having an engineering job, Sahib helps with the marketing, managing and working as the front runner for Swad. His keen attention to current culinary trends is integral to the growth and evolution of the business.
“He is very involved with helping his parents and showcasing to our clientele how family-run businesses can thrive,” Mroke says.
As for the food itself, Mroke’s menu is as diverse as Metro Vancouver’s cultural mosaic.
To that end, picture popular standbys such as a rack of lamb or succulent chicken marinated in cream topped with cashews and cream cheese alongside the most popular and traditional Indian fixtures: Butter Chicken, Kesariya Paneer or Cauliflower 65, which features small florets coated with honey chili marination.
Beyond the menu, Mroke’s ace in the hole is threefold: treat customers with respect, remembering their names and preferences; prepare the best food with the freshest ingredients; and an approach to menus that's fluid, nimble and unafraid of change.
“Each customer who enters our restaurant is treated with the utmost respect and care,” Mroke says. “We are very adamant about learning about our customers, past simple brief greetings. We love hearing about their personal lives, while sharing our experiences to build a personal rapport.”
For more information and to make a reservation, visit www.swadindiankitchen.ca.
