What Sandy Kanwal misses most about his home country is the street food or “chaat”.
After calling Sudbury home for nine years, Desi noodle burgers and dahi bhalla with its spongy lentil dumplings from the northern Punjab region are what he wanted to bring to his new city.
Kanwal owns Bonn to Bake on Cedar Street in the downtown core.
The cafe and bakery opened about two months ago.
“Born to Bake was already taken so I went with ‘bonn’ because in French [‘bon’] translates to good and this is really good food,” Kanwal said.
He opened the eatery with his new wife, Smeeksha. They met at Cambrian College eight years ago. She was studying civil engineering and he was studying to become a millwright.
Very quickly, Kanwal became the cook while his wife uses her newfound baking credentials to run the bakery side of the business.
Kanwal’s favourites are the Desi noodle burger with its Indian-style stir-fried noodles and puffed pastry stuffed with potato, like his parents make back home.
He also makes his own bread and dinner rolls. Those breads make for the perfect sandwiches, such as the chana kulcha. The flaky kulcha bread is slit down the middle and stuffed with chickpea curry, mint and onions.
He also makes fusion pizzas with butter chicken, a mint-style pesto and paneer, an Indian cheese.
“It was a highlight for me when people who are Italian started coming into the shop asking how I make my dough because it is the best they have ever tasted,” Kanwal said with a laugh.
The trick, he said, is a combination of three flours: white, whole wheat and corn.
Kanwal spent the past several years working in the food business at places like Domino’s Pizza, Tandoori Tastes and Subway.
While he takes care of the cooking, Smeeksha is in charge of all things sweet at the cafe and bakery.
“While we were back home for half a year for our wedding, Smeeksha got her baking certifications,” he said. “Many Indians lead a vegan diet so she has perfected eggless dishes and cakes.”
There are cakes, pastries and swirled cup desserts mixed with fruits like mango or chocolate.
Smeeksha hopes customers will pair these desserts with chai, a lassi or Nimbu Masala soda.
The Kanwals said they are pleased with how many Sudburians are coming into their welcoming and colourful space to give new foods a try.
Bonn to Bake is located at 7 Cedar Street. It’s open from 12 noon to 10 p.m. weekdays Tuesday to Friday and 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. on weekends.
Anastasia Rioux is a writer in Greater Sudbury. Let’s Eat! is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
