Anvesh Pallabhatla and his wife, Shikha Bhanwala, got so busy with their new restaurant, J and M Indian Cuisine, that they forgot to have a grand opening. For an entire year.
So on Feb. 20, they hosted a dinner for friends and family, and Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefevbre.
The two owners, Pallabhatia and Bhanwala, were clearly thrilled, and honoured to feed him, as well as all those who had supported them throughout their journey to Sudbury.
That journey isn’t just one that brought the two from India — him from the north, her from the south — but also, the one that turned them from their education, to the work they love.
You see, they are both aerospace engineers. Yes, actual rocket scientists.
Now, said Bhanwala with a laugh, they are “food engineers.”
Beginning as international students at Lakehead University, the two opened their first restaurant in Thunder Bay, before deciding to move further south, to Sudbury.
Pallabhatla told Sudbury.com in both cities, they opened as the first restaurant in town offering southern-style Indian food.
Yes, he is from the north of India while his wife is from the south, so, he said, “it’s better for me to listen to her.”
While Pallabhatla said there is certainly northern influence, his brother-in-law is the chef, and that means southern favourites like dosas.
Made from rice and a lentil called ‘urad dal’ (also known as black gram), a traditional dosa has crisp edges, and a sharp and sour tang, similar to that of sourdough bread, and is considered a superfood, said Pallabhatla. Today, the term ‘dosa’ applies to a griddled batter in a wide variety of styles. Some are thin and crisp, while others are thick and spongy; even the batter can be fermented or unfermented.
At J and M, you can get traditional or ‘street style.’
There is also a buffet of curries, rice dishes, snacks and appetizers, as well as traditional desserts and breads.
There is even all-day breakfast. The restaurant serves steamed cakes, called idly, made of fermented black lentils and rice, served with spices, sauces, in a vegetable soup or simply, with ghee (clarified butter.)
A majority of the dishes at the restaurant are vegetarian, and many are vegan.
You can order out, or pick up, and order online. However, if you are so inclined, a warm and inviting restaurant awaits you, with a full buffet on offer.
The restaurant is located at 2037 Long Lake Road, Unit 3, in a plaza near the Four Corners. They are open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. every day, but closed Tuesdays.
You can find more information by visiting JMIndianCuisine.com. Sudbury.com featured the restaurant in 2023 as part of our Let's Eat series.
Jenny Lamothe is a reporter at Sudbury.com.
