Shanik

Opening a new restaurant is always a bit of a leap of faith. Doing it in America when you live in Canada, even more so. Doing it in Seattle without a network of support, much harder. Yet Shanik is coming together, with start-up stories that make you believe in the goodness of people.

Meeru Dhalwala and Oğuz Istif, co-owners of Shanik, are ‘siblings from another mother.' "I finally got a brother when I met Oz," Meeru says. "We're the same personality type. We're cutlery drawer-minded people. The dessert spoons must be with the dessert spoons, and forks with the forks. When he applied for a job at Vij's Rangoli in 2003, I knew within 30 seconds I would hire him. He's gotten his MBA and become our COO/CFO. He and I wanted to own a restaurant together, so we came here to look at space."

Photo: Meeru Dhalwala (left) and Oğuz Istif

Meeru came to America in 1969 with her civil engineer father and non-English speaking mother. "It was an unplanned thing. He passed the US Embassy one day and there was a banner saying if you had a scientific degree, you could go to America. We got visas and went." She grew up in Virginia, lived in Washington, D.C., and got her Masters in Economic Development in Bath, UK, using it to work on human rights with non-profits. Her family and another in India were very close—grandparents had grown up together, mothers were best friends, kids were like cousins. When the family suggested she meet Vikram Vij, one of the "cousins," she did. They married in December of 1994 and she moved to Canada in February of 1995.

Vikram had opened a restaurant called Vij's in October of 1994. She immersed herself in the kitchen and fell in love with cooking. "I loved running the kitchen and loved my co-workers. I was clueless about the industry, being isolated in the kitchen, choosing what I wanted to do, like working with farmers and finding local produce, planning staff weddings. The only time I stepped outside was when I did cooking shows. I'm much more aware now that I'm running the show at Shanik. It has been quite a learning curve. But no matter how stressful a day is, I have to pinch myself because I love what I do so much." Vikram and Meeru opened a second restaurant, Vij's Rangoli, in BC in 2003. After Rangoli, they agreed they would do future projects individually. "It's hard when you're together all the time. He has ideas about the kitchen, I have ideas about the front of the house. But we have each other's backs. He's hosted here and has so much fun." Shanik is named after their 13-year-old daughter.

Her cooking style has made their BC restaurants famous. "We have acquaintances here who said we should open a restaurant in Seattle because we already have a loyal following. There was an attraction for me to open in my country. Canada has been very good to me, but I feel American. You can certainly sew a thread between the three restaurants, but I am so excited about having the freedom to serve anything I want. At Vij's, there's a whole family who has a say in what is on the menu. Right now I can be a bit of a dictator. It's my guilty pleasure!

"Indian food is normally regionalized. Here when most people say they love Indian food, they mean Punjabi, or northern Indian. I've erased the boundaries and offer a fusion of regions. In Punjabi cooking, you don't use coconut milk. But I use a lot of it because it gives the velvety feel people want who can't have cream. I use spices from every region and we grind and roast all our spices at the restaurants. The recipes are all mine."

In Seattle, they had no idea where to buy produce, meat or anything. "I can't say I even really hired. I asked people if they liked to cook and if they were willing to work hard. If they said yes, they were in. We've had our ups and downs, but you need to give people a chance. I gave a raise to one cook when she learned to grill. She told me no, that I needed to grow the business, then I can give her a raise. For someone to see that big picture is amazing. We also have a hugger in the kitchen we call Auntie. She comes on at 4 p.m. and hugs every single person in the kitchen. And it's a real hug. Now that she has Mondays off, she has told me that I have to hug everyone that night. And I do." The kitchen is international: Ethiopian, Indian, American, Hispanic. "It's really a Zen kitchen, if there's such a thing as laughing Zen."

The dining room has lowered wood ceilings with ceiling wallpaper (at right), square and round tables, and some banquettes. Modern Indian music fills the room and the open kitchen allows guests to see what Meeru is so proud of: the staff and what they do. A semi-separate lounge offers low tables and a counter. Beer and wine are served, spirits are on the way. Alongside the kitchen is a private room for six, the only table that can be reserved. "It's just a fun thing to do, watch the kitchen and eat. It's the same menu as the dining room." They opened to a full house, which is great, but stressful. "Seattle diners overall are very generous in spirit."

Future plans include a move of Vij's to a building Meeru and Vikram purchased 6-7 years ago in their own neighborhood, making it their flagship location. The current Vij's will be the home of a new concept. Meeru and Oz plan to be in Seattle a long time. "That's how I treat this restaurant. It's my baby. The kid brother and big sister have come to Seattle to stay!"

Connie Adams/February 2013