Interview: Pawan Kandel, Owner of Bhansa Ghar

In the restaurant industry, some people wear lots of hats. In this installment of Dinner with Neighbors, I met someone who:

• Owns Utah’s first Veteran-Owned Indian Restaurant

• Currently serves in the U.S. Army Reserves 

• Runs community events, including concerts and workshops, AND

• Is still only in his twenties! 

Pawan Kandel, owner of Bhansa Ghar.

Meet Pawan Kandel, owner of Bhansa Ghar - one of Salt Lake City’s few Nepali-Indian restaurants. Kandel has seen a lot of the world. Within the USA, he’s lived in Idaho, Texas, Oregon, and Utah - where he is now stationed with the US Army reserves. Here in Utah, he quickly saw that there was a gap in the Salt Lake food scene; a gap that he could fill. 

“When you talk about Indian food… it actually needs to slap you,” Kandel laughs, describing the spice-and-flavor profile he strives to achieve at Bhansa Ghar. The restaurateur strives to bring authentic Nepali and Indian cuisine to Utah. It’s an approach that draws an enthusiastic and loyal customer base. 

“It has been pulling a crowd!” Kandel notes. Some people travel from Texas once a month to visit; they call in advance to let him know they’re coming. He also tells me that Bhansa Ghar has attracted a fanbase of British diners who feel like they’re getting the best Indian food on this side of the Atlantic. 

Is there a secret to getting people to return to your doors? “Make it right for your customers; they will always be impressed.” Kandal has a friendly, make-it-right approach to the service industry that can turn even the trickiest of customers into friends and return-visitors. He relays the story of a disgruntled Doordash customer who had a bad experience. 

“Give me one chance to make it right,” Kandel said. So she came back. “She’s now a regular customer.” The restaurant-owner smiles. Not only that, the customer introduced Kandel to her brother, a carpet cleaner in the community - he’s now the go-to carpet cleaner for Bhansa Ghar. 

“I have learned I can handle things under pressure - discipline has taught me,” Kandel explains, connecting the pressures of this job to his time spent in the military. His viewpoint: You might get customer complaints even if everyone does their job right. “Mistakes happen in the kitchen! But it’s all about how you deliver it… how you tackle it.” 

Kandel’s commitment to authenticity is apparent in the menu. When I asked him to recommend me something that I might not get at another Indian restaurant in the Salt Lake Valley, his answer was quick:

“Goat. It’s very hard to come by good goat in Utah.” In our discussion, I learn that goat is a favorite national food in Nepal - for example, during Nepal’s biggest two-week festival, Dashaim, people eat lots of goat during the celebration.

“Bone-in makes a completely different taste,” Kandel says. Bhansa Ghar has several bone-in goat dishes. By the end of his pitch, I feel persuaded and order a tempting-looking dish, the Kadai goat. (Review under the cut.) Next time I come back, I hope I’ll be able to try a Gongura dish. Gongura, Kandel explains to me, is a tangy, slightly sour leaf (it’s in the sorrel family) that has been more or less inaccessible this year due to tariff or trade restrictions. Kandel says it’s normally a fan favorite - a customer from North Carolina once came specifically to Bhansa Ghar because they saw Bhansa Ghar had Gongura chicken on the menu. How’s that for inter-state appeal?  

Pawan Kandel has a passion for his industry that fuels other entrepreneurial projects and wider community involvement. Last year Kandel hosted a special evening of fine dining with a Michelin-rated BBC MasterChef. The weekend prior to our interview, he helped put on a concert at the State Room for the popular group Purna Rai & The Band. His next project? To bring a DJ over from Germany, though the plans are “not finalized yet,” says Kandel. 

Author & Pawan Kandel.

Bhansa Ghar is quickly becoming a wonderful fixture in the Salt Lake scene, serving up authentic Nepali and Indian food and bringing events to the community. Go check it out! 

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REVIEW

So refreshing!

Mango Lassi: Can I see a mango lassi on the menu and NOT order it? No. The answer is no.I’m no stranger to lassi, and I’m delighted to report that this one is smooth, creamy, and retains a perfect balance between the sweetness of the mango and the tart of the yogurt. And it’s vibrant like it should be - sometimes restaurants bring out lassi that’s tasty but borderline-beige. Order this drink; it’s delicious and pretty!  

Naan & Rice: 

The garlic naan here is crisped to perfection, shimmering in its butter and seasoning. The rice comes out hot, fluffy, and humming with the toasty spices it was cooked in.  

Kadai Goat: 

Kandel was right - the bone-in technique on this dish makes the meat so flavorful and tender; it slips right off the bone. The sauce is fragrant, rich, and tangy, with unexpected julienned ginger pieces as garnish, which add a wonderful little kick. And did I mention the dish is spicy?? HALLELUJAH. I’m a bit of a spice-rat so I ordered level 3 (out of 5), and anything higher might have been dangerous for me. There’s that authentic slap-you-in-the-face authenticity Kandel talked about. I’m totally a fan. 

5/5 STARS 

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Interview: Jadim Laphai, Owner of Shwe Letyar Sushi & Burmese

Salt Lake City hosts a flourishing food scene of culinary diversity. How does a restaurant get itself to stand out? You don’t need to overcomplicate, according to female entrepreneur Jadim Laphai, who insists on good ingredients and good prices. She’s the owner and operator of Shwe Letyar Sushi & Burmese, a gem of a walkup counter in SLC’s Woodbine Food Hall. 

Shwe Letyar Sushi & Burmese, in SLC's Woodbine Food Hall.

Laphai grew up in a small village in Myanmar’s northernmost Kachin state, where hiking a footpath for eight hours was the only way to reach the nearest town. From how she tells it, growing up in a village, nine out of ten people learn to cook - and things are very farm-to-table.

“Everything is from the garden; from the farm,” Laphai explains. She was raised on her mother’s cooking (who supported five children on her own after her husband’s passing). The restaurant owner recalls recipes with sweet potatoes prepared in different forms and shapes. Rice was also a staple - to this day, it’s Laphai’s favorite food!

This nature-to-table background shines through in the freshness and quality of Shwe Letyar’s menu. Laphai says it’s crucial “to be healthy for the people who come to eat the food. [For] people spending money… it’s not just yummy food; every bite is healthy, simply affordable, and delicious!” 

Jadim Laphai with a picture guide to Shwe Letyar's Burmese specialties.

The menu reflects an upbringing in Myanmar as well as influences from Malaysia, where Laphai lived as a young adult. While there, she fell in love twice. Once was with her now-husband (they have three kids now). The second time love struck: Sushi.  

Sushi rolls make up one half of the menu: cooked, raw, and combo rolls, as well as tempura and veggie options. Like many Americans, I’m fairly familiar with sushi. Burmese fare? Not so much. That side of the menu includes stir fry and rice bowls, Burmese samosas, glutinous rice pyramids, and a fermented tea leaf salad. 

Laphai explains to me that those Burmese menu items are commonplace in Myanmar - “Like pizza, almost!” But in America, it’s not as easy to find these dishes. The tea leaf salad is a real draw for people who are familiar with it, says Laphai. “I have some customers drive 45 minutes to get it.” Laphai told me she imports her tea leaves directly from her home country since they’re not easy to purchase or cultivate here. 

It’s inevitable: I absolutely have to try the salad. On Laphai’s recommendation, I also get the chicken stir fry and the Boba Shwe Tea. (See review after the cut!) I’m delighted to recommend Shwe Letyar, a delicious venue operated by industrious business-owner Jadim Laphai. To anyone reading this, she says: 

“I want to say a big thank you to all the support, and welcome to all the new customers!” 

Author & Jadim Laphai.

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REVIEW

Fermented Tea Leaf Salad.

Fermented tea leaf salad: This was unique to anything I’ve ever tasted! The salad was a medley of puffed, crisp soybeans, crunchy slivers of fried garlic, fried peanuts, zippy sweet red peppers and toasted sesame seeds. What tied it all together was, of course, the fermented tea leaf - the flavor profile was an interplay of tangy, pungent pickled-ness, combined with the fragrant undertones of fresh tea. Overall this dish packed a major punch, served with a mound of fluffy white rice.

Chicken Stir Fry.

Chicken stir fry: The plate came out piping hot, and delivered on Laphai’s promises of fresh and healthy ingredients. Chicken, tofu, and vibrant spears of vegetables sat steaming on a bed of delicate, glassy rice noodles. Light and pleasantly savory, this ample portion of noodle goodness was flanked by a silver cup of tart and spicy chili-oil - I loved the flavor so much that I almost drank the cup whole. 

Boba Shwe Tea.

Boba Shwe Tea: Laphai offered her signature boba drink. After living in Los Angeles, I’ve had a lot of boba. I’m pleased to say that this drink is a rich, milky sweet tea with boba pearls just the right texture. With enough ice to keep things refreshing but not watered down, this drink was a real winner in my book.

Verdict: I’m enchanted. I’ll be returning for the stir fry and tea leaf salad, but ALSO to try the other food on the menu. Word to the wise: Laphai tells me that on Sundays, sometimes the restaurant offers a special - Mohinga, a lemongrass-and-fish-sauce dish that’s considered by many to be the national dish of Myanmar. 

5/5 STARS 

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