Spotlight: Bhuna Restaurant
Bhuna brings hearty Kashmir dishes Chef and owner, Deepak Kaul, grew up with. Deepak started his culinary career in Cambridge, Massachusetts. From there, he worked in San Francisco, New York City, and London before settling in the Pacific Northwest. He started Bhuna as a pop-up and moved into a brick-and-mortar location on NW 21st Avenue shortly after. Deepak shared more about his business with us.
Tell us more about your food.
Deepak: My family is from Kashmir. Most of the food that I cook here is based on the food that I ate growing up. For example, my lotus root fries are very traditional. Many of my dishes have a very specific history and are built from my family’s cultural traditions. I have a few dishes from other regions, like the Chettinad chicken dish comes from the south or Pork Vindaloo comes from Goa. I also bring in other influences, like the calamari that comes from my years as a chef before opening this restaurant.
How is your business unique?
Deepak: Indian food is not a thing. That is like saying “European food.” In India, each region has its own cuisine. And even within each region, each religion will have its own dishes. For me, Indian soul food means home cooking from Kashmir. These recipes are not in a book. They are passed down and it is very personal. The restaurant is my attempt at making a mark in the world. It is my way of connecting with my people. This is my way to find a niche market and make what’s niche more mainstream.
What was your biggest success?
Deepak: The fact that the restaurant still exists is a success. I am grateful to Portland. Of course there are many challenges, there are many opportunities in Portland as well. The cost to start and run a restaurant is less than many other cities. I have to both pat myself on the back and give myself some grace.
What do you wish that you had known before you started?
Deepak: I didn’t know a lot of things when I started, like I bought a really big ice machine, when a smaller one would be just fine. When I learned how to be a chef, I learned how to cook, but I didn’t learn how to run a business. I wish that I had the knowledge to even know the right questions to ask and it would have been good to identify mentors who had worked in the restaurant space before I even started.
