Sugar and spice and everything nice that makes Nepalese food so delicious is now being served at Penticton’s newest restaurant.

After several months of preparation, business partners, chefs and good friends Ram Bhandari and Keshab Sapkota, officially opened the impressive new Annapurna Restaurant on Monday.

Photo Credit: NowMediaRam Bhandari (left) and Keshab Sapkota are the proud new co-owners of the Annapurna Restaurant on Main Street in downtown Penticton. The restaurant features a full menu of Indian food, but will focus on food from their native Nepal. Annapurna Restaurant officially opened for business Monday and will be open seven days a week.

Annapurna Restaurant, named after the famous mountain range in Nepal that has attracted literally millions of mountain climbers and tourists over the past centuries, is located at 325 Main St., right beside the Mykonos Greek restaurant.

The restaurant will feature a full menu of food from India, but will specialize in food from their native Nepal, said Bhandari and Sapkota, who emigrated to Canada from Nepal just over a decade ago.

Photo Credit: NowMediaThe new Annupurna Restaurant, featuring a menu of food from India and Nepal, opened for business Monday in downtown Penticton.

The friendly and outgoing business partners treated NowMedia to lunch Monday featuring momo dumplings, sekuwa and chow mein and it was quite simply delicious.

“It’s very exciting to finally be open,” said Sapkota, who met Bhandari while working as chefs at an Indian restaurant in Kelowna a couple of years ago. “We opened this morning at 11 a.m. and will be open until 10 p.m. for a couple of weeks and see how it goes, before deciding what hours we will have.”

Bhandari said it was very rewarding to see a nice lunch crowd come into the restaurant Monday.

Some of the more popular Nepalese items he expects to be popular with customers includes the momo dumplings, buttered chicken, tandoori chicken, sekuwa, naan bread and a variety of soups and salads, he said.

Photo Credit: NowMediaThe menu at the new Annapurna Restaurant on Main Street in downtown Penticton features a combination of food from India and Nepal, where co-owners Ram Bhandari and Keshab Sapkota were born and raised.

The menu also features a full range of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes and appetizers.

Dishes can be prepared with mild, medium or hot spices that make up such a big part of food from Nepal and India, he said.

While Nepalese food is very similar in many ways to food from India, the biggest difference is the spices used, which add a unique and distinct flavour, he said.

“It’s all about the spices,” he said. “It makes Nepal food unique and delicious.”

Photo Credit: NowMediaThe new Annapurna Restaurant features more than 2,000 square feet of space and beautiful, high vaulted ceilings.

Sapkota said owning and working in his own restaurant is a dream come true as he’s spent the past decade since moving to Canada working for other restaurant owners.

“Please come down to our beautiful Annapurna Restaurant and try our food, give us recommendations about what we are doing and how to improve and what you like,” he said. “We think our food is delicious and good response is what we are waiting for.”

The interior of the restaurant features about 2,000 square feet and is highlighted by a wide open concept and high vaulted ceilings throughout.

Photo Credit: NowMediaThe new Annapurna Restaurant opened Monday and features a variety of beer, liquor and wine to go along with the full menu of dishes from India and Nepal.

There is seating for more than 50 customers for the dinner rush.

Bhandari and Sapkota recently received their liquor licence and will offer a wide variety of Okanagan wines and beer and spirits from North America and Asia.

“We will have a nice variety of wine from the Okanagan to go with all our appetizers and main courses,” said Sapkota. “We have nice Indian beer and Canadian beer as well. Our experienced server will make up any nice cocktail you like.”

Photo Credit: NowMedia

Sapkota said he and Bhandari are looking forward to introducing Nepalese food to new customers and making their restaurant a success for many years to come.

“Making people happy is my priority,” said Sapkota. “Please come in and enjoy our food and tell us what you think.”

Annapurna Restaurant will be open from Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon until 10 p.m.

For more information, call the restaurant at 236-422-4422 or visit Bhandari and Sapkota during business hours.