Stephen Santacroce
Dining is for me somewhat akin to reading travel magazines.
Sampling foreign cuisines allows me to mentally transport myself to
exotic lands with a fork and knife (or maybe chopsticks) as my means
of travel. Indian food in particular conjures up vivid sensory
adventures of sight, taste and smells, blending exotic spices to
create subtle and mysterious flavors.
Spices are what first brought the British, French and other
Europeans to the Indian subcontinent beginning in the late 15th
century, and it was this spice trade that helped finance much of
British colonialism. Luckily the British imported Indian cuisine to
their island, and not the other way around.
Flashing forward to this era, the Royal Khyber restaurant in South
Coast Plaza Village has been introducing legions of loyal residents
to the exotic charms of Indian cuisine. The restaurant, which was
originally in a strip mall on Bristol Street, was opened in 1980 by
Arun Puri and his wife, Urmil. Their daughter Shalini actually now
owns the restaurant; however, she is off at college working on a
master's degree in business administration.
Puri was born in Punjab in northern India and immigrated to the
United States, where he earned a master's degree in engineering.
While here, he began cooking some of the dishes of his native land
and, after a visit back to India to work in a friend's restaurant,
opened Royal Khyber.
The restaurant now occupies a prime spot in South Coast Plaza
Village, sandwiched between stalwarts Antonello's and Gustav Anders.
The interior doesn't have the exotic look of some Indian restaurants
where silks and tapestries are draped on the walls, but it rather
exudes a quiet formality. Tables are set with crisp white linens and
surrounded by plush upholstered chairs. Wine glasses sparkle at each
setting. Intricate panels taken from the old location have been
accented with gold paint and hung decoratively from the ceiling. The
overall effect is airy and inviting.
Some people consider Indian food too spicy and harsh, but good
Indian food relies not on overpowering spiciness but on delicate
blends of many ingredients to create subtle flavor combinations.
The menu at Royal Khyber features many traditional dishes, and
Puri and his daughter have also attempted to lighten up the cuisine
by stripping dishes of unnecessary fats and oils. Many dishes are
cooked in the restaurant's tandoors, a conical-shaped clay and brick
oven fired by mesquite coals.
