Once Christmas is over, Everest Chai 3:16 restaurant owners, Khandu and James Joseph are offering a free Himalayan meal to anyone who would be alone or in need this Hogmanay, to help combat the festive blues.
New Year can be very hard for some, and with the restaurant closing its doors temporarily, while they look for more suitable premises, they chose this as a final gesture in their old building on Eastfield Road, to thank the community for everyone’s great support.
Khandu was brought up in Manali, an Indian town about the size of Dumfries, in northern India, at the foothills of the Himalayas. “My hometown is something like the same size as Dumfries, that’s about where the likeness stops; the climate is very different and it’s a Mecca for hippies, probably due to the fact that marijuana grows wild in the way thistles do in Scotland!” she explains.
In fact, Khandu’s motivation for starting the Everest Chai 3:16 restaurant a couple of months ago, was to share something of her homeland with local people. The title says a lot: Everest – because of the Himalayas which inspire her cooking, Chai for Indian tea, which also means ‘Life’ in Hindi, and 3:16 for her favourite Bible verse – John 3:16.
“People have been loving our food”, says Khandu, “They just keep coming back and bringing their friends with them. I’ve loved the journey too and am looking forward to opening again in the near future, in premises which are better suited to our needs.
“Opening our doors to the community for Hogmanay seemed a fitting way to say ‘thanks; see you again soon’. I hope lots of people come and join us from 4pm till about 8pm on New Year’s Eve”.
Doors Open at 4, there is no need to book, just turn up for a warm welcome.
