Dining In: Taste of India: Going strong after 30 years in the neighborhood
- Natalie K. Pollock
- Aug 1
- 5 min read
Written by Natalie K. Pollock
Photography by Natalie and submitted
Taste of India opened in its current location at 139 South Main Street in 1996 and is still popular with its neighbors and visitors. In 2004, it was bought by Gopal Pokhrel and a partner. He had arrived from Nepal in 1994 without his wife, who was pregnant with their first-born son Biswash, and sent money home for years to support them until they could join him. Pokhrel had emigrated to the U.S. to find work and set up a new life for his family.
He worked several years as a laborer, first as a dishwasher in a Rhode Island restaurant. By 2006, he was operating Taste of India in West Hartford and ready to move his wife and children to their new home.
As a teen Biswash helped his father in the family restaurant on the weekends but otherwise focused on his schoolwork. Twenty years ago, his uncle joined the family business and has been working as the chef ever since, cooking the same Northern Indian recipes and adding a few from Nepal over the years. At that time the Indian community was not as large as it is today in the greater Hartford area.
“Northern Indian food uses a lot of spices. It’s not hot but there are a lot of dried herbs in a sauce like curry. Nepalese food is similar. They say it’s good for the immune system. As head chef my father’s brother had to know everything. Southern Indian food has more spices and is hotter,” said the younger Pokhrel.
His father has recently retired from day-to-day management, but he is still a partner in the business. His son took over as manager two years ago. He lives nearby with his wife, who is studying at Capitol College toward a nursing degree. They met in Nepal. He was working in IT (Information Technology) at that time and commuting back and forth to Nepal to see her, until she was able to get a student visa to Canada. They live here now with his family.
“The neighborhood supports us. We have the same customers every week who come in one or two times. They don’t need a menu because we know what they like. I have realized how much they love our food. The quality of our food has not changed at all because we have the same chef,” said the younger Pokhrel.
When new diners first walk in and spend a lot of time reading through the rather large menu, he or his wait staff will approach them and begin asking questions to be helpful. The manager/owner has taught them by example how to be patient and elicit information. If someone asks for a dish that is not on the menu and his chef can make it, they will accommodate the customer.
“This is an amazing community. There is a friendly and safe atmosphere here. Everyone is welcome. We don’t discriminate. Everyone can feel comfortable. Customers come in and tell us their stories. Our neighbors support us,” he said.
Biswash Pokhrel believes it is teamwork between the kitchen and the waitstaff that has made Taste of India so successful for so long.
“It’s impossible to do this without teamwork. Once you have a good team then anything is possible, and with help from my dad. I like being in the restaurant business now,” he said.
He and his father are working on some improvements. They expect to have a full bar completed by the end of 2026, recognizing that “people like to have a cocktail when they eat. We do have wine and beer already.”
They are also completing the renovation of a party hall seating 65 people in the back. And after Covid they put in three large tables down the middle of the main dining area, which are popular. They are often asked to cater events. At a past dancing festival, they provided food for 1,000 people but now have set a maximum of 60 to 70 people at one time. WHL
Q. How would you describe the cuisine of your restaurant?
A. Northern Indian with a Nepalese touch.
Q. What is your most popular dish at Taste of India?
A. Chicken Tikka Masala that all ages like. It is grilled marinated chicken that is simmered in a curry and tomato-based sauce. Plus, Saag Paneer, a North Indian curry with pureed spinach and cubes of paneer, a kind of cottage cheese. Also, Chicken MoMos, which are Himalayan dumplings filled with seasoned chicken, wrapped in thin dough and steamed or pan-fried.
Q. What is your favorite dish?
A. I like Chicken Madras, a South Indian chicken in a spicy curry sauce.
Q. What is your “secret ingredient” in the restaurant?
A. My team – the kitchen staff and wait staff. They all know how to do their work. They have learned by watching each other.
Q. What is the one cooking technique that everyone should know?
A. Making rice because it goes with all dishes. It’s the easiest and fastest to make but people think it’s complicated. It’s good to have even if there is not much food—it’s a good survival technique. The amount of rice and water in the pot is important. The water should only be two inches above the rice for two servings.
Q. If you could take any celebrity chef out to dinner, who would it be and where would you take them?
A. I watch all of Gordon Ramsey’s videos to improve. I would take him here to see what he thinks. I would give him all the dishes to try (to get) his suggestions. He does not hesitate to say anything on his shows.
Q. Do you have a favorite cookbook or show?
A. Kitchen Nightmares by Gordon Ramsay. It shows techniques for management, like the best temperature of food and separating raw from cooked because of contamination.
Q. What herb or spice best describes your personality?
A. Salt because it goes with everything. It’s like me because I can mix in and blend in with anyone.
Q. What do you like to cook when you have guests to your home?
A. I would make fried rice or Biryani – a mixed rice dish with marinated meat or vegetables and spices like saffron, cardamom and mint. Or a dry version of chicken curry.
Taste of India
139 South Main Street
West Hartford
860-561-2221