By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — Growing up in India, Pardeep Kumar said that between his mother’s home cooking and the wide range of cultures, food was a big part of his life.
Living in a country with plenty of diverse food options depending on which part of the region you’re in, he was exposed to a lot of different cultures, cooking techniques and more while living in India.
“India is a huge country with multiple cultures and multiple languages, and every culture has different food. I was fortunate enough and grateful that I went all over India to try different food,” Kumar said. “Our food, Indian food, is so wide-ranging, so colorful, so tasty, a lot of spices, that’s what we use. Multiple spices, not like hot, hot spices, but to enhance the taste.”
That blend of cultures, styles and spices is what Kumar is looking to bring to Three Rivers with Sutra Indian Cuisine, a new Indian restaurant that opened last week at 13 N. Main St. downtown, the former location of Main Street Café.
The restaurant features plenty of traditional Indian dishes, with some of the signature options being a Chicken Tikka Masala, marinated chicken pieces in a creamy tomato sauce with Indian spices; Tandoori Chicken, which is marinated chicken cooked in a traditional vase-shaped oven called a tandoor and served sizzling; and Shrimp Goan Curry, which is shrimp cooked in a coconut-based curry with spices from the Goa region of India.
Appetizers include Samosas, which are crispy pastries stuffed with potatoes, peas and herbs; and Fish Kali Mirch, which is a tilapia marinated with spices and black pepper and deep-fried. Sutra also serves naan bread in four different styles: Plain, butter, garlic or bullet, which is made with green chiles.
Prices for the food are around $15-18 for the chicken entrées, $18-20 for the seafood dishes and lamb dishes, $6-10 for the appetizers, and $3-4 for the naan bread. There are also vegetarian entrées for $13-16 and rice dishes from $12-18. Lunch dishes, which come from a smaller menu of options during lunch hours, are $12.99 each. Dine-in, take-out, delivery, and catering are also available.
Kumar said the majority of the menu items and recipes come from the northern region of India, which he said contains a lot of meat like chicken and lamb and plenty of vegetables, but it’s sprinkled in with food from other regions, such as the fish dishes of the coastal areas of the country.
“There is a huge difference in the food, recipes, serving style, cooking style, spices, the way of eating, it’s huge. Each state has a different culture of cooking,” Kumar said.
However, what the food comes down to, according to Kumar, are three qualities: Fragrance, presentation, and vitality. Walking into the restaurant, you can smell the aroma of the spices and sauces used, and the presentation of the seating area with nice tablecloths, chairs and a selection of still or sparkling water at the tables, complements the presentation of the meals, served in nice dishes or bowls.
“Those are the three things that I’m giving in my food, that’s what my restaurant stands for. Smell good, looks good, and it’s good for your body,” Kumar said. “I’m trying every day to put as much love I can into the food alongside the spices.”
Sutra is the first restaurant Kumar has owned and operated; however, he is not a stranger to the restaurant industry and business in general. He previously worked in an Indian restaurant in the Philadelphia area before moving to Michigan, and has experience in the hospitality realm as well.
Kumar said the restaurant has been in the works for the past six months, and had been looking around a number of different areas, including Caledonia and Grand Haven. However, Kumar chose Three Rivers in part because of a visit he made to the area two years ago.
“I had a good friend who was living in the Three Rivers area, and I came here, visited, and was looking for some Indian food, and I could not find any. I thought, wow, this is interesting, I should think about if I could bring my talent here and my Indian food here,” Kumar said. “This city requires more diversity in its food and more spice, so I’m here to spice up the town.”
Having that variety and diversity in the food options in Three Rivers with Sutra, Kumar said, has so far paid off.
“I remember at least one customer who was so happy they just wanted to give me a hug, saying, ‘Thank you so much that you’re here, we need some good food, we need some Indian spicy food; we either go to Indiana, Kalamazoo, Chicago, Sturgis, and now you’re here, we’re so happy,’” Kumar said. “I’m glad I found a very nice location in a very nice community.”
While this is Kumar’s first restaurant, he said he has plenty of ambition, and hopes to open more restaurants in 2025, noting he wants to “do something really good” in the restaurant industry. So far, Three Rivers has seemingly welcomed Kumar, and Sutra, with open arms.
“We want to bring some positivity, generate more employment here, become a part of the community, how we can lift up the community and make it better,” Kumar said. “There’s been a lot of love from the community so far.”
Overall, Kumar said he hopes Sutra can become a staple restaurant in the downtown area.
“I hope this can be a one-stop shop for good food, good hospitality, a friendly environment, get together with the family,” Kumar said. “They can come in for delicious food, they can come here to explore what Indian food is all about, they can come here to experience culture through food, and spice up their life.”
Sutra is open Mondays through Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for lunch and 5-9 p.m. for dinner, Saturdays 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for lunch and 5-9:30 p.m. for dinner, and Sundays from noon to 7 p.m. They are in the process of building a website, but those who want more information are asked to call the restaurant at (269) 507-5070 or search for Sutra Indian Cuisine on Google.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
