Mrs. Balbir’s Indian Restaurant may have been around since 1975, but has never really resorted to advertising. In fact, word of mouth is their only virtue. The restaurant located in downtown Sukhumvit boasts a contemporary meets Indian ambience. Big glass vases filled with fresh chili, high ceilings and shiny cutlery may help to lure in passer bys, but the 5,000 regular customers swear that their only loyalty, is taste.
This famous taste that has brought satisfaction to many stomachs, has crossed seas and trotted the globe and even been featured on The BBC, The New York Times, and The Lonely Planet, to name a few. The owner is Vinder. Vinder is a lot of things but takes the most pride in being a world renounced international chef. Her passion for cooking and commitment to taste perfection has translated into immense success. From humble beginnings and a very first store over thirty years ago, the young Malaysian immigrant knew that she loved food, and wanted to share its magic with others. “Food heals people. It brings friends together…I have a gift for creativity and a passion for Indian food” she says. The restaurant parallels the energy of Vinder – passionate, full of zest and very creative.
Vinderattributes her tough past to making her the grounded individual she is today and believes that her new age lifestyle of being a vegetarian, doing yoga and meditating is a strong fuel behind her continuous creative streak. “The new recipes and dishes keep coming to me!” she claims. The Mrs. Balbir’s brand definitely has a unique and impressive resume.
They now own five outlets around Bangkok city. The primary restaurant in Sukhumvit 11/ 1, food court outlets in Robinson Sukhumvit 19, Platinum Fashion Mall, Gateway Ekkamai, a fusion corner in Central World serving traditional Punjabi cuisine with an Italian and Thai twist, and the newest addition at the heart of Bangkok’s business district, Silom Complex; to be opened in October 2012. Vinder has been a consultant to Thai International Airlines on their in-flight meals and has taught a variety of celebrity chefs including the personal cook of Sting. They also have a cooking school on Sukhumvit 11/1 that teaches about tantalizing cuisines from all corners of the globe – Moroccan, Brazilian, Thai, Malaysian and Indian. Vinder has visited 5 star hotels around the world as guest Indian chef and even gone down the TV personality route – she is a successful television hostess and has her own cooking show call ‘What’s Cooking with Mrs. Balbir’ on TRUE Vision’s Destination Thailand for the past 18 years. For the future, Mrs. Balbir’s plans to come out with a recipe book which will be a little piece of the sensory heaven, everyone can take home.