Little India Restaurant

What do you get when you mix four brothers from the Selvarasa family with hard work and quality ingredients? A mighty fine butter chicken. At Little India in the Queen West neighbourhood, family, food and sharp service are central to the restaurant’s long success.

Sriharan Selvarasa was 16 when his dad, Nalliah, opened the North Indian Punjabi-style restaurant. And he learned quickly the key tenants of success. “It’s a lot of work, time and dedication,” says Sriharan. Luckily there are many Selvarasas to share that work. “Family is the reason we’re here.”

Along with his brother Thaneswaran, Sriharan was passionate about service from the very beginning. He believes it’s the details that matter. “Even the way you present a menu sends a message to the customer,” he says. “If you have good food, but bad service, no one is going to come.”

The other half of the Selvarasa siblings found a passion in the kitchen. Nithiyananthan and Sathiyaseelan ensure that what comes out of the kitchen matches the quality of the service.

Even though the brothers now run Little India, it doesn’t mean the parents have retreated completely. Mrs. Selvarasa still makes the desserts. And Dad? “He looks for mistakes and points them out. Inside, he’s proud,” says a chuckling Sriharan. “He grew up on farms in a big family without much money. They had to work hard so he’s old school.”