What does that word “ambrosia” mean to you? If you are of a certain vintage, you can’t help but think of a gelatinous pineapple, mandarin orange and Cool Whip creation—served upside down—that your grandma made on holidays. A special treat.
Today in Los Gatos, it means: Ambrosia India Bistro. Translation? Yummy, delicious. The Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce team, headed by Executive Director Jennifer Lin, along with Events and Marketing Manager Lauren Scalora, and Social Media Coordinator Beth Foley, organized a ribbon-cutting for the restaurant, which has several locations already in the Monterey Bay area. (By the way, have you purchased your Los Gatos Loyal Card yet?)
With Mayor Mary Badame holding the scissors with Shyam “Sam” Khanal, president of Ambrosia, and Chef Kapil Dhaka assisting with the red ribbon, a successful cut was executed. This followed Khanal expressing his gratitude to the Chamber and for everyone else in attendance. It was now officially fully open, welcoming one and all.
Khanal, who is originally from Nepal, ushered us inside. We found an attentive staff and soothing decor. The ceiling lamps were made of cacao leaves that emitted a soft light. Seating was available at the full bar, with a mixologist and a variety of vodkas available (think lychee). Most of the guests in our group drank the cool and crisp white wine.
To our left is what can only be described as a freeform wood sculpture. We’d learn it’s the polished roots of a teak tree from Indonesia. But just how did Khanal come up with the name “Ambrosia”? He replied, “Well, you know ambrosia is the ‘food of the gods.’ We wanted to give a unique name, not like a typical Indian name kind of thing.” The business had its soft opening on March 22. “And now, from today, we are absolutely open,” Khanal added. “We have four locations now; please try them all.” He went on, “We had customers come to our Scotts Valley location from Los Gatos, and they encouraged us to open here in Los Gatos…And we are blessed with this location.”
They opened their first restaurant in Monterey in 2007. “People used to go from Santa Cruz to Monterey, saying that we need some good Indian food in Aptos, in the Santa Cruz area.” They opened the location there in 2009. “I did not even find the Aptos location myself,” he said. “A customer called me and said, ‘Hey, you know what? I have a spot for you. You wanna come and check it out?’” The same thing happened in Scotts Valley, too. “We never hunt for our location. A customer finds it. And that was 2016,” he added. “We were hunting for a location here in Los Gatos. So, when we saw this location available on the Web, I said, “OK, let’s go.”
Chef Dhakal has many secret recipes, as does Khanal. Most of the savory dishes cook for hours to obtain their incredible flavor. “Some of the recipes came from our grandpas and grandmothers in the north of India,” he said. “Some of the dishes are our own creation.” Butter chicken fans will appreciate how their take on it melts in your mouth. “It takes at least five hours to cook it,” he said. “We also have 3-4 sauces that takes about 4-5 hours to cook—and some take overnight.” He went on explaining that the naan bread has anise and fennel seeds in it.
Just then, his wife Aarya Khanal, walked by. The El Camino Health nurse has a laser-focus on safety. “I make sure the restaurant has all of the requirements,” she said. “I make sure that the food is good.” As us locals know, El Camino is a supporter of the upcoming Jazz on the Plazz outdoor concert series.
Their son, Aansh, is 17. Their daughter is nine. The son has been working in the restaurant, and previously worked in the Scotts Valley location. Dee Shrestha, one of the partners, came over, as I’d asked Khanal about that organic artwork by the entrance. “The root sculpture is around 300 pounds of teak root,” he said. “Well, we had a very hard time to get it into the restaurant, due to its weight and size.” Khanal added, “We were very worried about getting it inside.”
On the other wall a very large hand-painted Ganesha deity sits, God of Beginnings, quite fitting for the occasion. You can make a reservation now, or take a chance and drop by on your evening walk. Once the word gets out about our town’s newest culinary delight, it might not be that easy to get in.
Ambrosia India Bistro is located at 133 N. Santa Cruz Ave., Los Gatos
