Kavita’s chef Tushar Tondvalkar says his focus on “going deeper” is shaping the menu

The Story

Kavita is celebrating two Michelin recognitions in the 2026 Vancouver selection announced Tuesday (Oct. 6): the restaurant received a Bib Gourmand, and general manager Yash Shah won the Michelin Outstanding Service Award.

In written responses provided before the announcement, chef Tushar Tondvalkar said the shift that defines the restaurant is becoming “less pressure to show everything at once” and “more interested in going deeper into one region, one ingredient or one technique.” He described the aim as building a dining experience grounded in the breadth of Indian cooking while concentrating on the distinctions that can be lost under broad labels.

Tondvalkar said the food draws from memories of Mumbai and Malvan, supported by research into other regions and traditions, and from what arrives from local farms and waters in B.C. “Indian restaurant is accurate, but it only tells you where the conversation begins,” he said. Kavita is named for his mother, and he traced early influences to street food in Mumbai and time with family in Malvan, where his grandmother kept livestock and grew vegetables and summers included digging for clams.

The chef’s career has taken him through restaurants including Gaggan and Gaa in Bangkok, and Vancouver kitchens including Blue Water Cafe, Bauhaus and The Fish House in Stanley Park. He also led the kitchen at Mumbai Local and developed The Indian Pantry’s sauces and spice blends before opening Kavita.

At Kavita, Tondvalkar said the restaurant is designed to examine how Indian cuisine changes from place to place. He explained that ingredients, preparations and traditions vary by location, and that interest guides how he works with the ingredients available in B.C. “I am interested in what happens when you take a very specific Indian culinary idea and cook it honestly in the place where you are standing,” he said, adding, “It is not about making Indian food less Indian. It is about showing just how broad Indian cooking really is.”

He pointed to the use of stinging nettles in saag as an example of incorporating B.C. ingredients while continuing to explore Indian food traditions. Kavita offers an Ammakase tasting menu that changes with the seasons and ingredient availability, and it also runs Cultural Wednesdays, a monthly series that invites a guest cook or collaborator into the kitchen—beginning with Malvan in September. On Oct. 21, chef Tushar Shroff of Indish joins Tondvalkar for a five-course, family-style dinner exploring Marwari and Rajasthani cooking; the event is priced at $91 per guest (plus tax and gratuity), with reservations available through OpenTable.

Kavita’s general manager Yash Shah has known Tondvalkar since kindergarten, and the two worked together before opening Kavita on The Indian Pantry and private events, with Shah contributing to operations and marketing. Shah’s experience includes Blue Water Cafe and Autostrada, and at Kavita he oversees service, operations and the wine program, selecting bottles with attention to how spice, acidity and texture relate to individual dishes.

Ahead of the Michelin announcement, Tondvalkar said he hoped recognition would bring new diners to the restaurant without changing its focus. “I hope it changes who discovers us, but not what happens when they walk through the door,” he said, adding that the team’s priorities were staying curious, responding to the seasons and continuing to learn. He also said awards can miss the fact that restaurants continue evolving after any ranking or headline. “Awards capture a moment,” Tondvalkar said. “Kavita is still moving.”

Kavita is located at 250 West 3rd Ave. in Vancouver. The restaurant currently lists its Ammakase tasting menu at $145 per person, and reservation information is available at restaurantkavita.com.