Rooted is all about the people and the places that make us proud to call our community home.
---
Sharing a border between China and India is the small country of Nepal. Covering just 147,181 sq km, you could fit the entire country inside Ontario and still have plenty of room to spare as the province is 7.3 times larger than Nepal.
Despite it being home to the tallest mountain peak in the world, Mount Everest. The Himalayan mountain range is one of the most recognizable geographic features of the South Asian country and Laxmi Konwar chose that area as the name of her restaurant in North Bay. The Northern Himalayan Café, brings a taste of the Himalayas to the local community. Konwar, shared her inspiring journey from Nepal to North Bay with Lisa Boivin on a recent episode of the “To North Bay with Love" podcast.
“Everybody asked me why North Bay? I came directly from Nepal to North Bay, which is very unique,” Konwar said. “A lot of people end up in Toronto or bigger cities like that first. I have family in Dallas, Texas, so I was visiting them and one of my friends who had a store in Gatineau and in North Bay, said, ‘Why don't you come to Canada and check it out?’ I came here and I felt that right away. I thought yes, North Bay is the place where I can be.”
Konwar, a single mother with two children says that decision was driven by an indescribable feeling of peace and belonging. “The feeling of the energy, right? It’s the energy, the settlement feeling, you’re peaceful, that kind of thing. I felt like I could be here without any real calculation, I just knew the vibe was right,” she explained, adding the search to give her kids a better education was also a driving force in relocating the family.
Before opening the café, Konwar had a background as a social worker in Nepal, travelling extensively across diverse communities. “The most important part of the whole thing was food for me,” she recalled. Her passion for food grew from her experiences in Nepal, where she would cook with local communities and learn their culinary traditions.
“There is a lot of diversity in Nepal in terms of culture, and how people live. Some people live at 5000 feet above sea level and others live just 200 feet above sea level and people eat differently because their bodies need different nourishment for what they do every day depending on where they live.”
“I used to go to their kitchen, cook with them. And that’s how I studied about food so much,” Konwar said. Her travels exposed her to the principles of Ayurveda, an ancient practice focusing on herbs, plants, and wholesome cooking that balances the body's energy through food. “Food is a medicine. The principles of Ayurveda tell us how you treat your food from the day you buy it or grow it to the day it goes onto your plate, you have to treat it like a living body. I always believed in that principle of cooking and I believed in the energy of healing the body through food and I brought that knowledge and experience to my own business.”
Konwar says one piece of advice she gives for people who want to be better about their food choices is, “Understanding how food can balance your body and choosing the right kind of food. Try different things. Try things that taste different. We end up having a lot of things that are sweet or salty and I would say you need to add things that are sour, or bitter or spicy.”
Upon arriving in North Bay, Konwar initially joined the food business by purchasing a share in a Pita Pit franchise. However, her true passion for cooking led her to open the Northern Himalayan Café, with its first location at the Jack Garland Airport.
“I learned the airport was looking for someone to run that space and it was easy for us to do a test kitchen. Everything was ready and set up. The airport was flexible enough to accommodate us and our food and they allowed people to park at the airport for free if they were just coming in to have a meal. It was a great place to start where we didn’t have to invest a lot to get started,” says Konwar.
The café quickly became popular, drawing in crowds with its unique aromas and flavors.
“Within even six months of our operation, we were listed among the top 25 restaurants across Canada in airports,” Konwar proudly shared, but unfortunately when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, they had to shut down. However, Konwar says they had already been planning ahead.
“While we were at the airport we had started thinking about plans to expand and I wanted to be part of the downtown core in North Bay. I think there are a lot of positive things going on there even though we also see some negative things, but that is how you build community, by creating positives where the problem is,” says Konwar.
Driven by a desire to be part of the solution, Konwar decided to open a downtown location despite the challenges. “My approach was being part of the solution. You know, and I can see the difference now,” she said. The café has since become a hub for people from North Bay and beyond, even drawing customers from Sudbury and Ottawa.
“We found the building and it was in bad shape when we first saw it,” says Konwar. “But we had Gary Gardiner helping us find a location and he renovated the place to make it into the beautiful location you see today.
The café's philosophy extends beyond just serving food. “We are planning for a community feast, which is very popular in Nepali culture. It’s an effort to reconnect after the pandemic, to eat together, and to know each other,” Konwar revealed.
The Northern Himalayan Café offers a diverse menu, including their famous Momos, a type of dumpling. “Momo is like a family time in Nepal. All the family gather, make Momo together, eat together. It’s a celebration all the time,” Konwar explained. The café also plans to introduce Thali, a platter offering a balanced array of tastes and nutrients.
The Northern Himalayan Café is more than just a restaurant; it’s a cultural exchange centre. Konwar plans to host events like live music and art workshops, creating a vibrant space for the community to gather and learn. “We don’t want to limit ourselves only as a restaurant, but more like a cultural place where the community can come together and learn,” she said.
For those looking to experience the rich flavors and traditions of the Himalayas, the Northern Himalayan Café is a must-visit. Whether you’re enjoying a plate of Momos or participating in a community feast, Konwar’s café promises a unique and nourishing experience.
If you have a story idea for the “Rooted” series, send Matt an email at [email protected]
