Introduction

The famous food critic James Barber commended Akbar’s Own restaurant by describing it "as a very different experience from the run-of-mill curry houses.” The restaurant is a well sought after place to enjoy traditional Indian dishes on the busy stretch of West Broadway. It is here that customers will encounter food influenced by Mughul, Bengali, Persian, and Kashmiri styles of cooking. Akbar’s Own specializes in cuisine from the mountainous regions bordered by India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, and uses the ancient style of cooking that has been handed down by traders and warriors who travelled on caravan routes to the East in the distant past.

The owner and executive chef of Akbar’s Own is Kan Singh, hailing from Singapore. His restaurant has much more to offer than its quality food: Many interesting experiences and stories are divulged by Mr. Singh as he speaks of his roles as a restaurateur and promoter of traditional Indian cuisine in Vancouver. Mr. Singh shares with us his wisdom on opening restaurants, his recollections of his restaurant’s neighbourhood of past times, as well as the reasons why his Mughlai and Kashmiri food is worthy of praise.

The History of Akbar's Own

Although Mr. Singh was born in Singapore he eventually moved to Calgary, where he recieved his training and opened his first restaurant before moving to Vancouver. He opened his restaurant in Vancouver in 1992 and named it Akbar's Own after a 16th century Mogul ruler. He then relocated the restaurant down the street from its original location to its current location at 1905 West Broadway in 1997.

What is Kashmiri and Mughlai Cuisine?

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Fusion or Traditional Indian?

When asked what sets his restaurant aside from others, Mr. Singh answers, “Our food is totally different from anybody else." He accentuates this statement by emphasizing that Mughlai food is "totally unique compared to all other Indian foods." Pressed further, Mr. Singh admits that "the technique of cooking is different...it is much more, how can I put it, more labour intensive."

Demonsration of Chopping Vegetables

Nan Making Demonstration

When asked about what ingredients are used in his cooking, Mr. Singh begrudgingly, says, “I think those are trade secrets. I cannot divulge those things.” But, being the inquisitive sleuths, we History 485 students are, we managed to sneak a peak of Mr. Singh’s spice shelf.

Mr. Singh was however, very amenable in revealing his experience in starting a business. His useful advice is as follows, "usually, when you open up a restaurant, it is always a slow process. It takes six to nine months – up to a year to build up some base. The better your quality of your food, the sooner people will find you."

In regards to Akbar’s clientele, Mr. Singh affirms that his customers are, a "maturer clientele, people in their thirties and up and all the way up to ninety years young!" He also adds that he has a varied clientele, mostly west siders, and some from Whiterock and Surrey.

When asked, does the menu reflect any ‘fusion’ dishes, Mr. Singh maintains "No, definitely not fusion, it is traditional Indian food."

Parting Words

Before leaving, Mr. Singh lets us in on what his vision for Vancouver is and where he sees it in the future.

Mr. Singh speaking about where he sees Vancouver



As we leave Akbar’s Own, we leave with an undeniably wise saying by Mr. Singh, "we are not fusion, we serve traditional Indian food and...tradition never changes."