Archive · 9 Oct 2026
Chandigarh Restaurants Bet Diners Want More Than Punjabi Food
Some restaurant owners in Chandigarh think diners want more than familiar Punjabi food.
Ankush Arora says he has noticed people becoming interested in a wider variety of dishes since the pandemic.
He opened Colaba Canteen last year.
The restaurant is styled after old Irani cafes in Mumbai.
It serves dishes such as pav bhaji, akuri, berry pulao and dhansak.
Arora also runs restaurants serving Delhi dhaba-style and South Indian food.
His restaurants offer diners different kinds of food and experiences.
The article raises the question of whether Chandigarh is ready for this change.
Restaurant entrepreneurs in Chandigarh are betting that diners are open to more varied food and contemporary hospitality.
Ankush Arora says tastes have shifted away from butter chicken since the pandemic.
Arora opened Colaba Canteen last year, inspired by Mumbai’s Irani cafes.
Its menu includes pav bhaji, akuri, berry pulao and dhansak.
Arora also runs Lodhi Bhawan, a Delhi dhaba-style restaurant, and the South Indian restaurant Malleshwaram.
- Who
- Restaurant entrepreneur Ankush Arora and other homegrown restaurant entrepreneurs in Chandigarh.
- What
- Restaurants are offering varied cuisines and contemporary hospitality alongside familiar Punjabi food.
- When
- Arora opened Colaba Canteen last year; he says tastes have evolved since the pandemic.
- Where
- Chandigarh.
- Why
- Entrepreneurs believe diners are increasingly open to varied food and experimentation.
Caution about changing tastes
Confidence in experimentation
Is Chandigarh ready for more varied food?
Caution about changing tastes
The article poses whether the city is ready to look beyond Punjabi food, suggesting that acceptance of more experimental offerings is still a question.
Confidence in experimentation
Restaurant entrepreneurs are betting that diners want more varied fare and contemporary hospitality; Arora says tastes have evolved away from butter chicken since the pandemic.
- Restaurant
- Colaba Canteen
- Opened
- Last year
- Inspiration
- Classic Irani cafes of Mumbai
- Menu examples
- Pav bhaji, akuri, berry pulao and dhansak
- Other restaurants run by Arora
- Lodhi Bhawan and Malleshwaram
- Arora's industry experience
- More than 16 years