Experiences of India in Bayfield as new restaurant opens

By Mark Nonkes, Huron County Immigration Partnership 

Bobby’s Tandoori House opened this summer in Bayfield by cousins Pravin and Bobby, who are new to Huron County. “It’s been great. A lot of local people are supporting us. Most of our guests are saying they haven’t had this kind of quality and taste of Indian food. People are coming from all over, from Grand Bend, Port Elgin, and London too,” Pravin says.

Bobby, who moved from Delhi to Bayfield, charismatically hosts at the restaurant. An interior designer, Bobby brought Indian fabrics, dinnerware and objects from India to create an authentic atmosphere at the restaurant.

“We really want to help people understand Indian food. We make recommendations based on a person’s comfort level with spice and meat preferences,” Pravin says.

Pravin, who owns another restaurant in St. Louis, Missouri, says cooking has always inspired him. An engineer by trade, Pravin opened his first restaurant in 2020 to rave reviews. He says the St. Louis restaurant provided diners with "something different where people could come and enjoy authentic Indian food and some fusion dishes."

Pravin says a friend who lives in Goderich introduced him to the area and helped him identify the restaurant at the Ashwood Inn as a potential spot to set up a second restaurant.

Pravin says he convinced Bobby, who lived in Delhi with her family, to come to Toronto to investigate the opportunity with him. She flew to Toronto at the end of April, and the Bayfield restaurant was up and running by June. "It's by the lake; it's a beautiful area," Bobby says.

Two others support Bobby and Pravin in the restaurant: Pradeep, a chef, and Baljinder as a helper. Both are also originally from India. “We work as a team, as a family,” Pravin says.

Bobby’s Tandoori House will be open throughout the winter. Along with butter chicken, Bobby suggests food lovers try out menu items such as lamb roga josh, bhendin masala and yellow dal tadka. 

“We really want to help people understand Indian food. We can make recommendations and help people with spice levels or meat preferences,” Pravin says. 

Bobby’s Tandoori is located at 34777 Bayfield River Rd., Bayfield. More information is available on their website at https://www.bobbytandoorihouse.ca/