One in 8,700: where the personalities of Middlebury proper are celebrated

In the pre-dinner lull, Narender Kaur sits down in the main dining area and leans an elbow on a tabletop bearing a bejeweled image of Ganesha, an elephantine Hindu deity. Kaur has no specific position at the restaurant; she waits tables, manages, works at the cash register and does whatever else is needed. She is just one of a network of family members who run one of the town of Middlebury’s most popular restaurants, Taste of India.

The Kaur family history, like the authentic food itself, traces its roots all the back to India. The first Kaur to move to America arrived 30 years ago. He graduated from university in India, but was unable to find a decent job there. He decided to try his luck in the United States, said Kaur. He began by working in restaurants as a busboy, and over time he started to assimilate into the restaurant culture.

“By and by he learned everything: cooking and managing,” said Kaur. “He’s a great worker.”

Soon, more family members followed in Kaur’s footsteps. Narender Kaur’s husband, a chef at Taste of India, arrived in 1998, and Narender Kaur herself began working at the restaurant in 2006, five years after her family had opened it.

What do the remaining relatives in India think of their family’s ongoing westward migration?

“They just think it’s a good opportunity,” said Kaur. “In America and big countries food is very popular.”

Now so many relatives have started to work that the Kaur family has expanded their business over the larger Vermont region. In addition to Taste of India in Middlebury, the family also owns India House in Burlington and similar restaurants in Montpelier and Hanover.

The extra help at Taste of India in particular, though, is much appreciated. Located in the heart of the town of Middlebury, the restaurant lures in students from the College who have grown bored with the typical dinner at Ross or Proctor. The restaurant itself also depends heavily on the College community for business during both the academic year and the summer, said Kaur.

Taste of India attracts customers from outside of Middlebury as well. Hungry Vermonters often come from out of town to enjoy the authentic, high-quality Indian food. All of the restaurant’s vegetables are fresh, and many of their ingredients come from Indian grocery stores in Canada and New York.

“It’s expensive because it’s not easily available, and we cook from scratch,” said Kaur. “It’s not like we have anything canned. We work all day.”

The family’s efforts have certainly paid off, as the restaurant maintains a steady stream of business throughout the year.
Despite the restaurant’s success, Kaur admits that it is never easy being so far away. Especially for family events in India, it is difficult for those who run the restaurant to feel connected to their relatives and to their country.

“Sometimes it is very hard when they have something special and we are not there,” said Kaur.

But the family is willing to keep working. So if you’re craving something more exotic than dining hall fare, give your taste buds a treat and try Taste of India. Don’t know much about Indian food? Kaur is happy to offer a recommendation: Chicken Tikka Masala is the most popular item on the menu.

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