Today in our ‘Meet the Local’ we learn more about Khima Gautam, owner of family run restaurants, Solti and Gautam’s in Edinburgh. Khima studied law at University but his love of food and passion for entrepreneurism took him along a different path. Read on to find out more.
Bio
At the age of 24 I am probably one of the youngest restaurateurs in the city. I am one of the very proud owners of Gautam’s restaurant in Meadowbank and Solti In Drummond Street which launched only very recently. Looking back at my childhood many of my fondest memories have involved either making food or devouring platefuls of tasty dishes made either by my mum or grandparents. I was born in a remote village in Nepal and spent the first years of my childhood with a very large extended family with cousins, grandparents, uncles and aunties all under the same roof so the notion of family is something that is very profound to me and may be the reason why our businesses have been structured to be family enterprises.
My love of fresh and seasonal produce comes from the daily toil of village life and living very much off the land whether it be the fresh fruit and vegetables from our land or the fresh milk from the family buffaloes. My journey started in the village and somehow, we have ended up in bustling Edinburgh where I spent my school days and completed a law degree across the road from Solti at the Edinburgh Law School. Being able to provide the direction for both of our business and being empowered with the trust from my family and partners to lead the businesses to success helps in keeping me focused to lead our two restaurants out of these very difficult and uncertain times.
My thoughts also go out to all of the other business owners in Edinburgh and I would like to take this opportunity to offer any support from us which you may find useful. It is so important to underline the amazing community spirit of Edinburgh and the daily struggles that each of us are facing in looking after our businesses, our teams across all types of businesses and the amazing customers that continue to support us throughout these challenges.
Solti is the second restaurant in the family business with Gautam’s in Medowbank opening only a couple of years ago. Why did the family decided to embark upon this journey into the restaurant world?
The inspiration and love for food comes from my parents. Mum being the cook in the house and the expert behind homely recipes and Dad being the amazing chef with over 25 years’ experience in the food industry. The love of food has always been there but the move to open the business came in late 2019 when my dad had taken time off work to recuperate after a very busy festival period.
It was then we decided to put a stamp in the city’s South Asian food scene combining the love of Nepali influences with staple Indian dishes at Gautam’s. I knew from the offset that the combination of my dad and uncle in the kitchen with friendly service in the floor would be a successful recipe.
You studied law at university, was it a difficult decision to move away from this career path and join the family business?
I had always known that I would like to one day become a successful entrepreneur however, I decided to be brave early on and jumped at this opportunity to start this journey. It was a decision between working similar hours in London for city firms or begin our own story here in Edinburgh and I chose the latter, to start a family business with my dad and uncle.
I feel privileged to be able to facilitate their passion for cooking as business owners rather than simply chefs which they had been limited to from a lack of opportunities. I believe I give them the freedom and confidence to be able to run the restaurant kitchens to their full ability and for me it is amazing to have such great chefs as business partners as it gives me the freedom to focus on the customer experience and make sure our marketing outreach is more modern and accessible than many other Nepalese and Indian restaurants in the city.
Tell us about more about each of the restaurants and their individual style (what their names mean, other quirky insider info)
Firstly, Gautam’s is my family name and with that comes the responsibility and drive to make sure we are proud of what we serve to our customers. It is a well-loved family run, neighbourhood restaurant that is going to go from strength to strength in the years to come. We aim to be cosy and provide the most personable and friendly yet professional service and maintain close relationships to the local community and to the many regular customers that have made us their first choice.
Solti is the birth-child of my recent travels to Nepal, which opened my eyes to an emerging food and drinks culture in the country. Solti is an expression of endearment which we call our friends and is often used informally/in slang to call people close to you. Soltina is the female equivalent. Solti endeavours to promise the same quality of food and service however, it is a little more encompassing of the recent changes to the country. Our tapas lunch is inspired by the informal lunches in Thamel bars where the food packs a punch in terms of the flavour yet retains a fun and informal vibe. Our evening menu is more of a focus on the amazing produce sourced from Scotland and features anything from Lobsters to Haggis and is elevated to a completely new and delicious style using Nepali spices. In addition to this we are hoping to transition into a cocktail bar in the evenings after dinner service and introduce some of our background into the mixology. There are some more surprises to come however we will leave that for another time.
Nepalese has a strong connection with Indian food and also Chinese cooking – tell us about some of the dishes on the menu.
Our Momos and Chowmein are definitely inspired by Chinese cooking. Due to the proximity of Nepal to both India and China it was always going to be a culinary mixing-pot. We are blessed with the fact that we have the ability to combine dishes and styles from both countries and put a Nepali touch to things. I would say Nepali cooking differs in the way where our spicing is more subtle and our curries a little lighter. Indian food has a bit of a stigma of being overly heavy however we want to change and challenge this perception and believe that the lunch menu showcases this in a very effective way.
Which is your favourite dish on the menu and why?
I am fortunate enough to be the guinea pig to the chefs cooking so it is going to be very difficult to name my favourite dish but the ones I most love are the ones that Dad and I have lovingly created. Try the Lamb Kathmandu, Mustang ko Piro Piro and the Jackfruit Bhuteko for a truly Nepali taste.
You have fused Nepelese flavours with Scottish produce, tell us about some of the Scottish options on the menu and the local suppliers you use?
We have amazing suppliers and none of the success would be possible without them. Some of the notable options on the menu would be the Gorkhali Lamb chops, Salmon Tikka, Vegetarian Haggis Pakora and the Tandoori Lobster. Special mention to Welch Fishmongers and Campbells for the amazing Scottish produce.
Cocktails are also a big part of the Solti experience, tell us more about your cocktail menu and the brain behind the different cocktail concepts you serve.
We have an amazing young bartender and mixologist Sajin behind the bar. Sajin and I have worked together to create a cocktail list to elevate the dishes which are on the menu but also be absolutely delicious to drink by themselves. We want to absolutely nail the customer’s dining experience with us and believe that there is a tipple for everyone to enjoy. Sajin has some unbelievable experience working in some of the UK’s top restaurants and bars, so it has been invaluable having him work with us on our drinks offering. If alcohol isn’t your thing, we have spent the same amount of time refining our mocktails too. Each cocktail on the menu is inspired by a story or an ingredient which is very important to the story of Nepal and the flavours of South Asia so make sure you take the time to get properly acquainted with the drinks menu when things go back to normal.
What does 2021 hold for the family business and Solti.
2021 is going to be a year for us to absolutely focus on our existing businesses and take them to new heights. Much of what we had planned for this year has been forced on hold as is the case for so many other businesses across the city however we have some very exciting surprises along the way in 2021. If you have not had the chance to acquaint yourselves with either of the restaurants, I would love for you to come and see what we are about.
What is your top tip for a first time visitor to Edinburgh?
Any new visitor to the city should definitely take in the sights but also be aware of the abundance of amazing food and drinks institutions in the capital. We have one of the most vibrant cities in the world with food and drinks served at an amazingly high level and calibre from some of the best chefs so make sure you get your teeth stuck into Edinburgh when you visit.
Where is your own Hidden Edinburgh?
This may be due to my personal bias of living there but I absolutely love Leith and the sense of community that you feel there. I have seen it change a lot in recent years but manage to keep its determination and grit through the many changes which have taken place.
Guatam’s gautamsedinburgh.co.uk
Solti solti.co.uk
