H.Karki, the owner and managing director of Guru, is a very passionate man. Passionate about his restaurant, his concept, and the experience that he offers his diners.

SoHo’s newest boutique Indian restaurant can be found near the bottom of Elgin Street. Venturing in and sampling a few of Guru’s delicious dishes, we caught up with Karki for an impromptu interview over Lassi while our food was being freshly prepared.

::Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your past?
I was born and raised in Nepal. I started my [Food & Beverage] career in 1984 at the Oberoi Hotel in Kathmandu. I also worked in the Diplomat Hotel in Bahrain from 1990 to early 1992. I came to Hong Kong during end of 1992 to work in the first restaurant of The Curry Pot group, The Curry Pot, Wanchai. I also created and developed the Curry-In-A- Hurry franchise (operating in all Citysupers and other malls) and Maya bar in Lockhart Road.

My biggest challenge and achievement was to set up the 700-seat food court, FRESH, at the Hong Kong Science Park. I had to develop and set up five individual kiosks right from the drawing board. Bringing these conceptualised kiosks to full operation was both exciting and challenging.

After this success, I decided to do my own business, so I came up with GURU.

::How did you develop the concept for Guru?
I always wanted to do something different even if it was the same cuisine. I’ve always felt that an Indian joint with a unique character, setting and a different approach towards the food and décor would make a fine addition for Soho.

::Why did you choose the Elgin Street location for Guru?
Various factors play a part in choosing a location. First of all, it has to be viable commercially and it needs to fit in with the surroundings. You also need to take the size, capacity, layout and street into account. I felt that the surroundings, size and atmosphere of the street would fit particularly well for a restaurant of this type.

::How would you summarise Guru in 3 words?
Unique, refined and friendly. These three words describe the three things that GURU takes pride in: the setting, the food and the service.

::What is your current favourite dish on the Guru menu?
Manglorian Fish Pot.

::The artwork in Guru is very unique, can you talk us through the process of how you acquired it?
When I picked the name GURU, I was quite sure for the characters and elements that I was putting in the place. I wanted these elements not to resemble each too heavily, so as to give a feeling of uniqueness. After a lot of diligent searching, I found an artist here in Hong Kong who was from same cultural background as mine. I briefed him what I wanted for GURU and gave him some samples of the location. The same artist painted the artwork on the walls and frames.

::Your restaurant has incredibly exotic cuisine, all of which you appreciate and understand so thoroughly – what is the most elaborate dish that you prepare?
The most exotic, simple and eye catching dishes that we prepare are the BLUE MANGO CHAT and BERRY LAMB PULLAO. They are both relatively easy to prepare, yet truly unique in their taste and appearance.

::How do you select new dishes when you add them to the menu?
I sit with the chef from time to time. When I find some dishes I want on the menu, I feed my thoughts to the Chef. If the ingredients are easily available, practical and cost effective, we then try and taste it from the customer’s point of view and finally, if we all like it, put it on the menu.