Browsing the web late one night, I was surprised to find the site of a small tiffin service in the Cambridge/Somerville area. The gist of it? If one committed to ordering lunch three times a week, Guru the Caterer would deliver it to you — akin to tiffin deliveries all over India. This was around the same time that services like GrubHub were beginning to take off, yet this was a bit different.

Though the idea of an Indian lunch delivered to me at work was quite tempting, I knew I shouldn’t be eating takeout three times a week — especially without having first tasted the food. Nevertheless, I wrote for more information. Guru himself replied explaining that he was running his kitchen out of a small shop near Teele Square in Somerville and anyone could order food to go from the shop itself any day they were open…while supplies last.

getting a taste

Off I went late one Saturday afternoon arriving at the restaurant just as they were preparing to close. Guru explained that they prepare a very limited menu, which changes daily. When they run out of food for the day, they close. Which is what they were doing when I arrived.

At the time, the focus still seemed to be on the tiffin business—takeout was a work in progress. Their location, a bit off the beaten track, was originally chosen as a commercial kitchen. Apparently, they just didn’t envision nuts like me willing to “walk a mile for…” lunch (not a Camel).

Although disappointed by my first attempt to sample Guru’s “divine Indian food,” I was not put off. I knew I would be coming back another day. Which turned out to be lunch time the following Saturday. I ordered a combo, which included a non-veg curry, a veg curry, rice and two chapatis. Since Guru did not have tables (yet), I walked around the corner to a small playground and found a table there. While kids played basketball, I got my first taste of his divine curries.

And I was impressed with the food. Very impressed indeed! Curiously, I don’t remember exactly what I ordered! Regardless, nearly everything I ate was superb, inspirational even magical! It was obvious that a lot of care was going into the preparation. Because they made only a few dishes each day, they had more time to brown onions and allow gravies to mature, slowly bubbling away on the stove for hours. Very much like JMP, they also seemed to have their own secret recipes and it showed in their dishes.

the rise of the guru

According to a 2008 article in the Boston Globe, Pushpinder “Pushp” Bhetia, who was originally from New Delhi, had eaten in restaurants all over India. Yet when he moved to the Boston area he found a lack of local restaurants “where he cared to eat more than once a week.”¹ This shortcoming inspired him to create Guru the Caterer in 2004.

The first few years were devoted to the aforementioned tiffin service, and it wasn’t until 2007 that his small location in Somerville began offering takeout. He quickly garnered a devoted following from area residents.² I think my first visit occurred around this time.

Within a year, however, Guru began capitalizing on the interest in his takeout business. Two tables were added to the front of the small storefront and a few picnic tables were set up outside that proved ideal for summer dining.

Business was so good that Guru eventually opened a second location, D’Guru in downtown Boston. They set up tables at outdoor festivals, local farmer’s markets and even catered my company’s summer office party a few years ago.

In 2015 Pushp returned to India and the restaurant was taken over by Mehzabin “Mitzy” Shaikh who also came to the United States from India. She has continued running the restaurants in a similar fashion; a small menu that changes daily and continued presence at farmer’s markets and outdoor events. A page on the website lists all the dishes available for catering. I suspect the same dishes rotate for takeout, although lately menus don’t appear to be changing daily.

more tastes of the divine

After my first lunch, I returned for more. And more, and more. Unfortunately, this was not exactly convenient for me. While I was used to being able to grab lunch from JMP on a whim, the trip to Guru the Caterer could take up to 90 minutes involving a combination of train, bus and sometimes even walking. But I was so smitten with his magical curries, that despite the commute, it became a frequent destination. (Remember, I would “walk a mile…”)

One of the intriguing facets for me was the small shifting menu. I’m sure there were repeats from day to day, but for a long time I largely saw a different menu each time I visited. While it’s true you could be taking a chance on any given day, there was always something satisfying to choose from. However, it took a while to try all my favorites.

I was very curious how he would handle vindaloo, although I don’t remember any great revelations when I finally got to taste it. Not so with the Keema, though. His version was notably different and much more interesting than the tomato based recipes from other restaurants. I also remember trying Chicken Achari and Lamb Korma, but I don’t have specific memories of my reactions.

so, how do they do it?

This was a question I asked myself more than once. Followed by: Why do I like his curries more than other restaurants, or my cooking for that matter? What distinguishes them?

One Saturday, outside on the picnic table, I decided to try deciphering some of this wizardry. I ordered a side of dal with my lunch and I began to eat it very deliberately as I tried to identify ingredients that made up this simple, but flavorful dal.

“Um….there’s chana dal, some cumin seeds for sure, salt, turmeric. Maybe a bit of chili? Yep. The coriander leaves add a fresh accent to the dal.” From my mental notes I assembled a version of this dal, which I dubbed Guru Dal. I think it came pretty close to Guru’s. For awhile I added a finishing touch of a home-made Rajasthani Garam Masala for an interesting twist. But that smokey masala seemed out of place with the simple pleasure of the original, so I stopped using it for that recipe.

the survey

On Saturday April 25, 2009, Guru and company came under the microscope as part of the Great Indian Restaurant Survey I was conducting with a friend. In my comments, I noted the addition of the seating inside and out. And then added:

The thing to keep in mind here is the menu is limited to what “Guru” chooses to cook on any given day. There are usually about 5–6 dishes to choose from. You can get a combo for a very good price, and it will fill you up. The cooking here leans towards the home-cooking style rather than typical restaurant style which is refreshing. I like food here way better than the other “fast food” type restaurants around Boston.

The concept for the survey was to rate each item we ordered on a scale of 1 to 5 and then add a few comments. So, my lunch that day:

success breeds….

I was beyond excited when I heard that Guru was expanding to a second location. D’Guru opened a few blocks away from my office in downtown Boston. As soon as I could, I ventured over to order lunch. I was greeted by a long line (perhaps there was something to the tiffin option after all!). While I waited, I studied the menu — which, similar to the Somerville location — only offered a few options. When it was my turn to order I realized that the food was being served from hot plates rather than direct from the stove. “Not like the original restaurant,” I noted to myself, “but maybe it’ll be OK.”

While the food was nearly as good as Somerville, it did seem a bit different. Unfortunately, instead of the fresh chapatis I was accustomed to, I received half of a store-bought naan. That was a bit disappointing and a bit worrying. While I was happy for the success the restaurant was having, as much as I hated to admit it, I sensed that the food wasn’t quite the same as it had been.

Guru the Caterer (revisited)

In light of my mixed feelings towards D’Guru and because it had been several years since I ate at the original location, I decided to take a road trip for a fresh perspective. I ordered the lunch combo which consisted of Chicken Achari, Rajma, rice, chapati and a pickle (I brought most of the rice home).

I was glad (and relieved!) to have the two chapati and they were indeed the star of the show: warm, layered and soft. The mixed-veg pickle (though not home made) reset my taste buds with its familiar piquancy. I found the curries a bit subdued compared to the vibrancy I remembered from previous visits. Thankfully, other than the pickle, the food was not overly salty or oily.

I thought the Rajma was just OK. It sort of reminded me of Mexican pinto beans. I liked the Achari better. Boneless chicken was cooked in a tomato-based gravy enhanced by a few pickling spices. I would have preferred a bit more of those spices: takmaria (I think), fennel seeds, black pepper. Two whole red chilies added subtle heat to the gravy. (Until, of course I ate one of them and they stopped being “subtle.” Silent but deadly).

Overall the food was good, but was it as I remembered? Perhaps not. To be fair, my tastes and expectations have changed since I first set foot in the restaurant. Nevertheless, I still felt the dishes were missing a bit of the sparkle that set them apart back then.

Footnotes

1. Vijaysree Venkatraman, “Guru the Caterer’s following has a taste for Indian food”, Boston Globe, July 9 2008, E2 [↖︎]
2. Ibid. [↖︎]