How Royal India Bistro broadened Lexington’s palate

After Tim Kontoff’s first shift working at Royal India Bistro in 2013, Ravinder Singh, 42, co-owner of the restaurant, said to Kontoff, “You get dinner at the end of the shift. What do you want?” Kontoff, a self-proclaimed picky eater, declined. Singh didn’t push. He simply sent Kontoff home with chicken tikka masala “for you or anyone in your family.” Singh remembers the next time Kontoff, now 32, showed up for his shift. Kontoff said, “You know, that was really good. What else do you recommend?” Singh’s unruffled demeanor was on brand. He and his brother Jatinder Singh, 40, have together spent 16 years building Royal India Bistro into a cozy 1,200 square-foot restaurant where young employees are given the space to grow and develop valuable skills; diners can expand their palate for delectable Indian food with no judgment behind their choices; and the owners uplift the community with their brand of mentorship and hospitality.

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