Chakraa: An Indian Success Story

 

In 1999, Prince Jacob and his wife Shanti arrived in Korea with a dream - to be the first to offer authentic Indian food in the Seoul area. They started out simply, offering a place for friends to come when they wanted home-cooked Indian food. As the customer base began to grow, the Chakraa chain was born. "As Koreans are not used to strong Indian flavors, we have to make some small changes, but we kept the food completely authentic," said Jacob.  

Back in 2001 there were some troubles that the restaurant faced, not the least of which was finding the correct spices. But the couple refused to compromise on the taste of the food, and were able to track down what they needed. "Since then, the Korean food industry has come a long way and now almost every spice is available here," explained Jacob. "Things have improved for the better very quickly."

There are five Chakraa restaurants in Korea now: four branches in Seoul and one in Songtan near Osan Airbase. This network of restaurants is run by a staff of 35 chefs, managers and waiters. To ensure the authenticity of the food, everything is made in one central location, overseen by Jacob and Shanti, and shipped out to each restaurant on an hourly basis.

Currently, the couple is trying to find new areas in which to expand their hospitality business and is inviting potential franchisees who are interested in opening Chakraa restaurants in Korea and abroad. They have also expanded their delivery services and are delivering food to Indian workers working at various locations all over Korea. This has become much easier since the company created a website to order food online. Now, with just a few clicks of a button anyone can have fresh Indian food delivered to them.

"Now that the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, or CEPA, has been signed between the two countries, I expect that our clientèle will grow considerably," said Shanti. "As a result of this agreement, we are expecting a large number of new customers to come to Korea from India." She was referring to one of the parts of the CEPA between South Korea and India that will allow Korean firms to hire Indian language and IT professionals. "Seoul is becoming an ever more cosmopolitan city, and we are an established part of that," Shanti said. The couple is proud of the contributions they have made to making the Seoul metropolitan area into a better, more tasty place.

After 11 years in the restaurant business in Korea, both Prince Jacob and Shanti feel that Seoul has become their home. They feel as though they are taking part in the latest chapter of a very long, historical relationship between the two countries. Korea and India share a common religion and some common blood, since some two thousand years ago when an Indian princess from the Indian kingdom of Ayodhya became Queen Huh of the Karak dynasty in Korea, near what is now Gimhae. Through the years, some Korean folk songs have also mentioned Indian traders in their lyrics. With such long-standing ties, the string of five restaurants of truly authentic Indian cuisine in Seoul is to be expected. Chakraa is fulfilling destiny.

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