Desi Indian Lounge’s Himsagar for Summerland fundraiser
From September 10 to 12, 50 per cent of sales from the seven-course, Summerland wine-paired experience will be donated to relief efforts.
Vancouver’s Desi Indian Lounge is turning its newest tasting-menu experience into a three-night fundraiser for Summerland.
From September 10 to 12, the downtown restaurant will donate 50 per cent of sales from its Himsagar seven-course tasting experience to Summerland fire relief efforts. The $85-per-person menu will be paired exclusively with wines from the Okanagan community, including selections from Silk Scarf Winery and Lightning Rock Winery.
Created by executive chef Bal Ajagaonkar, Himsagar: Kashmir to Kanyakumari takes its cue from the Himsagar Express, the train route that travels from Kashmir in northern India to Kanyakumari at the country’s southern tip. Each of the seven courses is inspired by a different region along that journey, drawing on its ingredients, culinary traditions and distinctive flavours through Ajagaonkar’s contemporary approach to Indian cuisine.
Wine consultant and sommelier Katya Movsesian has selected the Summerland pairings, creating a fitting link between the meal and the community the fundraiser will support.
For Desi owner Deepak Khanchi, the initiative reflects the Sanskrit philosophy Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, meaning “the world is one family.”
The fundraising dates are limited, but the Himsagar tasting menu will remain available at Desi Indian Lounge afterward for those wanting to take the culinary journey from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
What is on the Himsagar tasting menu?
The journey begins in Kashmir with Nadru Yakhni, crisp lotus root in a tempered yogurt broth with fennel, dried ginger and wild mint. From Haryana comes a pan-seared pearl millet and fresh green chickpea croquette, while Rajasthan is represented by a savoury ghewar chaat topped with sprouted moong, potato, whipped curd, tamarind and mint-coriander chutney.
Further south, the menu moves through Indori bhutte ka kees, a sweet-corn dish slow-cooked with milk, ghee, mustard seeds and green chillies; a Malvani coastal plate of local B.C. side shrimp in a chilli-coriander glaze, with jackfruit available as a vegetarian substitute; and braised samba chicken in tamarind-and-lentil gravy. The final stop is Kanyakumari, in the form of a South Indian filter coffee and 70 per cent dark chocolate parfait with toasted coconut-jaggery crunch.
How to book Himsagar for Summerland at Desi Indian Lounge
Himsagar for Summerland
September 10, 11 and 12, 2026
Desi Indian Lounge, 1355 Hornby St., Vancouver
Seven-course tasting menu with Summerland wine pairings: $85 per person
50 per cent of Himsagar sales during the three evenings will support Summerland fire relief.
