Shortly after arriving in Austin, Ashok Kumar and Mohan K. Samy noticed that none of the Indian restaurants in the area were serving the cuisine of their native South India. “Every Indian restaurant you go to has naan,” Kumar said. “But we don’t have naan anywhere in South India.” Now the two said they are experiencing success after opening Kumar’s Austin, which opened in July 2016 and is located in Pflugerville, thanks to their focus on serving freshly made, traditional cuisine. “For us it is simple: We close our eyes and think, ‘What was in our childhood? What did my mom used to cook?’” Kumar said. As a result the restaurant serves traditional South Indian food, such as thali—a lunch platter that consists of rice, curried meat and vegetables, pickled food, yogurt and dessert. Kumar’s Austin also serves dosai, a batter mixture made of lentil and rice that is cooked into a thin crepe and served with chutneys. The co-owners have since expanded their business to include catering services and Kumar’s Sweets, a side business for baked desserts. Samy and Kumar brought in Birundha Ganesan to bake South Indian treats like badhusha – fluffy donuts soaked in syrup. The menu also features dozens of items that are vegan and vegetarian-friendly. “When we started this we wanted real, authentic food—no compromise,” Kumar said. 15803 Windermere Drive, Ste. 206, Pflugerville 512-956-6885 www.kumarmessaustin.com Hours: Mon., Wed.-Thu. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5:30-10 p.m.; Fri. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 6 p.m.-midnight; Sat. noon-3 p.m., 6 p.m.-midnight; Sun. noon-3 p.m., 6-10 p.m.; closed Tue.