Longtime friends own Indian restaurant in Southwest Austin

Tucked into the corner of the Century South shopping center in Southwest Austin sits Asiana Indian Cuisine, an authentic Indian food restaurant that uses family recipes and techniques.    

Pandiyan Kaliyamoorthy and Loganathan Appavu, who have been friends and business partners since 1996, co-own and manage the restaurant.

Both owners attended culinary school and met while working as chefs for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts in India.

“I love to cook,” Kaliyamoorthy said. “When I get the chance, I cook for the staff or make something for our daily special.”

After working seven years for Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, both men learned their way around the kitchen, Kaliyamoorthy said. Despite their families’ concerns, they decided to begin their search for new work in the U.S.

“My family didn’t really want me to come, but I asked them to just let me try it,” Kaliyamoorthy said. “They eventually came around to the idea.”

In 2003, Kaliyamoorthy and Appavu came to the U.S. to work for Mogul Indian Restaurant in Houston. Three years later, they began exploring the option of pursuing a lifelong dream to open their own restaurant.

“I learned a lot there, and I thought that maybe I could own my own restaurant and do it better,” Kaliyamoorthy said.