Owner Deepak Aryal talks about the challenges of owning his own restaurant during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Nepalese-born Deepak Aryal has a long history within the food industry. His father Padam gained international experience in India, China, Singapore and Hong Kong before coming to Australia in 1996 as a chef in an Indian restaurant. Deepak and his family arrived in Australia soon after, where he and his two brothers joined their father in the restaurant business.
In May 1999, the family bought their first restaurant, where Deepak worked as the manager at the same time as learning his trade in the kitchen. In 2001, they decided to sell the business and in 2002, Deepak came to work at The Palms as the head chef in their Indian kitchen. At the time, The Palms offered many different types of food, and Deepak was drawn to their Chinese cuisine where, over time, he expanded his expertise to include a variety of Chinese dishes.
Deepak became interested in owning his own business and in October 2018, when the opportunity to buy The Palms arose, he took it, renaming the restaurant as Palms on the Park. Ever since, Deepak has taken immense pride in combining the authenticity and true flavours of his native country into the wide range of dishes available. Signature dishes include idli and masala dhosa, butter chicken, goat curry, curry laksa, chicken 55, chilli prawn and char kway tau.
Dining at Palms on the Park was a vibrant experience. The family-friendly restaurant is large and airy with a relaxed atmosphere, and Deepak would always take the time to greet you with a smile and a quick chat. Prior to COVID-19, the restaurant was perpetually busy, but since the ongoing lockdowns, the business has struggled financially. They now rely on takeaway and delivery orders to keep afloat. To try and raise their profile, Deepak has been advertising through social media, letterbox drops and offering discounts to patrons to get foot traffic through the door.
"Our regular customers are supporting us through this tough time which I’m very grateful for."
Palms on the Park offers a wide range of high-quality vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, freshly cooked bread, hearty curries and Asian-fusion dishes. So the next time you don’t feel like cooking, why not give them a try? Keep it local.
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Palms on the Park 213-215 Blackburn Rd, Mount Waverley VIC 3149 Phone: 03 9803 9668
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