The pandemic pushed the restaurant industry to its breaking point, testing the resilience of restaurateurs everywhere. For South Asian business owners, survival is intertwined with a greater mission: preserving cultural heritage through menus inspired by migration and memory. In this episode of SBS Spice, Ria Pandey sits down with four culinary trailblazers—Nelson Fernandes, Shaun Christie-David, Jessi Singh, and Minoli De Silva—to pull back the curtain on what it takes to balance authenticity with innovation. From the trials of entrepreneurship to the traditions that shape their kitchens, these restaurateurs remind us that the next South Asian table isn’t just about the food—it’s about cultural legacies served alongside it.