Lila Is the New Vancouver Restaurant That Puts Friendship on the Front Burner

There is an inimitable warmth and ease that exists between true friends. It suffuses the space around them, enveloping those in their orbit with a soft glow. To sit across the table from Meeru Dhalwala and Shira Blustein over cups of hot chai is to share in this unique energy. Their 14-year friendship is the bedrock on which the idea for their restaurant Lila was founded. And its popularity right out of the gate is a testament to the breadth of their combined skill set, fusing Dhalwala’s award-winning culinary prowess honed at Vij’s and Rangoli with Blustein’s remarkable talent, as seen at The Acorn and The Arbor, for creating a front-of-house atmosphere that encourages guests to put away the cares of the world and linger over a beautiful meal.

Initially, the partnership between Blustein, a former punk-rock and still active musician, and Dhalwala, who has a background in human rights and economic development, seems incongruous. But the Venn diagram of their respective skills and interests intersects quite clearly. “We both prioritize art and creativity. Shira and I come to this collaboration not with the ego of this industry and a feeling that we must do what’s prescribed,” Dhalwala reflects. “We made our own desires and met in our own places, defined by how it suits us.”

Defying the innumerable delays of a conventional restaurant opening, Lila came to fruition in a remarkably compressed timeline. Synchronicity was key. Blustein’s lease for The Arbor was expiring after eight years. At the same time, Dhalwala had reached an inflection point in her 30-year career as a chef after receiving Restaurant Canada’s prestigious Culinary Award of Excellence.

“Thanks to the trust that we built over the years in our friendship, we literally came up with this idea three months before we opened,” Dhalwala says. “We may be, on record, the fastest restaurant conceived and built from scratch.” With eight restaurant openings between them, the seasoned veterans tapped into their collective experience. “That quickness does come from trust and respect,” Blustein adds. “Those are such overused words, but when trust and respect runs this deep, there is less to get in the way of the creative process.”

In Sanskrit, Lila loosely means “divine play.” And few things are more blissful than an evening spent on one of the best hidden patios in Vancouver. Tucked away from Main Street’s bustle, the oasis is a transportive space that serenely cocoons you from the worries of your day. Blustein and her husband, Scott Lewis, carried this verdancy indoors, festooning the ceiling with plants in a cozy room awash with greens and greys. And Lila herself, the lovingly appointed restaurant mascot taken from an Aubrey Beardsley illustration, presides over the room as part of a hand-painted mural created by Lewis, with a little personal touch from each of their two daughters. “I love this space dearly,” Blustein affirms.

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“When it comes to building a team, collaboration is my number one thing. Making a restaurant approachable incorporates a little bit of everybody’s personality. We’re bringing in a vibe that makes people want to be here, drink a glass of wine, and feel at ease. Our common goal is to give each of our guests the best possible experience.”

Adorning one wall, a polyptych of Nan Goldin’s Picnic on the Esplanade captures the delightful abandon the duo nurtures at Lila. “Our food isn’t modern Indian cuisine—it’s Meeru Indian cuisine,” Dhalwala says with a radiant smile. “Our menu is simple and perfect. It’s 12 to 14 dishes meant for sharing, and that’s what I’m loving.”

Both restaurateurs are firmly anchored in their passionate commitment to environmental responsibility. “Climate change and sustainability are paramount for us, and we have definite views on how we want to impact the world with all of our choices,” Dhalwala emphasizes. Lila’s menu is a respectful midpoint for their philosophies, with sustainable seafood choices sprinkled among primarily vegetable-forward dishes. “It’s the meeting in the middle where we felt neither one of us has to give up something for the other. I can make better plant-based dishes if I’m also able to bring seafood to the table. By unlocking that next level, I’m not psychologically limited, and it gives me more creativity.”

Dhalwala cooks with intuition and soul, elegantly layering flavour and texture to create deeply spiced dishes that are expertly balanced. She still tweaks the concise menu every day; for her, this hands-on personal touch is the fun part of owning a small business. Case in point: a dish of sautéed portobello mushrooms in tomato-garlic-cayenne-and-cream curry with white beans and cabbage (though delicious) wasn’t being widely ordered. “What was I going to do with 25 kilograms of navy beans,” she laments, laughing. Dhalwala at play in the kitchen is the chef at her very best. She reinvented those beans in a different curry, using melted aged cheddar to win guests over, along with kale, sautéed onions, and jalapeño tomatoes. Yet it still didn’t sit quite right. Back into the kitchen for another version: a samosa with peas and spiced potatoes. She even took samosa samples around to random tables and got their feedback. The verdict: more, please.

All the steps along Blustein and Dhalwala’s diverse paths have led right here. “We completely align in the middle with our vision, how we see what Lila is, and what it’s going to become,” Blustein says. “I take great comfort knowing that Meeru’s beside me, even if she’s not actually there. It gives me a great sense of security knowing somehow that this is going to be okay.” Dhalwala chimes in, “I want to come back and write a book about how friends who love each other can open a business together.” Looking at Shira, she says, “I think—no, I know I love you more after we dove into this project together.” A bestseller in the making.

Hair and makeup by Anya Ellis for Lizbell Agency and Becca Randle for Nobasura.

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