We’ve all made the mistake of going grocery shopping while hungry. You end up standing in the middle of the snack aisle, and the bag of chips in front of you is begging to be opened. But what if there was a place where you could do your grocery shopping and grab a bite to eat?
Hidden behind Dierbergs on Clarkson Road in Ballwin is a grocery store and restaurant combination that provides a convenient “shop and snack” experience. Konark Grocery and Desi Bites (317 Ozark Trail Drive) opened its doors to the public last summer and has been providing fresh produce and Indian cuisine to hungry customers.
Unlike other franchise chain restaurants, each Konark Grocery & Desi Bites location is owned and managed by a team local to that area. The Ballwin location is managed by a team of four: Susheel Kallepally, Surender Reddy and two others.
“People who come to Konark, they come here, sometimes pick up snacks, and [they all] come for dinner. People who come for dinner here do the shopping, finish the dinner and go. So each [half of the business] complements the other,” Kallepally said.
Decisions regarding product lines, local suppliers, and what to put on the menu are made by the on-ground owners, while corporate takes care of sourcing masalas and training chefs to ensure that the flavor and quality at all Desi Bites locations remain unchanged.
According to Kallepally, each Desi Bites menu is tailored according to what patrons of that area prefer. At this Desi Bites location, the dum biriyani, a slow-cooked dish that layers partially cooked rice and marinated chicken or mutton to create something akin to a “rice lasagna,” is a Desi Bites speciality and a top seller.
“If you take a dum biriyani, you can go to 10 different restaurants, and you will get 10 different flavors. Everybody’s assumption of dum biriyani is different,” Kallepally said. “You go and eat [Dum Biriyani at a street vendor in India,], you will feel [like ours is] the same flavor. “So that’s where we are [set] apart, not from the price perspective, not from like service wise, or fine dining, [but] our product, what we say you will get that authentic Indian flavor for sure.”
Some menu items are familiar: naan, butter chicken and Indo-Chinese fusion noodles. But other, uncommon regional dishes like haleem – a savory meat stew made from lentils, wheat and goat meat, traditionally eaten during Ramadan – can only be found at this Desi Bites location.
“[If] you eat [haleem], even a small portion, it will keep your stomach full and give you whatever energy you need for [the entire] day.”
“We travel a lot because of work, and [when we travel we] pick and choose the restaurant you eat at [to get] that real taste, authentic flavors [of] what you get in India.”
If you’re looking for comforting meals in a comforting space, Desi Bites is the place for you. The cozy 1,200-square-foot space comfortably seats 50 people, with a mixture of booth and table seating. The walls are embellished with murals drawn by local artist Beena McMahan, depicting scenes such as a tea vendor’s stall, a sweets shop, and more.
“We are a simple restaurant where you come to eat, and we want to showcase what we do. Whatever you see here [on the murals] is what we serve,” Kallepally said.
If you’re stopping by for a quick afternoon shopping spree, don’t forget to grab a cup of Desi Bites’ specialty chai. The chai pairs beautifully with any of Desi Bites’ pastries, made fresh in-house every day. The egg puff is another standout: a flaky pastry with a curried hard-boiled egg nestled in the middle.
For the chai aficionados, Desi Bites offers a “chai card,” a punch card that allows customers to “pay for 10 teas, get 2 teas free.”
Once finished with your meal, take a little detour next door and shop at Konark Grocery, a specialty grocery store offering fresh produce, snacks and specialty items. The 7,000-square-foot space is stocked with items rarely seen outside of India, like Dharwad Peda, a famous milk-based sweet from the namesake Dharwad, Karnataka.
For certain holidays, like Ganesh Chaturthi, Konark collaborated with Indian dessert brand World of Mysore Pak to bring their iconic Mysore Pak straight to St. Louis. Made from gram flour, sugar, ghee and cardamom, a bite of the Mysore Pak can remind their customers of home.
Visit Konark Grocery and Desi Bites, open daily from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Follow them on Instagram and Facebook for deals, collaborations and more.