More than 30 years ago, Avtar Walia arrived in the United States from Chandigarth in the Punjab region of North India. He graduated with honors and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Guru Gobind Singh College, where he served as president of the student body. In the late 1970s he was a warehouse manager for Gucci, and worked at the city's Tandoor restaurant as a captain and a bartender. Later on he managed Akbar restaurant on Park Avenue, and began planning to open a fine dining establishment.

Mr. Walia realized his dream when he became co-owner of the highly respected Dawat restaurant. Fifteen years later he opened Tamarind, as the sole proprietor focusing his

knowledge, passion and imagination to launch a world-class dining operation on East 22nd Street.

Mr. Walia is the owner of Tamarind, Tamarind Tea Room and Tamarind Tribeca. His nephew Gurpreet (Gary) Walia is the general manager of these restaurants. Gary Walia holds a commercial pilot's license and worked as a flight instructor. An Indian Army "brat," he traveled to various posts around India with his family while his father served his country as a full colonel. Gary arrived in New York in 1993 after attending military school back home and trained at several local restaurants. After a decade at Tamarind uptown, he headed downtown to manage the glamorous Tamarind Tribeca.