Kal Pant

Kal Pant is the founder of SPICE ROOM, the family-owned Indian and Nepali restaurant group he opened on West 38th Avenue in Denver's Highlands neighborhood in 2017. What began as a single, warmly lit dining room has grown into three locations across the Denver metro — Highlands, East Colfax (next to the Bluebird Theater), and Olde Town Arvada — with a 4.8-star average across more than 11,400 Google reviews.

Before launching SPICE ROOM, Kal spent years working across hospitality in Colorado, where he developed a deep appreciation for the craft of running an independent kitchen and a personal love of regional Indian and Himalayan cooking. He still oversees menu direction, sourcing relationships, and the day-to-day spice program at all three locations.

His food philosophy is simple and uncompromising: whole spices toasted and ground in-house every morning, halal meats sourced from trusted local suppliers, produce from Colorado growers wherever possible, and recipes that stay true to the home-style cooking he grew up with rather than the watered-down, Americanized versions found in many casual Indian restaurants. SPICE ROOM grinds garam masala, sambar powder, tandoori marinades, and chai blends from scratch — never premixed.

Kal has been quoted in 5280 Magazine, The Denver Post, Eater Denver, Westword, Mashed, and Chowhound, where SPICE ROOM was named the Best Indian Restaurant in Colorado in 2025. He is the named author and editorial reviewer for long-form content on this site — including dish guides, neighborhood pages, and the SPICE ROOM blog.