A new player has entered the conversation in Osoyoos, both in the restaurant game and the evening entertainment space.
A long-time staple of Main Street, the beloved Indian Flame has relocated just a few doors up, bringing with it a new flavour and atmosphere.
The new facility — split into two sides — offers a blessing of size that the restaurant didn’t have before. The dining room side is able to seat up to 60 guests while The Lounge boasts a capacity of 140.
Upon entering through the front door, guests are drawn into a hallway that veers left and offers a warm, welcoming desert orange interior with black accents. This will lead to the dining room area.
The restaurant, known for serving authentic Indian cuisine, will continue to offer dishes recognizable from its former menu — and with the same great taste — but an entirely new kitchen setup has allowed for new and revamped appetizer offerings.
Staff say they also now have the capabilities to provide catering services for events and large parties and the chefs envision adding more Western-Indian fusion dishes, while also expanding snack options in the future.
Dubbed ‘The Flame,’ the dining room has more class and cachet than the former location, complete with a bar that will serve cocktails, beers and a list of 14 local wines from the region.
Visitors that veer right down the hallway upon entering Indian Flame will stumble on the largest and most notable addition to the business: The Lounge.
Okay, The Lounge isn’t quite “hidden” as the title of this article suggests, but that is the word being used by Owner, Aman Rai, at this time because it is relatively unknown to the public. The proclaimed “hidden” lounge area does, however, appear ready to make a major splash in the entertainment, dining and nightlife space.
Bringing a certain swagger and upscale feel, The Lounge has similar vibes to the well-known British Columbian restaurant chain, Cactus Club.
“‘High-end’ and ‘luxury’ were the words that we focused on while designing The Lounge,” Rai tells Destination Osoyoos, adding, “We also wanted to appeal to a place for business meetings or other professional clientele.”
Lined with neon strip-lighting throughout the room, the spacious lounge area has a mix of booths, high-top tables, and bar seating, while also having VIP couch seating, TVs and a dance floor.
Glowing at the back of the room is a stand-alone neon sign that plays perfectly into the lounge’s “hidden” label, reading “Osoyoos’s Worst Kept Secret”.
“No one is really doing anything like this in Osoyoos, so that was the mindset, doing something different,” Rai says of The Lounge space.
Rai emphasizes that the Indian Flame hours are currently from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., providing a new place to go for those looking for an evening out or late-night cocktail — something with a different feeling than the pubs in town.
To compliment The Lounge’s booming built-in sound system, Indian Flame is also eyeing hosting DJ shows, concerts and other events down the road.
“I would never create a space or host a party I didn’t want to go to myself,” Rai said. “That’s what I really wanted to do here, give people a party that they can’t find anywhere else in this town.”
Whether you are a nightlife seeker, business professional, looking for a new spot for date night, or simply wanting to try something unique, make note of the Indian Flame.
Both the dining room and The Lounge are now fully open from 12 p.m. to midnight, seven days a week, with full food and drink service on both sides.
The new location can be found at 8527 BC-3, Osoyoos.
For anyone interested in working at this new location, the Indian Flame is currently hiring.
Although there are stairs at the main entrance the restaurant is wheelchair accessible as well.
A collection of photos from the new location can be found below. And shhh, remember this is the worst-kept secret in town.
