Fleming College Healthcare Graduate Brings Taste of Southern India to Hunter Street With Malabar Kitchen

Fleming College graduate Joyal Antony is bringing his heritage in southern Indian cuisine to 221 Hunter St. W., soft-launching his restaurant Malabar Kitchen on Hunter Street last Friday.

Joyal Antony, Malabar co-owner (left) with server Jeni (right) showcasing chicken biryani, beef dry fry, galub jamun and strawberry daiquiri mocktail. All photos by David Tuan Bui.

The restaurant’s one-page menu includes tandoor chicken, various vegetarian dishes, biryani, and more. Antony plans to release a six-page menu for the grand opening within the next few months. Malabar is also working on obtaining its liquor licence.

“Malabar Kitchen is an absolute labour of love created to bring authentic, home-style South Indian flavours directly to Peterborough,” explained Antony. “Our menu is crafted to delight everyone. Whether you are looking for rich, comforting meat curries or vibrant, wholesome vegetarian feasts.”

Originally a physiotherapist in India, Antony came to Peterborough and Fleming College in 2024, graduating to become a personal service worker. While he currently works in the healthcare industry and is working to obtain his physiotherapist license, he wanted to bring his homeland tastes to Peterborough.

“Missing the comforting taste of my homeland, I started cooking homemade Biryani right out of my kitchen,” explained Antony. “The overwhelming love from the local community showed me that Peterborough was hungry for authentic regional food.”

To keep his food as authentic as possible, he imports spices from his homeland region and incorporates them into his menu.

“To us, spices are an emotional bridge back to our home country. In Malabar, food is how we express love, and we import the very essence of coastal South India,” said Antony. “This includes fragrant green cardamom, pungent black pepper, fresh curry leaves and rich coconut milk to recreate that authentic taste in Peterborough.” 

@ptbo_canada Fleming College graduate Joyal Antony is bringing his heritage in southern Indian cuisine to 221 Hunter St. W., soft-launching his restaurant Malabar Kitchen on Hunter Street last Friday. #fyp #news #ptbocanada #journalism #malabar ♬ You Ain't Eating Like This - The Lava Lab™

He notes that working a full-time career while trying to open a restaurant would not be easy.

“Turning that realization into Malabar Kitchen meant relentless, punishing hustle,” he said. “I spent my mornings inside raw concrete walls doing manual construction, tiling, and setting up equipment and then sprinted to work my 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. healthcare shift every single night. It was built on pure sweat, sacrifice, and an unshakable belief in this vision.”

Despite years of hard work, struggles, and the urge to quit, Antony says your dreams will come true if you never give up.

“If you are working back-to-back shifts, feeling exhausted, or wondering if your sacrifices matter—don't give up. Your late-night grinds today are building your tomorrow. Malabar Kitchen isn't a corporate chain; it was built by hand and cooked with passion. It belongs to Peterborough, and we can’t wait to welcome you all home.”

Malabar Kitchen is open seven days a week from 1 p.m. to 1 a.m.

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