East Is East
East Is East is a privately-held Vancouver, BC restaurant group operating two full-service venues (Sarai in Kitsilano and Chai Lounge on Main Street) that serve Silk Road / trans-Himalayan cuisine with nightly live world music to local diners, groups, and tourists.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What East Is East does
East Is East is a privately-held Vancouver, BC restaurant group operating two full-service venues — Sarai on West Broadway in Kitsilano and Chai Lounge on Main Street — under a unified Silk Road / trans-Himalayan culinary concept. The company serves individual diners, couples, families, and groups with tasting menus (Chai Feast at lunch, Silk Route Feast at dinner), à la carte items (Eastern Roti Rolls, Rice Bowls, Boulani), a chai and cocktail program, and a curated BC/wine list. Both locations operate daily from late morning through late evening, with dinner services extending later on weekends.
The core product is an immersive Eastern dining experience built on three layers: a proprietary recipe library rooted in Afghan, Indian, Persian, and trans-Himalayan traditions; a venue design featuring Himalayan rock salt walls, Persian carpets, ceiling mandalas, and nature-inspired furnishings; and a nightly live world music program featuring a rotating roster of international musicians on traditional instruments. Set-menu / group reservations are priced from $29 (weekday Chai Feast) to $75 (Thursday-to-Sunday Silk Route Feast with live music), with à la carte lunch items generally in the $17-$22 range and cocktails at $15-$18.
East Is East generates revenue primarily through dine-in covers and tasting menus, with a secondary take-out / delivery channel operated through DoorDash, UberEats, and SkipTheDishes and reservations handled via OpenTable. Marketing is concentrated on the company's own website and an email newsletter; there is no disclosed mobile app, loyalty program, or external capital backing. The business is geographically concentrated in Vancouver, BC, with 33 employees and no disclosed parent company, ownership structure, or recent corporate transactions in the source material.
East Is East firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- East Is East
- Legal name
- East Is East
- Website
- https://eastiseast.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- East Is East is a privately-held Vancouver, BC restaurant group operating two full-service venues (Sarai in Kitsilano and Chai Lounge on Main Street) that serve Silk Road / trans-Himalayan cuisine with nightly live world music to local diners, groups, and tourists.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
East Is East industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Casual Dining Restaurant
- NAICS
- Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (722410), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (7225)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants (THAFACAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants (THAFACAK), All-Day Dining Restaurants (THAFACAJ)
Keywords
Where East Is East is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Vancouver
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
East Is East business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Full-service restaurant with table service offering Silk Road inspired cuisine, cocktails, wines, and chai beverages. Revenue generated from individual menu items, tasting menus, and group reservations.
- Set Menu/Group Reservations: Curated set menus (Chai Feast and Silk Route Feast) sold at fixed per-person prices for lunch and dinner service, with optional live music add-ons.
- Take-out and Delivery: Take-out menu items including the Silk Route Feast tasting menu, Eastern Roti Rolls, Rice Bowls, and Boulani, available for pickup or delivery through third-party platforms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Weekday Lunch Special - Chai Feast |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Regular Lunch - Chai Feast |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Weekend Lunch Set Menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dinner Set Menu (Mon-Wed) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Dinner Set Menu with Live Music (Thu-Sun) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Silk Route Feast Dinner (Dinner Menu) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Silk Route Feast Take-out |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Eastern Roti Roll - Vegetarian |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Eastern Roti Roll - Non-Vegetarian |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Rice Bowl |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Boulani (Stuffed Roti) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Chai Beverages |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cocktails |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Children's Menu |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Live Music Patronage |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
East Is East product offering
Product offeringCore offering
East Is East operates two full-service restaurant venues in Vancouver, BC (Chai Lounge on Main Street and Sarai on West Broadway) that serve trans-Himalayan and Silk Road-inspired cuisine. Core offerings include curated tasting menus (Chai Feast and Silk Route Feast), individual menu items such as Eastern Roti Rolls, Rice Bowls, and Boulani, traditional chai beverages, cocktails, wines, and nightly live world music entertainment featuring rotating international musicians. The restaurants also provide take-out service and delivery through DoorDash, UberEats, and SkipTheDishes.
Product overview
East is East is a restaurant group operating two distinct dining venues in Vancouver, BC: Chai Lounge on Main Street and Sarai on West Broadway. The company offers a unified culinary experience inspired by the Silk Road, featuring trans-Himalayan cuisine with live world music entertainment. The product portfolio includes signature tasting menus (Silk Route Feast for dinner, Chai Feast for lunch), takeaway options (Feast Tasting Menu, Eastern Roti Rolls, Rice Bowls, Boulani), and beverages (Eastern Chai, cocktails, wines, beers). Entertainment offerings include nightly live music performances at both locations featuring international musicians. Delivery services are available through DoorDash, UberEats, and SkipTheDishes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Chai Feast Lunch Tasting Menu Weekday lunch tasting menu featuring two main dishes, soup, salad, boulani, naan, and rice selections, served Monday through Friday 11:30am to 4pm at $29 per person.
- Silk Route Feast Dinner Tasting Menu Signature dinner tasting menu featuring three main dishes, soup, salad, cold mezze, boulani, naan, and rice selections representing flavors along the Silk Route, priced at $49 per person on the dinner menu.
- Set Menu Group Dining Curated set menus for group dining experiences including weekend lunch ($59 per person), weekday dinner ($59 per person Monday-Wednesday), and dinner with live music ($75 per person Thursday-Sunday).
- Live World Music Entertainment Nightly live music performances at both locations featuring rotating world-class musicians from India, Iran, Romania, Spain, China, and Canada playing traditional instruments in rare combinations. A per-person surcharge applies ($3 Wed/Thu/Sun, $4 Fri/Sat at Broadway/Sarai).
- Take-Out Program Take-out menu including Silk Route Feast tasting menu ($35), Eastern Roti Rolls ($17.50-$21.50), Rice Bowls ($19.50-$21.50), and Boulani ($19-$20.50), available for pickup or delivery through DoorDash, UberEats, and SkipTheDishes.
- Chai Lounge - Main Street Restaurant Dinner-only full-service restaurant venue at 4433 Main Street, Vancouver, featuring Himalayan rock salt walls, Persian carpets, ceiling mandalas, and a large central stage for nightly live music. Serves dinner 4pm-10pm (Sun-Thu) and 4pm-11pm (Fri-Sat).
- Sarai - West Broadway Restaurant All-day full-service restaurant and music venue at 3035 West Broadway in Kitsilano, Vancouver. Serves lunch and dinner daily 11:30am-10pm (Sun-Thu) and 11:30am-10:30pm (Fri-Sat), with nightly live music entertainment.
Companies that use East Is East
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
East Is East technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Feature2 records
East Is East partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- DoorDashminorThird-party food delivery partnership allowing customers to order East Is East menu items for delivery. Available at the Broadway/Sarai location.
- UberEatsminorThird-party food delivery partnership allowing customers to order East Is East menu items for delivery. Available at the Broadway/Sarai location.
- SkipTheDishesminorThird-party food delivery partnership allowing customers to order East Is East menu items for delivery. Available at the Broadway/Sarai location.
- DoorDashminorThird-party food delivery partnership for the Main Street/Chai Lounge location.
- SkipTheDishesminorThird-party food delivery partnership for the Main Street/Chai Lounge location.
- UberEatsminorThird-party food delivery partnership for the Main Street/Chai Lounge location.
- OpenTableminorOnline reservation platform partnership for table bookings. Links provided on website for both Broadway and Main Street locations.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves1 record
Expansion highlights3 records
East Is East competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vij's Restaurant: Vancouver-based Indian and Persian fine dining restaurant with a strong experiential brand and long wait times. Most directly comparable to East Is East in terms of ethnic cuisine, premium positioning, and Vancouver destination dining.
- Nuba Restaurant: Multi-location Lebanese/Mediterranean restaurant chain in Vancouver. Comparable in ethnic cuisine, multi-location Vancouver operation, and casual-to-mid-range pricing, though without live entertainment.
- Rangoli Restaurant: Vancouver Indian restaurant serving authentic regional cuisine. Comparable in cuisine similarity and Vancouver market, though at a more casual price point than East Is East.
- Jamjar Canteen: Vancouver Lebanese canteen focused on casual ethnic cuisine. Comparable for ethnic cuisine authenticity and Vancouver market presence, though at a more casual price point.
- Kissa Tanto: Vancouver restaurant blending Japanese and Italian cuisine with a unique cultural identity. Comparable for premium experiential dining, creative cultural fusion, and Vancouver destination status.
- Guu Restaurant: Japanese izakaya chain in Vancouver with energetic dining atmosphere and lively service. Comparable for experiential dining, high-energy ambiance, and Vancouver multi-location presence.
Regional players
- Byblos Restaurant: Toronto-based Eastern Mediterranean/Levantine restaurant by Oliver & Zaf выпуска. Comparable for premium experiential ethnic cuisine with cultural immersive dining, but serves a different Canadian market.
Others
- Donnelly Group: Vancouver-based hospitality group operating multiple bars and restaurants. Comparable as a multi-location Vancouver dining and nightlife operator, though at a larger scale and broader category.
- Faubourg Paris-Bakery Cafe: Premium bakery and café chain in Vancouver. Comparable as a Vancouver-based multi-location F&B operator focused on quality and ambiance, though differs in cuisine category.
Emerging players
- Afghan Kitchen Vancouver: Smaller-scale Afghan restaurants in Vancouver. Direct cuisine overlap with East Is East's Afghan menu components, though lacking the immersive multi-cuisine Silk Road concept.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
East Is East social profiles
Digital presenceEast Is East financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
East Is East leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
East Is East funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
East Is East M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about East Is East
What does East Is East do?
East Is East operates two full-service restaurant venues in Vancouver, BC (Chai Lounge on Main Street and Sarai on West Broadway) that serve trans-Himalayan and Silk Road-inspired cuisine. Core offerings include curated tasting menus (Chai Feast and Silk Route Feast), individual menu items such as Eastern Roti Rolls, Rice Bowls, and Boulani, traditional chai beverages, cocktails, wines, and nightly live world music entertainment featuring rotating international musicians. The restaurants also provide take-out service and delivery through DoorDash, UberEats, and SkipTheDishes.
Is East Is East a public or private company?
East Is East is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was East Is East founded?
East Is East was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is East Is East based?
East Is East is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.
How does East Is East make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Dine-in Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are set Menu/Group Reservations and take-out and Delivery.
Who are East Is East's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vij's Restaurant, Nuba Restaurant, Rangoli Restaurant, Jamjar Canteen, Kissa Tanto and Guu Restaurant. Byblos Restaurant is listed as a regional player. Others are Donnelly Group and Faubourg Paris-Bakery Cafe. Afghan Kitchen Vancouver is listed as an emerging player.
Does East Is East have an API?
No public API is recorded for East Is East.
What industry is East Is East in?
East Is East's product category is Casual Dining Restaurant. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFACAD, Ethnic & Regional Cuisine Restaurants, with a secondary code of THAFACAK, Special Occasion & Destination Restaurants. Its NAICS code is 722511 and its SIC code is 5810.