Royal repast

Located in the 165-year-old historic Kee Square Building, The Maharaja is "the first boutique Indian restaurant in Toronto,” announces its website. Offering four varieties of cuisine that could be associated with the "Mighty Mughals of Avadh, Noble Nizams of Hyderabad, Magnificent Maharajas of Punjab and Royal Rajputs of Rajasthan,” first time visitors to this restaurant are encouraged to soak in the ambience by "taking a tour of the premises and learning a little of the royal history,” mentions Kekky Khan, one of the three directors of Global Alliance Hospitality that runs the popular dining venue. While Kekky looks after operations, the other two directors are his son Jehangir who is in charge of marketing and daughter-in-law Sheryl who handles accounts.
When it was started in January 2016, "initially all had to put their heads together” including Kekky’s wife Anita, an artist, who looked after the housekeeping part of the restaurant. "It is a matter of pride” that they won "three awards in their first year of operations,” mentions Kekky. They won the Yelp Achievement Award for two years in a row, Top Indian Restaurant in Top Choice Award and Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence in 2017.

Diners have the choice of enjoying their meals in the airy Hava Mahal, colorful Rang Mahal or mirrored Sheesh Mahal sections, or availing of The Maharaja’s outdoor catering service. On the occasion of the Independence Day of India, August 15, 2017, the consulate general of India had hosted a reception for local dignitaries, diplomatic and Indo-Canadian members at Hotel Hilton Garden Inn in Vaughan where The Maharaja impressed the guests with "the delicious food and outstanding service,” as noted a letter by Saiullah Khan, head of chancery at the consulate. The letter addressed to Kekky noted, "We have received numerous compliments regarding the quality and variety of food provided during the reception. The consulate general of India would have no hesitation in using the services of The Maharaja in future and conveys its best wishes to The Maharaja and its team.”
Chairman and managing director of ZAK Hotel Consultants (name derived from the first alphabets of Zarathushtra, Ahura Mazda and Kookadaru), 62-year-old Kekky says that he shuttles between Bombay and Mississauga. Over the years Kekky has been given credit for starting Sahil Hotel in Bombay’s Bombay Central area, restoring Hotel Heritage at Byculla and infusing fresh life into the Fariyas Hotel at Colaba and Lonavala. In Surat, Kekky was associated with the Golden Star hotel and in Poona at Sagar Plaza, besides service apartments at Four Seasons. In Dubai it was the Land Mark Hotel that he remodeled.
After completing his catering course in Bombay, Kekky had gained experience in the industry, working for the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel and Fariyas Hotel in Bombay before he was invited by the owners of Hotel Delmon to join them in Bahrain. When better prospects came his way, he moved to Orient Palace Hotel, working for altogether 10 years in Bahrain and two years in Jeddah before returning to India.
Twice a year The Maharaja organizes a Parsi food festival to coincide with Jamshedi Navroz in March and the Shahenshahi New Year in August. A firm believer in prayers and wearing the sudreh-kusti, Kekky observes, "This fun loving community needs to grow, have a broader vision and not remain conservative.”