On Friday as we checked in with the first time restauranteurs behind the ambitious New World meets Old World project Sur 16, we also made note of a new, slightly less trailblazing but equally exciting project underway downstairs.

Kanak Indian Cuisine is getting ready to open on the changing 15th Ave E very soon — maybe even this week.

“Our menu will be traditional with an American touch,” first-time owner Amar Manhani tells CHS. “We will offer more standard basics but a true taste of Indian food.”

He says the family run project is mostly ready to go and could open its doors later this week.

The name is derived from the agricultural heartland of India’s north:

The term Punjab comprises two words: “punj meaning five and aab meaning water , thus the land of five … Agriculture is the largest industry in Punjab; it is the largest single producer of wheat in India.

Kanak, with a menu reflective of its northern Punjabi roots, replaces Harissa Lebanese Cuisine which closed quietly this summer after two years on the 15th Ave E retail strip. Karam’s and its garlic sauce had called the space home before that.

The new Indian restaurant fills a hole in the neighborhood left by the departure of Chutney’s which made way for this new four-story development under construction at the corner of 15th and Mercer.

“We knew them very well,” Manhani says of the no-frills neighborhood favorite. “It was a good restaurant. We look forward to serving the area.”

Kanak will open soon at 340 15th Ave E. Hours are still being worked out but expect both takeout and delivery in addition to dining in. You can learn more on the Kanak Facebook page.