New banquet hall in downtown Modesto is ready to take its parties to the street

Modesto, get ready to have your own Monsoon wedding.

Downtown Modesto’s Monsoon Restaurant & Banquets has completed its event center and will unveil it to the public with a celebration Saturday. Owner Gurinder S. Khaira (known as “Binny” by friends) said it’s been a long five months since the restaurant portion was opened back in April to now get the 6,000-square-foot banquet room ready. The once dark, cavernous room is now a blank slate that can be reserved for weddings, birthdays, fundraisers and other special events.

“The whole idea is to have a clean, empty space for people who can come in and decorate it however they like,” Khaira said.

But getting it there took time and money. The space, which is attached to the 10th Street restaurant, was once part of the Palladium Nightclub. Khaira said one of the first things they had to contend with was five layers of alcohol-and-soda soaked flooring. New carpet has been installed and the walls and ceiling painted. A new kitchen and bar area were built and the bathrooms refurbished. And crystal chandeliers have been hung from its 20-foot ceilings.

Potential renters can choose to rent the space only, or get the full package including tables, chairs, linens, dishware and the rest. You can use the restaurant for catering or bring your own own food or caterer for events. The space can fit up to 300, with plenty of room still for dancing. And, if that still isn’t enough space, Khaira said they plan to close the street when needed for events to accommodate elaborate weddings and the like (akin to the elaborate outdoor wedding scenes in the 2001 film “Monsoon Wedding.”)

The banquet hall already has a handful of events booked for the fall and winter and is now taking reservations. Space rentals will begin around $1,500, with catering starting at about $35 per person depending on the size of the party and desired amenities. Khaira has a beer and wine license and is working on getting a full liquor license.

Despite being in Modesto’s event center central (across the street on the same block are The Century and Greens on Tenth, which both have large banquet halls for rent), Khaira said there is enough business for everyone in the area.

“There is still room for us,” he said. “The Indian community is large and looking for a space like this. And we’re all a little different.”

The restaurant is open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner from 4:30 to 9 p.m. daily (with a lunch buffet Monday to Friday) at 950 10th St. in downtown Modesto. It also recently started delivery service through DoorDash. The grand opening for the banquet hall will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday and include a full Indian buffet. Tickets are $15. For more information, call 209-248-5711 or visit www.facebook.com/monsoonmodesto.

Elsewhere on the Business Beat:

Speaking of great Indian food, several readers have asked when the new USA Curry in a Hurry food truck (a.k.a. Modesto’s best-named food truck) will hit the road.

The truck made its debut at the Fiji Festival in late July, with a promise to open to the public shortly after. But, the truck has yet to hit Modesto streets.

The holdup? Good old-fashioned red tape. Co-owner Pranesh Narayan said they are waiting on the final permit from Stanislaus County to come through. So they will not be able to sell food from the truck until it is reviewed and approved. Narayan said the county said several applications were ahead of them for approval, but he expects it to come through within about a week.

In the meanwhile, the truck has already received its permit from the city of Modesto and is cleared to provide catering at special events from festival and fundraisers to private parties and more.

Once approved, the Curry in a Hurry food truck will serve Indian and Fijian food ranging from its namesake curries to biryani and samosas. Once open, it will be stationed in the parking lot of the Revival Center Pentecostal Church at 825 Seventh St. in downtown Modesto.

This story was originally published September 5, 2018 at 4:09 PM.