India Gate has reopened in Bellevue after a fire shut down the family-run Eastgate restaurant 10 months ago, and Gobind Kang says he appreciates it even more the second time around.

“I think it took maybe 50-60 seconds to lose it all,” said Kang, who manages his father’s restaurant with his brother. “… It was mostly the water damage. The fire damage was mostly in the kitchen.”

Kang said the emergency sprinkler system couldn’t be turned off quickly enough to prevent a major remodel of the interior, which he’d hoped would have been completed five months ago. India Gate reopened in the Sunset Village shopping mall on Aug. 4.

“We made a few changes, whatever we thought we could within our budget,” he said. “Everything is just new, with a very similar look to the old one.”

India Gate will get a few new additions to its menu following the renovations, Kang said, and business is steadily returning to what it once was.

“It’s picking up slowly, and slowly the word is getting out there,” he said.

Kang said he’s also been busy since taking over Gyro Express on 108th Avenue Northeast this month, which is in the process of transitioning to India Gate Express, offering some Greek favorites from the former establishment and popular Indian menu items from the Eastgate restaurant.

“We’re going to change it into India Gate Express, so people will know it’s the same recipes being used,” Kang said. “I think a lot of people were telling us to open a new location in Bellevue, and we just did.”