As we approach December and edge nearer to Christmas, luxurious food seems to be on the forefront of everyone’s minds. I mean, food – luxurious or not – is always on the forefront of my mind. Just ask my colleagues.
So, what would be better on a rainy Monday evening than checking out York’s brand new South Indian restaurant, Kalpakavadi? Obviously the answer is ‘nothing’. And that’s exactly what I got to do.
NEW BEGINNINGS
You can tell immediately from the outside of the building, sat nicely in the middle of Fossgate, that you’re going to have a top quality experience here. The lit-up, black-walled front and large window offered a strong flavour of the restaurant’s specialised cuisine, and I couldn’t wait to go inside.
That being said, Kalpakavadi’s slogan confused me at first: God’s Own Country’s Cuisine. Now, Kerala – the South Indian state in which Kalpakavadi’s food is inspired by – is traditionally known as God’s Own Country according to Hindu mythology. But this is also Yorkshire, which is affectionately known as God’s Own County. Cheeky little letter R there making all the difference; and for a split second led me to believe I was going to taste an Indian take on a Sunday dinner.
WHAT’S ON THE MENU?
The menu was filled with so many delights that I literally didn’t know what to choose. I’m one of those dreadful people that goes to an Indian restaurant, looks at the menu for about 20 minutes, and then orders a chicken tikka masala. There’s no chicken tikka masala on this menu though, so I asked the chef to bring his recommendations. I was in for a real treat.
FLYING START
First of all, the waiter brought ‘pre-meal snacks’ to the table. This plate consisted of four traditional snacks: Pappadoms, Murukku (savoury crunchy sticks made with rice flour, black sesame seeds and cumin seeds), Pakkavada (deep fried spicy batter) and Kaya Varuthathu, or ‘banana chips’ (traditional Kerala chips made from plantain). This crunchy dish came accompanied by four homemade dips: mango chutney, coconut chutney, lime pickle and mint yoghurt. The whole lot sets you back £4.29, which certainly isn’t bad for what you get. It’s also worth noting that this Bombay mix-like dish is completely unique in York – you won’t find it anywhere else.
The murukku was the star item on the plate for me, offering a distinct crunch and powerful sesame flavour, which went beautifully with all four sauces. Credit also has to be given to the sauces themselves – the lime pickle in particular was extraordinary. Lime pickle can be a bit too intense for me, with hints of toilet cleaner, but this was clearly fresh and a lot softer on the palate.
Portion-wise, you get a lot. A lot, a lot. Which is obviously good – but make sure you bear this in mind as there were two of us and we had a lot left over. All four of the snacks are generally quite filling, and you don’t want to be too full for the rest of your meal. That being said, we could have done with more of the dips – I’d eat all of those on my own, never mind sharing.
The pre-meal snacks were swiftly followed by a Tandoori Mixed Grill. Don’t be fooled by this on the menu, as it comes in at £12.99 under the ‘clay oven’ section of the menu – but it would actually serve its purpose as more of a large starter than a main for those with a bigger appetite (like me). On the plate you’ll find a ‘sheek’ kebab, ‘traffic’ chicken, ‘Old Delhi’ lamb chop, and a side salad – dressed beautifully with a beetroot puree, tamarind, and fresh mango.
This dish ticked all the boxes for me. I loved every single element. The chicken was moist and juicy, and the two different flavours (one red with chilli, one green with coriander – hence ‘traffic’) really complemented each other. The lamb chop offered a spicy kick, but not too much, and the fresh mango was a real palate cleanser. The sheek kebab however was the showstopper. I could have eaten about ten of those. It was soft, tender, and bursting with so many flavours. It had a saltiness, which mellowed when combined with the beetroot puree; yet the tamarind brought out the spices. Delicious.
THE MAIN EVENT
I can’t stress enough how much of a spectacle it was to receive our main courses. First of all, the waiters brought over Seabass Nirachathu, or stuffed boneless seabass, filled with ‘chemmeen peera’ (shrimps and grilled mixed vegetables) and served with masala potatoes, lemon rice, and a fish sauce. That’ll cost you £16.99. It was huge.
After that, we were presented with Kalpakavadi’s Non-Veg Tiffin Box, coming in at £17.99. No, not the chocolate-based biscuit bake – this is a traditional Indian stacked and segmented meal often taken to school or work. Like the pre-meal snacks, it’s completely unique in York to Kalpakavadi – so if you fancy trying it for yourself then you know where to go.
So what was in the Tiffin? Well, we had decent portions of three curries: Butter Chicken (barbequed chicken in a tomato, cashew nut and almond sauce finished with butter and cream), Thalassery Kozhi Chicken Curry (chicken in toasted Kerala spices with roasted coconut), and Nadan Aattirachi Lamb Curry (lamb in a masala sauce, made with green chillies, ginger, garlic, spinach, and coconut milk), along with a bowl of Ney Choru Rice (basmati rice cooked with whole spices, fried onion, cashew nuts and dried fruit, then flavoured with ghee) and Plain Naan.
Everything I tasted was delicious. And I’ll be honest – I’m not that big on Indian food. The stand-out dish for me was the Tiffin – in particular the nadan aattirachi – but the lemon rice that came with the seabass was also beautiful. When I go back to Kalpakavadi, because I’ll certainly be doing that, I’d be quite happy to order a portion of the nadan aattirachi and lemon rice on its own. Absolutely gorgeous.
JUST DESSERTS
Four out of the five desserts on the menu (the fifth being ice cream) are traditional Indian dishes that you may never have seen or tasted before. The one that I happened to try I can almost guarantee you’ll have never had before: Carrot Halwa with Ice Cream, costing just £3.49. Yep, carrot.
Now we all know carrots work in carrot cake when it comes to desserts, but this is literally grated carrot, dried fruit and nuts with whole milk. It’s not hot and it’s not cold, and it has an unusual balance of sweet and savoury. On its own I’d probably say it’s a big jump from the British palate – but with the strawberry ice cream the carrot halwa was strangely tasty.
Other desserts on the menu included the Payasam of the Day, a traditional pudding of Kerala cooked in reduced milk, jaggery (sugar) and ghee (clarified butter), and Gulab Jamun, a deep-fried milk dough dumpling soaked in sweet syrup. Again, I’d have been keen to try any of these.
THE FINAL VERDICT
The service was attentive and the waiters were knowledgeable. I asked many, many questions about what was in each dish and how they were made, and my waiter was able to answer everything. Not only that but he did so with passion, interest and humour.
Out of a very extensive menu, a meal at Kalpakavadi isn’t going to cost you a fortune. Prices are modest, but it’s worth bearing in mind the size of the portions. With an extra naan and additional side of rice, a Tiffin would easily feed two people – that’s just £9 each.
The atmosphere in the restaurant was relaxed and authentic, with a modern twist. A television showing video clips of Kerala played silently at the back, and it was a real experience going to the toilet as you wandered through a glowing blue tunnel into a bathroom where everything sparkled. Literally. That sounds trippy but I’m not lying – it was like being in a club.
Overall I would strongly, strongly recommend visiting Kalpakavadi. If you’d like to try something different and have an open mind, you’re in for a real treat. Ask the chef for their recommendations and have your eyes opened to a whole new world of flavours and textures.
In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger: I’ll be back.
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