First Published in Options, The Edge, Malaysia, 4 July 2016
The exotic cuisine of Kerala, delivered with a full flavoured punch.
Like a breeze from India’s
Malabar Coast, Kayra opened in 2016, bringing with it the flavours and colour
of Kerala, that lush state of languid backwaters, coconut palms on long
stretches of beach, hill stations and aromatic spices.
A black and white mural of a
houseboat on placid water and coconut trees runs the length of a wall,
terminating in the far, yellow wall with photographs. A simple, light colour
scheme lends an airy, fresh and modern perspective to the place.
The modern touch is evident in
the overall presentation with clean, white plates and bowls providing a
contrast to the bright colours of the curries and thick sauces. Muted grey
placemats and wait staff attired in black complete the ensemble, sidestepping
the cliché of the gaudily-coloured Indian restauran.
The menu has a goodly selection of items, but
we were happy to take recommendations from the waiter, enjoying the frothy
green, refreshing Kayra Twist (Rm10.90) of iced mint and lime, and the Ginger
Chiller (Rm11.90) of ginger, lime and apple juice which was rather light on the
ginger and lime.
Service was prompt and
solicitous, and the Prawn Bisque (Rm12), served with crisps, arrived quickly –
smooth, fragrantly prawn-flavoured, with an unexpectedly spicy twist to it, and
lightly creamy from coconut milk. Almost
everything has coconut, by the way.
We also had a Kappa Tikki
(Rm12), a provocative appetizer of peppery tapioca croquettes with onion and a
spicy coconut-mint chutney, to whet the appetite.
The Meen Muppas (Rm28), a
creamy yellow fish curry with chunks of fresh white fish, was pleasing and
soothing and disguised a hefty spicy kick.
Thick with coconut milk, it was refined, yet strongly-flavoured with
sourish notes. This, like all of the
main dishes, virtually demanded the accompaniment of breads or rice.
Similarly, the day’s special, Mutton
Chops Vindaloo (Rm33) was a dark, thick stew with a flavor that leapt out at you
and grabbed you by the throat, instantly compelling with its exotic mix of
spices – sour and richly fragrant, to be heaped by the spoonful of thick sauce
and a chunk of bony mutton onto bread.
For breads, we had some Appam
(Rm5 for three) which were delightfully fresh and fluffy, thin-skinned at the
edges and perfect for curries, some Tattu Dosa (Rm4 for three), more
closely-textured, slightly sourish, and torn with the hands for mopping up
curries and some Capathis (Rm4 for three), thin wholemeal flour discs, which
were slightly crispy and particularly satisfying for their denser
constitution. All were excellent
accompaniments in their own way, with variances in texture making them
particularly suited to light or heavy curries accordingly.
The vegetables were much
lighter – the yin to the strong yang of the meat dishes. We had a Cheera Parripu Curry (Rm12), a dhal
curry which was relatively light and soupy, and which I liked for the mildly
bitterish aftertaste of shredded spinach in the dhal.
The Thoran of the Day (Rm10)
was a bright red mix, for we lucked out on beetroot, which was the main
vegetable cooked in a coarse crush of coconut, chillies and ginger. Warm but not spicy, it was a good balance to
the pungently spicy meat dishes.
A squid dish, the Koonthal
Roast (Rm25) rounded out the dishes. The fresh squid rings were offered in a
thick mix of red spices that begged to be savoured with yet more bread. Lighter
than the spice mix of the Mutton Vindaloo, it had complex undertones of
sourness and a heady mix of spices.
To counter all that spicy
food, we had the Vattalappam (Rm10), which looked like a caramel custard,
except that this had jaggery (brown palm sugar) and coconut as the main
ingredients. Coarse textured, it was
soothing, not very sweet, and served with grilled pineapple slices.
The other dessert we tried,
the Payassam of the Day (Rm10), was a dark sweet mixture studded with cashew
nuts, more spices and more coconut, served with fresh banana slices and bits of
papaddam.
Eating at Kayra is an intense,
involving experience. The full-bodied spiciness of the food is at once rich,
complex and fulfilling, with authentic curries and hot, fresh breads. The
cuisine is as varied as the colours of the dishes, and brings home the lush,
tropical vibrancy of Kerala, its heritage and its people.
Kayra Authentic Kerala Cuisine Restaurant,
46 Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1,
Taman Tun Dr Ismail,
60000 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-77322009
Mobile: 012-2009554
F: Facebook com/kayrakeralacuisine
Business Hours: 12-3.30pm,
6.30 -11pm Tuesday to Sunday
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