Reykjavík Grapevine - 31.07.2015, Side 70

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BanThai
N E W A W A R D
B E S T T H A I F O O D 2 0 1 5
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A L S O B E S T 2 0 0 9, 2 0 1 0, 2 0 1 1, 2 0 1 2, 2 0 1 3 a n d 2 0 1 4
m a n y f a m o u s p e o p l e a r e r e g u l a r s h e r e“ “
FOOD
FOR YOUR MIND BODY AND SOUL
The popularity of Indian food is a won-
derful contradiction. Everyone seems to
love it, however, few seem to really know
it. Given the country’s vast diversity, its
various regional cuisines still await their
moment to shine. While each region is
distinctive in its use of spices, for instance,
the familiar creamy korma from the north
has clearly conquered the Western world,
while the lighter, simpler, often fiery fare
of the southern regions tends to be un-
der- and misrepresented by restaurants
professing to serve “Indian food.” Con-
tinuing on that note, attaching the name
of an Indian city to a dish does not make
it authentic (Bombay potatoes and Madras
chicken, anyone?).
Bearing that in mind, trying the
South Indian (Keralite) food at Gandhi
seemed an obvious choice. Aside from
the Ayurvedic wellness spas, the Kerala
region is known for its cuisine, which
leans heavily on coconut, seafood and
fresh vegetables. Kerala has a unique his-
tory, with a Jewish, Arabic and Portuguese
heritage—and the world’s only black pep-
per exchange! Indeed, that once-precious
black gold is native to the region.
Gandhi opens early for dinner ser-
vice. We were the first diners to arrive
that night, and were greeted warmly. The
place is cosy, and they have done a good
job of converting their basement space
into a cheery little restaurant. After much
deliberation, we decided to try the Keral-
ite menu (5,500 ISK), since the à la carte
seemed to have only two or three Keral-
ite dishes on offer, along with a generous
smattering of the usual suspects. We also
ordered some pakodas (1,570 ISK) to graze
on while we awaited the main course.
The pakodas and poppadoms (a nod to
the more British poppadom, rather than
to appalam or papad slightly annoys and/
or amuses me) were paired with a mint
chutney and a superlative mango chutney
consisting of fresh mangoes blitzed with
a hint of ginger and mint. I suspect this
was a true chutney, in that it was freshly
ground, rather than a pickle masquerading
as chutney. My mother-in-law absolutely
loved it, too—actually, it was the highlight
of the meal for us (I’d like that recipe,
please!).
From that point on, things went down-
hill. The restaurant was filling up, the ser-
vice started lagging, and the food ultimate-
ly proved a touch disappointing. While
tasty in its own right, what we were served
was far from the Kerala tasting menu
we envisioned (I must admit that the set
menu described by our waitress sounded
suspiciously generic—what is “Madras
chicken” again?!—but I had put that down
to language difficulties).
As a nod to tradition, we were served
a fish curry, stir-fried shrimp, a vegetable
kootu, chicken curry, dal, naan, rice and
raita. Steinbítur (“North-Atlantic Wolf-
fish") is an excellent choice for curries, but
this fish curry lacked the sour, fiery punch
one typically associates with the style.
Nonetheless, it was a good rendition.
The chicken curry was a rather generic
offering, and the dal too watery and insip-
id. On previous occasions, I must note, we
have enjoyed excellent dal at Gandhi. The
vegetable kootu (korma as they call it) had
sweet potatoes and rutabagas, making for
a fairly authentic rendition of the staple.
The shrimp dish was the best part of
our meal: good-sized shrimp, stir fried
with onions and tomatoes, and generous
doses of fresh grated ginger. Just this, with
rice, kootu and papad, would satisfy any
true-blue Malayali. A glaring omission
from the tasting we sampled, however,
were the curry leaves, a distinctive finish-
ing touch that we sorely missed.
The naan, though excellent in its own
right, seemed out of place. Appams or
pathiris (lacy edged pancakes from a fer-
mented rice batter, or rice flour flatbreads)
would have been more appropriate.
We ended the meal with an excellent
carrot halwa (complementary, since the
kitchen did not have enough to make for a
full serving) and creme brulée (1,290 ISK).
Do try the halwa. It’s not too sweet: think a
warm, buttery, cardamom-scented carrot
fudge. This was our ticket home.
It is understandable from a business
point of view that the butter chicken and
similar crowd-pleasers are what most
people expect from an Indian restaurant,
since it is familiar and popular. But when
you poise yourself as a South Indian res-
taurant, why not deliver that? South
Indian/Keralite cuisine would be an in-
valuable addition to the Reykjavík dining
scene. Today’s average diner is adventur-
ous and ready, more than ever. Give us
that delicate moilee (fish simmered in a
turmeric and fresh coconut milk curry),
the coconut oil tempered avial (assorted
veggies with yoghurt and ground coco-
nut), the star anise-scented chicken stew
and the fiery beef fries.
Sure, the naan sells. But so can the ap-
pams.
A Keralan Kiss Amiss
SHRUTHI BASAPPA
ART BICNICK
What We Think:
Regional cuisine that isn’t
tapping into its potential, instead
focusing on crowd-pleasers.
Their menu should match their
advertising.
Flavour:
Indian, with a supposedly South
Indian focus.
Ambiance:
Cosy and warm.
Service:
Friendly and earnest. The staff
really need training with the
dishes on offer.
Price for 2 (no drinks):
11,000—20,000 ISK
Gandhi
Pósthússtræti 17, 101 Reykjavík
26
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 11 — 2015