Kerala Canteen review: Why small is beautiful at this cool Leeds city centre canteen
It was one of the hottest days of the year and we sweltered as we headed into the city centre in search of an oasis of cool and calm.
And we found it at Kerala Canteen, inspired, according to the website, by the traditional Kerala toddy shop – or village pub.
Nestled in a side street close to the Playhouse and the BBC HQ, the restaurant is a little below street level; it was instantly calming thanks to an efficient but not overwhelming air con.
At first glance, it’s typically Insta-friendly, with burnt orange walls, pink blossom adorning the ceiling and authentic additions such as a water feature near the entrance. It was a weekday so we expected it to be quiet – it was buzzing, with a post work, pre theatre crowd plus families, groups of friends and couples.
Maybe they were enticed by the menu, an array of modern but affordable tapas style dishes. Or perhaps the lure of trying award-winning chef and MasterChef: The Professionals quarter-finalist Bobby Geetha’s new venture proved irresistible.
Either way, almost every table was spoken for as we were shown to our own and a very welcome refreshing glass of tea provided.
The menu is intriguing. There’s street food style small plates, signature bowls, biriyanis, side dishes. You can order tapas to share or go for the set menu, like we did – at a shade under £23 it allows diners to try a small plate plus curry bowl and a side plus a dessert.
My small plate of paneer pepper fry was divine – generously spiced without the heat overwhelming the other flavours in the black pepper masala sauce.
My guest’s king prawn and courgette masala also found favour both for flavour and quality.
The curry bowls themselves were a thing of beauty, presented in traditional silver bowls along with our sides of perfectly fluffy basmati rice.
The green seasonal vegetable korma is suitable for vegetarians, vegans, is dairy and gluten free – and is as far from the sticky, sweet korma offering you might expect. It’s like a bowl of goodness, a healthy symphony of broccoli, peas, beans and courgettes in a Nilgiri sauce that is almost reminiscent of a Thai green curry with both coconut and heat.
My guest's grain fed chicken curry was bursting with pieces of chicken breast in a glossy roasted coconut and spice sauce with slivers of roasted red chilli. It’s also dairy and gluten free and kudos to the servers who are also allergy aware and were quick to ask if we had any issues before we placed our orders.
Unbelievably, we found room for dessert and while the Dubai chocolate wasn’t an option on the set menu the gulab jamun and chocolate brownie, both served with the richest, creamiest ice cream, were. And they were an absolute delight, vying for the limelight with the rest of the meal. Outstanding.
Food - 10
Service - 9
Atmosphere - 9
Value - 8