Chaat Corner

Update Review, 2024

I've never been that much of a fan of Chaat Corner, but it is the closest Indian restaurant to my house, and sometimes, I just want Indian cuisine.

Or, I just want dessert.  Or I have a freebie to redeem.  All three were true one day, which led me to Chat Corner (also sold as "Damn, Dosa!" on some delivery platforms ...) to pick up a free dessert.

Rasmalai. $3.95.

Well ... I didn't have high expectations, as reviews basically said "meh", "not the best", etc, but it was a very, very random craving of mine.  I wanted rasmalai.

These however were fairly awful.  The balls literally tasted like generic white bread.  Sure, the milky syrup was kinda tasty, in that it was sweet and creamy, but it had no actual flavor going on, no pistachio sprinkled on top, no cardamom, just, nothing.

Fairly certain these are frozen item, not fresh, and, well, just truly, truly lackluster. *, at most.

I drank all the sweet milk though ...

Yogurt (side). $0.99.

I also got a side of yogurt, to use with my breakfast the next day.  It was just strained, thick style, yogurt, but it is what I wanted.  ***.

Update Review, March 2020

Another Shelter in Place meal, another chance to help nearby restaurants continue to have some business ...

I wasn't particularly impressed with Chaat Corner, the "local" Indian restaurant on my street last time I visited, but, they were still open, and I decided to check out the other salad I almost ordered last time.

I was pleased with the pickup experience - I ordered online in advance (delivery.com, although they are listed on nearly every delivery platform), and it was ready for me to pick up (contactless!), when I arrived.  Everything was nicely packaged, nothing was missing, and my requested utensils were provided.

Side note: Stuck doing a lot of pickup and delivery these days? Want to try some free food and new pickup or delivery services?  Here are some codes ...

• Door Dash ($15 off, $5 each of your first 3 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Caviar ($20 off, $10 off your first 2 orders) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Ritual ($6 off) [ Pickup only ]
• Delivery.com ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]
• Grub Hub ($10 off) [ Delivery or pickup ]

Caesar Salad (Separate Packaging). $7.99.

"Romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese and croutons tossed with a zesty mint Caesar dressing."

Since I wasn't planning to eat my salad right away, I asked to at least have the dressing on the side, and, ideally the croutons (so they wouldn't get soggy).  My requests were easily handled.

As with my first time at Chaat Corner, I was also thrilled with the packaging of everything - separate, but also, in the right kind of vessel for the item, and, anything potentially messy was additionally wrapped in foil.

I can't say the salad was nearly as exciting as it sounded (zesty!), but, I was pleased with the care put into the assembly.

Romaine Base.

The first time I ordered from here, I was amused by the giant box of greens that was my salad, but this time I knew to expect it, and, I think it was even more generously filled.

It was just romaine of course, but, this was really pretty fantastic.  Super fresh, super crisp, and they used all parts - the left hand side of the box is the leafier pieces, the right hand side the hearts.  All were torn/cut into large size chunks, making it very moorish.

It is just romaine, but, I was really pleased with the portion, freshness, and prep.  Was it $7.99 worth of romaine?  Well, clearly not, but consider ... $1 for dressing, $1 for cheese and croutons ... ok, yeah, still not $5.99 worth of romaine either.  But, I was pleased.  ***+.

Croutons & Parmesan Cheese.

I asked in my notes for the croutons to be packaged separately, assuming it would be done like the chaat salad before, but instead the croutons came in a larger, soup/deli style container, along with the shredded parmesan cheese.  This was fine, I mostly just didn't want them to get soggy with the lettuce.

The croutons were entirely standard, average croutons.  Super crispy.  Not really seasoned much.  I had hoped they'd do something more ... inspired like naan croutons, or at least have some Indian spicing on them?

The shredded parm was fine, not much to say there.  Basic caesar salad ingredients, no more, no less.  ***.

 Zesty Mint Caesar Dressing.

Just like last time, the dressing came wrapped in foil, so it wouldn't make a mess.  I continue to laud them for this.  So appreciated.

The "zesty mint caesar" dressing certainly sounded interesting, but, it really ... wasn't.  I would not call it "zesty", nor would I call it "caesar" ... and I can't say I tasted mint.

It was ... a slightly herby mayo.  Really, it tasted like mayo.  It did not taste anything like Caesar dressing - no anchovy, no cheese, no tang ... it just tasted like mayo.

I actually liked it for other things (of course I saved it!), and used it as a spread in wraps, and as an aioli with some fries, but, a dressing?  It was super thick, and just mayo.  ***.

The portion was also a bit small - they used their 4 ounce container and filled it less than halfway, which didn't seem like enough, had I used it on the salad.

Tandoori Shrimp Add-On. $4.

To my salad, I could add on chicken breast, chicken kebab, or paneer for $2, or tandoori salmon, tandoori shrimp, or sheekh kebab for $4.

I wanted some protein, and, had been eating a lot of paneer recently, so, I opted for shrimp, a bit hesitantly.  I do like well cooked shrimp, but ... so often shrimp is not well prepared - not properly cleaned, rubbery, etc.  I was hopeful that the tandoori treatment would be successful.

Sadly, this was not well prepared shrimp.  It was hot, the spices were fine, but ... it was incredibly chewy.  Chew, chew, chew, chew, chew.  I've never experienced such chewy shrimp.  It also wasn't really cleaned, and certainly wasn't deveined.

It was fairly horrible, sadly, and after trying (chew, chew, chew, chew) a few pieces, I gave up and tossed it.  $4 for 6 shrimp would have been fine I guess ... if it was decently prepared. *.

Raita. $0.99.

I didn't actually get this to go with my salad, but, I had a spinach roti wrap at home, and I really wanted some raita to pair with it, so, I also added on a side of raita (4 ounces) for $0.99.  They also sell 12 ounces for $2.99, and offer plain yogurt and curry in this way as well.

The raita was ... well, super watery and thin.  It did have plenty of spicing though.  I was glad to have it, but it wasn't remarkable. **+.

Like the dressing, it came wrapped in foil, so it didn't make a mess. I really appreciate their packaging, and the price was good for the serving size.

Tamarind Chutney, Mint Chutney. (Complimentary).

I also asked for tamarind and mint chutney, to jazz up the flavors in my salad, and, of course, to use with my roti wrap.

I've had these before, as they are the "dressing" that comes with the chat salad, and my opinion was the same this time around.  Definitely generic, and not made in house, but, useful to add flavor.

The tamarind one however was more sweet than I remembered.

Combined with the raita they did form a nice set of sauces for my wrap, and, also kinda worked as a salad dressing, but, I certainly wouldn't call these remarkable in any way.  **+.

Original Review, May 2017

I've walked by Chaat Corner more times than I can possibly count.

I used to live a block away.  I walked by it daily on my way to work.  I walked by it every night on the way home.  Yet I never went, even when it was the only place open in the neighborhood.  Chaat Corner is open every day, and that area does not have many options on Sundays.  They are open until midnight every night, and it certainly isn't an area with late night options.  They are open for lunch, starting as early as 11am.  Yet these things still never encouraged me to visit.

Even since I moved down the street, I still walk by several times a month.  It has managed to stay around for years now, which should be a sign of something.  And I still never visit.  Why?  I have no idea.  I like Indian cuisine, and I'm always looking for good indian food in the city.  But this place just never jumped out at me.

Chaat Corner recently opened a second location near Union Square.  That too should indicate that they are doing well.  But Yelp reviews are fairly mediocre.  No one I know has ever mentioned going there.  "Meh", I thought.

And then one day I was at home and really, really wanted salad.  And naan.  And something with spice.  I quickly looked online at menus of indian places nearby, and saw that the intersection of naan and salad is fairly limited, but Chaat Corner had several salads that sounded interesting (Indian ceasar? Grilled paneer topped salad?), and a huge assortment of breads, so, Chaat Corner it was.

I placed my order online, and headed the few blocks to pick it up.  My order was completed soon after I arrived.

Setting

Chaat Corner is really quite large.  I was shocked by how much seating and open space they had inside.  It was 5:15pm when I arrived, and it was mostly empty.

It isn't fancy.  It has basically no charm whatsoever.  I was glad to be getting takeout.

Cashier at Front.

Right inside the door is a cashier station, with a menu board on the wall.  This surprised me a bit as I thought this was a regular full service restaurant, so I think they must do a lot of takeout (unless tables order and pay up front too?)

On the side is also a cooler with canned/bottled drinks (do tables get cans too?)

Seating.

Decor is not particularly interesting, fairly low end, lots of shiny materials and faux stone.

Bar.

There is a small bar with counter seating, where I was invited to sit while I waited for my takeout.  I could have watched TV while I waited.

Food

The menu is large, all standard indian offerings.  I didn't explore it much, as I had my eyes on exactly two things: salad and bread.  That said, they had an extensive selection of pakora, and I almost threw some battered fried onions into the mix too ...

Sometimes, you just need 2 spoons and a fork?

Things started going downhill as I opened up my packaging.

I was provided a fork and 2 spoons.  No knife.  Luckily, I was bringing it home anyway.

Tandoori Roti. $1.99.

I'll admit, I was overwhelmed by the bread selection.  I thought I knew indian breads, but, once I started reading the list, I realized I'm still uncertain.  One section was titled naan, with 13 different options, including 10 types of naan (plain, butter, garlic, garlic pesto, paneer, cauliflower, potato, onion, chicken pesto, ground lamb), plus tava roti, bhatura, and tandoori roti.  Then, another section, labelled paranthas, with 8 more options (plain, laccha, potato, cheese, onion, cauliflower, ground lamb, chicken).  Why were the roti and bhatura listed as naan?  And what is tava roti vs tandoori roti?

I fairly randomly picked the tandoori roti, thinking that tandoori items are usually nicely smoky, and, I like roti.

It turned out to be basically ... whole wheat naan?  Hearty tasting, but, very boring.  Dry, no butter.  Crispy bottom.

I guess fine, but highly, highly boring, although I suspect it was supposed to be?  **+.

Chaat Salad. $6.99

"Romaine lettuce, lentil chips, spicy chickpea noodles, cilantro and spices tossed in
tamarind and mint sauces."

For salads, I could pick the interesting sounding caesar (zesty mint caesar dressing!) or the chaat salad (lentil chips and spicy chickpea noodles!).  I opted for the later, based entirely on the promise of fun crispy things on top.  Since I had other food at home to finish, I decided not to add a protein topping, but I could have added chicken breast, chicken kebab, tandoori salmon, shrimp, seekh kebab, or paneer on top.

Since I got it to go, my salad came disassembled.  I appreciated this so it wouldn't get soggy.  The dry toppings came in separate containers, and the wet sauces even came with an extra protective foil wrapped around them.  Points for this.

Chaat Salad: Lettuce.  $6.99.

I did have to laugh when I opened my box though.  It was ... lettuce.  Just lettuce.  It seemed freshly chopped, not wilted, very crisp.  A decent base.

The menu said there should be cilantro too, and other people seemed to have tomato and cucumber in theirs (in the photos I saw), but mine?  Just lettuce. ***.

Lentil Chips, "Spicy Chickpea Noodles".

Things got more amusing as I opened my other containers.

I quickly discovered the "spicy chickpea noodles" were ... just chickpeas.  Not toasted, no spicing.  Just chickpeas.  They seemed like they came from a can.  I had seen photos of this salad from others, and they did have chickpea noodles.

Since I actually hate chickpeas, I tried one, recognized that it was watery, slimy, and like from a can, and threw these out.  Chickpea noodles would have been nice. *.

The lentil chips were tasty though.  While I don't like lentils, I do like lentil chips (and likely would have liked chickpea noodles!)  I really liked the crunchy element, and the promise of the crunchy things is what made me order this in the first place. ***+.

I added a bunch of the lentil chips, but it looked like there was a bunch of rubble left in the bottom of the cup.  It was only later that I realized this is where the spices were added.  Doh.  I missed out on a lot of spice and flavor by missing this.  Not their fault though.

Tamarind and Mint Sauces.

The dressing for the salad is a mix of standard tamarind and mint sauces, like you use to dip samosa.  It was pretty strange putting these onto my salad as if they were dressing, but, actually, the result was good.  Obviously, normally it comes dressed for you, which seems less ideal, as you can't get the right balance of flavor that way.  I liked that I could add different amounts of each to create my preferred flavor (heavier on the herby mint, less of the sweet tamarind).

Both sauces were pretty standard, though I doubt housemade.  They didn't have that kind of freshness about them.  Still, it was nice to have some left to dip my naan in.  ***.

Read More...

Kurkure

As you know, I love all snacks.  And I really adore trying random products and flavors from other countries.  These combined to lead me to Kurkure, an Indian snack brand.   I can't find much information about the Kurkure brand though, besides that it is a subsidiary of Pepsico India Holdings Pvt. Ltd.

I've been told that Kurkure is a "famous munching snack of India", which most definitely has my name all over it.  I'm all about munching.  I tried only one of their flavors of the product ("Naughty Tomato"), but they also come in other Indian spiced varieties such as Chili Chatka, Masala Munch, and green chutney.  After the success of the one I tried, I'd gladly try more flavors ... if I ever see them somewhere again.

Naughty Tomato.

"Hot and Spicy snack with the tomato flavor and a sweet and sour flair."

"Kurkure Naughty Tomato is a delicious and crunchy snack that will tantalize your taste buds. Made with high-quality cornmeal and rice flour, this snack is seasoned with a unique blend of spices that gives it a tangy and spicy tomato flavor. It's perfect for those who love to indulge in a snack that's fun and naughty."

"Hot and spicy snack similar to Cheetos, with a tomato flavor and a sweet and sour flair!"

I truly had no idea what to expect with this product.  I was a bit surprised to open the bag to see what looked much like crunchy Cheetos, but, more red (akin to the Flamin' Hot Cheetos).  They were awesomely crunchy, and had a far more interesting base flavor, made from rice, corn, and gram meal, rather than just corn meal like Cheetos.  I really did like the form factor, even though I don't like crunchy Cheetos themselves.

And then ... the flavor.  These tasted like a Bloody Mary.  Or, at least what I assume a Bloody Mary tastes like.  I can't say I really recall ever having ordered one, although I assume at some point in my early 20s I must have been at a brunch with one?  Ok, maybe the flavor is more like spicy V8 (also not something I gravitate towards, but I've had that at least once in the past 10 years ...).  They did have a strong tomato flavor, and were spicy (chili powder), but also there was lots of other vegetable flavor (onion and garlic for sure), and then a ton of complexity on the finish due to spices like cinnamon, clove, ginger, and nutmeg.  Oh, and some sweetness, as sugar is added too.

I can safely say that my brain didn't know what to make of these.  They looked like very familiar Cheetos,  had a great crunch, and tasted like a spicy V8, with a splash of chai.  Whaaaa?

This was a very unique product for me, and I devoured the entire bag (which, oops, is supposed to be 3 servings) in one (very brief) sitting.  So fascinating.  I'd love to try other flavors!  ****.

Read More...

Kulficream

As you know by now, I eat a lot of ice cream.  Essentially, daily.

Sometime in the middle of the pandemic, I ventured out to a nearby Indian grocery store and discovered that they carry Kulficream, a local brand of Indian ice cream made by Zeefoods.  For those unfamiliar, kulfi is an Indian frozen dairy dessert, so, the brand name, "Kulficream" is just a spin on that.

"Zeefoods started by offering delicious falooda kulfi during the Festival of India held every year in Fremont, California. In the past 13 years we have grown to offer more than 15 varieties of Indian ice creams and kulfi including Kulficream, Kulfipop and Kulfibar."

Zeefoods is mostly a wholesale distributor, selling to to Indian stores and restaurants in the Bay Area.  In addition to the Kulficream ice cream line, they also make bar forms (Kulfibar and the smaller Kulfipop), although I never tried those. 

Kulficream is available in 15 flavors.  Some are generic flavors like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and choco-vanilla (chocolate chip), but most have Indian flavors at the forefront, think: saffron, pistachio, cardamom, rose water, rose petal, lychee, mango, coconut.   I've mostly only tried the more unique flavors, and I'm impressed with them all.   The ice cream is available in large tubs for foodservice distribution, or individuals as I had.  I'll gladly try more.

Meetha Paan. 

I think I really liked this.  It confused me!

I'm fairly familiar with betel leaf, in desserts even, but this was my first time having meetha paan ice cream.  I was surprised, and pleased, when I opened the lid of the container to find it had toppings.

On top was a sprinkle of fennel seeds, chopped almonds, candied fennel seeds, bits of dried fruit.  Like all the little sweets you often see at the exit of an Indian restaurant ...

I can't say I really love those toppings, but, it was quite fun that they were on there, and made for a very colorful top and good textures.  And, well, it made it quite fascinating.

The ice cream itself was creamy, high quality ice cream.  Not too sweet.  It had a very subtle refreshing quality to it, which I guess was the betel leaf flavor?  It also had bits of almond (or fennel seeds?) throughout, and I appreciated the crunchy bits.

Overall, a fascinating ice cream no question.  It really grew on me, and I found myself actually craving this unique flavor.

***+.

Update review: I've since gotten this several more times, and like it even more now that I know what to expect.  The bits on top are sometimes really quite soothing and refreshing, in an odd way, when I'm in that mood.  And yes, clearly premium ice cream.  ****.  My second favorite of all the flavors I've tried.

Falooda. $3.95

"Ice cream flavored with bits of falooda and basil (tukmaria) seeds."

Next I went for the falooda, which I assumed would be similar to Persian faloodeh, but, in ice cream form.  Which, it basically was.  If you aren't familiar, that is a dessert with rose syrup over frozen vermicelli and cream, sometimes with sweet basil seeds.

I was pretty worried this one would be way, way too sweet (rosewater!), but it turned out quite lovely.  Yes, it was sweet, but the rich ice cream helped temper the sweetness in some ways.  It was not too strong in the rosewater either.

I liked the crisp little bits of falooda (presumably, frozen noodles) throughout as well.

I think a huge scoop of this would be too much, as it was quite sweet, but a small scoop when in the mood, or when paired with a flavor like the meetha paan, it was enjoyable, quality ice cream.

***+.

Malai (Classic Indian). $3.95.

"Creamy ice cream with delicate aroma of cardamom and rose water. Enhanced with bits of pistachio and almonds."

Next up, another classic Indian flavor, and another winner!

I was slightly worried about this one too, rose water and cardamom are not my favorite things, but, this turned out quite balanced, with only subtle sweetness and spicing, and awesome crunch from the bits of pistachio and almond.

The creamy, high quality ice cream base was also a joy, it melted perfectly, and is quite rich and creamy, in all the right ways.

****.

Update: I've since gotten this many more times, and always adore it.  The flavor is so nuanced, and quite lovely.  100% my favorite of the flavors I have tried.  ****.

Kesar Pista (Royal Saffron).

"Made using the purest Spanish saffron, this ice cream is a pure delight for saffron lovers."

Eventually I got brave and went for the saffron flavor.  I'm ... clearly not a saffron lover.  This one was fine, but, it certainly wasn't something I really wanted more of.  Too sweet for me, but a friend really enjoyed it.  **+.

Pistachio.

"Our pistachio ice cream, delicate and not too sweet."

A bit more mainstream, I went for the lovely green hued pistachio.

Broken record?  Yup, another quality ice cream.  The cream level in this ice cream is just fantastic.  So very rich and creamy.

It had lots of small bits of pistachio, which made for real pistachio flavor and a bit of crunch.  Very good pistachio ice cream.

***+.

Butterscotch.

"An all time favorite of Indians, sweet buttery flavor, candy bits swirled with butterscotch syrup."

I was overjoyed one day when I spotted a flavor they never had before at my local Indian grocer: butterscotch!  Obviously not a traditional Indian flavor, but, I adore butterscotch pudding and pie, so this sounded glorious.  I was even more excited by the butterscotch chips on top.

The flavor was ... interesting.  Not something I'd identify as butterscotch, but hard to actually describe.  Sweet with undertones ... of ... something ...  Kinda fake tasting though, and sorta plastic-like.  The quality rich base was still evident, but, alas, this just wasn't a great flavor.  The butterscotch chips were only on top, what you see there, no more hiding within.  Also not sure where the butterscotch syrup swirl was, I never found it.

**+.

Read More...

Lahore Karahi

Update Review, 2021 Visits

It had been nearly 10 years (!) since I last visited, and reviewed, Lahore Karahi, an Indian restaurant in the Tenderloin.  The neighborhood isn't one I necessarily seek out, but, they have plenty of Indian restaurants, and some are really quite good.  My visits this time were in the depths of the pandemic, when I wanted some reason to get out of the house, get something tasty, and help support local businesses.

I placed all my orders online in advance, and although they were never ready when I arrived, they were prepared fresh to order.  The single staff member was friendly and seemed to be running the entire place (no dine-in service at the time).  I was impressed with the quality of my simple items, and I'll gladly return to get a full meal sometime.

Sweet Naan. $3.99.

"Sugar, coconut and raisins added to baked naan."

This was fascinating!!!

I had sweet naan once before in my life, and I didn't really like it then (my review, from Al Hamra), but also I had no idea what to expect then, and sought it out for dessert, which, it wasn't.

This version I also didn't know what to expect exactly, and I knew people said that it was different from most other sweet naan styles, so that made it even harder to reason about.  In particular, most other sweet naan has cherries, at least from what I've seen on menus, and this did not.

Anyway.  It was handed over piping hot.  Freshly made.  The foil literally almost too hot to touch.  I appreciated that they wrapped it up to keep it warm.

From the outside, it almost looked like regular naan, although it had some pockmarks.  

The naan itself was ok.  Not remarkable, and a bit chewy and thin.  I had it pretty fresh, so I don't think this was from being wrapped up a few minutes?  The chew didn't seem quite right, and I kinda wanted it fluffier, although maybe that isn't how it is done for sweet naan?

There was a little char on the bottom that was good.

But this was about the insides, anyway.  That is where it got really, really interesting.

Sweet Naan: Inside.

Yeah, inside.  *What* was inside?  I honestly don't know.

The menu said "sugar, coconut, and raisins", yes, those were all present.  The coconut was shredded dried coconut, the raisins were golden raisins left whole throughout.  And the filling had a sweetness.

But there was clearly much more going on.  In addition to the sweet fruitiness is a ... nutty earthiness?  I believe there is a substantial amount of sesame seeds.  Maybe some almond paste?  And there was bits of something orange and candied, some other dried fruit I think?  But it didn't seem to be cherry like others.

And then ... a touch of something else savory.  Garlic? Onion?  Curry powder?  I'm not sure, but it was subtle, and there, creating a balance unlike anything I've had before.

It was just really, really fascinating.  Sweet, yes, but there was also so much savoriness to it.

I sought it out thinking I'd use it for a dessert item, or, I thought it might just be like a soft, puffy, white bread with raisins in it, and I'd toast it/eat it warm slathered with cream cheese for breakfast.  But after a few bites I imagined it going great with a spicy curry, or with yogurt (raita) too.

I greatly enjoyed it, just as is, for an afternoon snack (I bet great with chai!), and had another hunk the next morning, warmed up in toaster oven, for breakfast.  It was great for breakfast too, sweet, but not too sweet.  If I had more, I'd try it for dessert dunked in whipped cream or stuffed with mango ice cream.  It seems really versatile.

I'd love to learn more about sweet naan styles so I can figure out how to best pair it in the future.

***+.

Pappadam. $2.

"Crispy spiced lentil wafers. Served with homemade mint and tamarind chutney."

I ordered the pappadam just because I remembered that their chutney is so delicious.  If I ordered pappadam, I'd get chutney.  I think the chutney is made in house.

The pappadam itself was fine, crispy, good lentil flavor, not stale. ***.

It came with only mint chutney (not tamarind as it was supposed to), but I received 3 of the fantastic mint chutney, so I was pretty happy.   I adore this spicy chutney, but I don't think it goes all that great with the pappadam - the pappadam is better with raita or mango chutney (or, just dunked in curry). 

Housemade Mint Chutney. 

The mint chutney is really, really good.  I love it drizzled on roast veggies, with grilled paneer cubes, or really, with just about anything, including using as a salad dressing.  Spicy and flavorful.

****.

Update review: I got it again.  It was quite good, really spicy actually, and fresh tasting. Again, I believe them when they say homemade.  ****.

Mango Chutney. $2.99.

"Indian-style spiced mango chutney."

I also ordered the mango chutney, available separately.  It was fairly standard mango chutney.  Slight sweet, slightly sour.   I suspect not made in house.

Not much to say, but nice to have to pair with things (particularly with samosa!).

***.

Raita. $2.99.

"Homemade yogurt with cucumber."

Yup, more dips, I also got the raita. 

The raita was actually quite nice, which, honestly surprised me.  It seemed legit house made, a quality product.  In particular, it was quite thick, like labne, which I really enjoyed (usually raita, or at least the raita I seem to wind up getting places, is runnier?).

Anyway, I really liked it.  Awesome to dunk crudite into in particular.

****.

Original Review, December 2012

I've been on a quest to find some indian food I like in San Francisco.  I've been to plenty of places that have been mediocre, but no where that I really find myself wanting to go back to.  So when I recently got some more GoPago credits, I decided to use them to gamble and try out another Indian place.

I decided on Lahore Karahi, a place with fantastic Yelp reviews ... until a few months ago.  I read that it was sold recently, and people are very unhappy with the new ownership.  But I still gave it a try, since I figured that some of the negativity was just people not dealing well with change.

It is a very small place in the Tenderloin, with a somewhat strange model.  Normally, you order at the register, but they bring the food out to you when it is ready.  They seemed to mostly do take-out, and have several online ordering systems, like GoPago, which I used.  I liked that they had a dine-in option available through GoPago.

This is not somewhere you go for decor or ambiance.  The tablecloths were all dirty, stained, and wrinkled.  They then had a plastic layer on top of them, so it seemed really strange that they were so dirty, given the protectors on top.

The staff weren't unfriendly exactly, but said very few words.  On one side of the room was an area with water and unlabeled carafes, with a big sign saying "Self Service".  Luckily, I'd read about this beforehand, so I knew that I could help myself to some hot chai, but I got the impression that no one would have told me about this otherwise.

Overall, it wasn't really good nor bad, just fairly unremarkable.  But, it was definitely the cheapest indian food I've had, and was a fantastic value for the money.  I'd consider going back, but wouldn't go out of my way for it, and will continue my quest to find somewhere I like more!

Chai.  Complimentary.

As I mentioned, there were some unlabeled carafes over on the side, with paper cups next to them.  They were filled with piping hot chai.  It was unsweetened, but there was also sugar you could add in to taste.  It wasn't really remarkable, very milky and barely tea flavored, and almost soapy tasting, but I liked having a nice hot drink, and the price sure was right!

***.

Shahi Paneer.: Lightly fried cheese cooked with nuts in tomato sauce.  $7.99.

My shahi paneer arrived piping hot, within just a few minutes of my ordering.  It stayed incredibly hot the entire time I was eating, with steam continuing to rise from it, even when I was finished.

The sauce was very creamy, clearly made with a lot of heavy cream.  It was also glistening with oil.  A little too heavy for my taste, but I somewhat expected that.  It was pretty flavorful, with decent spicing, and large chunks of spices throughout, including whole leaves.

The paneer was a bit of a disappointment   It was mushy, kinda rubbery, and not really fried on the edges.  It did have a nice flavor however.

The portion size was generous, with a lot of paneer, far more than anywhere else I've been.  And for only $7.99 this was a really good value.  I'd consider getting this again, but it wasn't particularly remarkable.

***.

Naan.  $1.

The naan was freshly made to order.  I saw it being kneaded out after I ordered.  It was actually a really nice size, smaller than many places, which I liked.  Slathered with some oil, and cut into quarters.

It was decent naan.  I wouldn't rave about it, but it was better than most.  Hot, fresh, fluffy, with a good char in a few places.  And only $1?  Very good value, and I'd love to try some of the other flavored/filled naan next time.

***+.

Kheer: Special rice cooked with milk and sugar, served cold with pistachios.  $2. 

And, time for dessert! The rice pudding wasn't anything special.  Tiny bits of rice, sweet milky base, some spicing, a few sliced nuts, and a total of 2 raisins in my entire portion.  I added cinnamon and blueberries to it when I got home, and enjoyed it much more.

This was a small little container, but just the right amount for one person, and not bad for $2.  I wish all restaurants offered up small little desserts like this!

Anyway, this wasn't bad, but it wasn't good.  I wouldn't get again.

***.

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Jyoti Natural Foods

In a quest to do more easy eating at home, I started experimenting with some pantry friendly prepared foods.  Nothing that required refrigeration or a freezer, just things I could stash and pull out when I needed some inspiration.  

Since I love indian cuisine, this seemed like a more interesting place to start than say, soups, beans, or pasta and sauce, which I'll admit are what first came to mind.

I researched all sorts of options, ranging from frozen dishes, to full meals that somehow require no refrigeration, to starter curry sauces and pastes.  Most of the frozen ones, while obviously the easiest, were pretty nasty (besides those from Trader Joe's, they really are shockingly good, some are even spicy!).  The shelf stable bagged pouches, besides looking a bit scary, mostly featured lentils or beans, so not my thing.  The sauces, chutneys, and pastes can be good, but require some extra work. 

And then, a friend recommended Jyoti products to me.  Jyoti makes several product lines, including fully cooked beans, rice, simmer sauces, and, the products I was most interested in: Heat and Serve cans.  

"We chose ‘shelf stable foods in cans’ to present the exotic foods of India to the customers through specialty foods shops and supermarkets. "

These items fall somewhere in between a full dish and a starter sauce.  You can mostly use them as is, heated and dumped over some rice or with some naan if you are lazy.  Or, you can spruce them up, and the packaging contains suggestions on many directions you can take the dishes.  The idea really is very accessible indian cuisine.

The offerings are all vegetarian, and your basic dal, channa, sambar, and saag are of course available, along with matar paneer and even jaipur karhi, potato dumplings.  The idea of canned paneer definitely weirded me out, but, hey, I wanted easy, right?

The products clearly aren't restaurant quality food, but overall, I was fairly impressed.  For a canned good, they certainly beat Chef Boyardee :)  You can find them at Whole Foods, on Amazon, etc.

Jaipur Karhi: Organic Potato Dumplings in Spicy Buttermilk Sauce.

"Add some water, heat and serve as a soup, or serve on top of rice or pasta as a sauce with potato dumplings instead of meatballs. Rice and Karhi is a popular Sunday lunch in northern India."

The first item I tried was the fascinating sounding potato dumplings.

I actually quite liked this. 

The sauce was a little strange at first, but the flavor grew on me.  Decently complex.  Creamy.  The potato “dumplings” were basically just potatoes, although a bit mushy, like mashed potato balls. Not bad exactly, just not quite what I expected. 

The entire thing however was just better than expected.  I would eat it again. I had it over rice, with some mango chutney and cilantro chutney mixed in. They also recommend mixing it with water to form a soup, or adding tomato, or adding other veggies. I could see any of those things working pretty well.

***+.  

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Delhi Saag: Spinach and Mustard Greens.

"Delhi Saag is a greens dish served as a vegetable side dish, as a cooking sauce, soup base or on pasta. The natural taste of spinach and mustard greens is enhanced with ginger, hot peppers, and lemon juice. No spices are added."

Next up, the saag.

This was interesting. I wasn't sure what to expect from canned greens. They were better than I expected, not too mushy, and fairly flavorful. But the flavor was just the greens themselves, there wasn't much else going on in the spicing. You definitely needed to add seasonings to it.

On my first try, I added roasted mushrooms, which worked well, some leftover gnocchi (random, I know, but I had gnocchi, and I thought it was kinda like potatoes, and potatoes and saag go together ...), some red pepper flakes to give it some heat, and a few scoops of cottage cheese (ok, more random, but it needed a creaminess and it was the best I could do given the contents of my fridge).  It wasn't bad exactly, but it wasn't quite good. 

On my second try, I again added roasted mushrooms, but also added cauliflower, potatoes, and peas, and left out the gnocchi.  Every one of these veggies worked really well with the saag.  I also added curry powder, onion powder, coconut flakes, and red pepper flakes to kick up the spices.  And I decided to go with the cottage cheese again, but added it at the last minute, so it didn't melt in as much.  I served it over some leftover farro.  I'm sure this is not how it was intended to be served, but I really enjoyed it, and would make this again in a heartbeat!

***+.

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Matar Paneer: Peas & Paneer Cheese. 

"Jyoti Matar-Paneer is a vegetable dish made with sweet green peas and Indian paneer cheese in a tomato, onion sauce."

After the success of the others, I took a plunge and went for the canned paneer, in the form of matar paneer.

Ok, this one I really, really did not like. 

The peas were mushy.  The entire thing was strangely sweet.  The paneer was actually decent, flavorful and a good texture. But ugh, I couldn't get past the overall flavor. Would not eat again.

**.

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Dishoom, London

I recently had a short stay in London.  During that time, I was determined to have fish and chips at least once, and, Indian food a few times, as those are the two styles of cuisine I know London does better than San Francisco.

Our first night in London, my companion and I went to a Michelin starred Indian restaurant, Benares.  It was fine, and interesting to see a Michelin level approach to a style of cuisine I don't normally see elevated that way, but, I wasn't really wowed.  So, the next night, we opted for something a bit more approachable, and went to Dishoom, a bit of an institution in London.

During my previous visit to London, several people suggested Dishoom to me, but, I was there only two nights, and went to L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon the first night and another indian restaurant, Cafe Spice Namaste, the second.  In fact, it was with the same two local friends that I went to Cafe Spice Namaste with, that we went to Dishoom with this time around.  They have clearly become my "I'm in London, let's eat indian food!" buddies, which, I hope they don't mind.

Anyway, Dishoom.  They have 8 locations in the UK, mostly in London.  We visited the newest one, which just happened to be around the corner from our hotel, in King's Cross.

If you ask anyone where to get indian food in London, Dishoom will be on their list, likely one of the first places.  If you ask a group of friends where they want to get a drink and snack, if you are near a Dishoom, again, the answer.  Such an institution.  I finally agreed to check it out.

The Space

Dishoom's King Cross location is huge.  It spans multiple levels, with multiple bars.  It is loud, it is vibrant, and, even at 4:30pm when we arrived, it was totally full.  By the time we left, the queue to get in stretched down the sidewalk at least 20-30 deep.  And that was just the walk-ins, as they also take reservations.

Upstairs Bar.

There is a bar upstairs and down, and seating on both floors, as well as outside.

We were seated downstairs, and I somehow failed to take a photo, which is too bad, as the space was quite interesting.  The walls and floors were brick (which, eliminated cell service the moment you walked in) and likely added to the noise level.  The tables were wooden.  Buckets were placed on each table with silverware and napkins, so you could help yourself to utensils as needed, for yourselves or for serving spoons.

About 20 minutes into our visit, one of our diners said he was feeling really allergic.  We soon realized it wasn't that he was allergic necessarily, it was the incense burning that was aggravating him.

Service was ok

Orders were taken on a digital device, that seemed hard to navigate, and took our server a very long time to input each item.  It felt quite inefficient, although, I'm sure it is nice to have orders go directly to the kitchen.  Our server was relatively attentive, good to offer more drinks when she stopped by and saw empties.

We did wind up with a lot of glasses and empty dishes on our table building up, and it kinda became a game to see how long it would take a staff member to notice our growing pile and at least take some of it away.

The only other real thing to note about the service is that our server seemed incredibly scripted.  Nearly every interaction with her seemed like a rehearsed speech, and she said these things so fast it was sometimes hard to catch.

Anyway, huge space, decent enough service.

Bathroom.

You know I only include bathrooms in my reviews when there is an interesting reason to, and, this seemed interesting to me.  The stalls had wooden benches with holes in them, super old school, except, then they had automatic flush systems, as you can see, you just need to "Make waving motions to flush."

This stall was ... interesting at least.

Drinks

Every section of Dishoom's menu is large, and the drink menu is no exception.  Pages of options, both alcoholic and non.  Wine (red, white, rose, sparkling, many types of each) is available by the glass, 500 ml carafe, or full bottle.  Beer in bottles.  Cocktails.  On the non-alcoholic end of the spectrum, there were fascinating bottled sodas from Bombay, coffee and 7 types of chai if you wanted something warm, and of course, a slew of lassis and coolers.

Throughout the night, our group ordered a large variety of drinks, including cocktails, beer, non-alcoholic drinks, and hot drinks to end the meal.  The drinks were all well done, and it is clear their bar program is a strong point.

Viceroy's Old Fashioned. £9.00.

"The sort of drink in which Lord Mountbatten may have found welcome repose. A bottle-aged muddle of Woodford Reserve bourbon, bayleaf reduction, green tea and so on. Like an old Raj club-room, with tertiary colours and artistic composition."

I can't entirely say what inspired me to order the Old Fashioned, but, I did.  I was shocked by the way it was served.  I was brought a classic old fashioned tumbler with a large ice cube in it, garnished with a bay leaf and olive on a skewer and ... a little bottle of the old fashioned, to pour myself.  Is this a thing in India? I have no idea.

This turned out to be nice actually, as I realized that I could pour a little, drink a little of it super strong, let the ice cube melt a little to mellow it out, and then pour more, and get right back to the strong version.  It was kind of fun to play with watering it down or not this way to see how the flavor changed.

It was also really just quite tasty. The flavors were deep and developed.  I didn't necessarily taste bayleaf or green tea, but it was clear that there was a lot going on in the drink.  A really wonderful sipping cocktail.

The only complaint I have is the annoying leaf-on-a-skewer.  It made it impossible to drink, as the leaf would fall forward and block the cup.  I also didn't think an olive really went with it.

I'd definitely get this again.

Fresh Sugarcane Juice. £4.00.

"We press the large sticks of cane into juice. With lime and salt, as it should be."

One person was super thirsty and wanted a refreshing drink, so he eagerly ordered the sugarcane juice, thinking fondly of sugarcane drinks we had in Sydney.

He wasn't such a fan of the added lime and salt, and really just wanted sugarcane juice, but, he was happy enough with it, or thirsty enough, that he drank the whole thing before I had a chance to ask for a sip.

Virgin Bombay Colada. £3.90.

"The classic pineapple and coconut-cream concoction with a Bombay twist: a little coriander, chai syrup, lime juice."

For his second drink, the sugarcane guy selected the virgin Bombay Colada, an attempt to make up for the totally non-colada colada he had the night before at Benares.

This one was a much closer interpretation of a colada, as it actually had pineapple and coconut, and, not banana and raspberry.  It was a slushy, frothy, icy drink.

He liked it at first, but said it was too sweet and too much for more than a few sips, so he discarded it, leaving it to me.  To be fair, you don't normally pair a piña colada with a meal, right?  These kind of slushy drinks are best suited for pool decks or beachside ...

I thought it was quite good.  Yes, it was fruity and very sweet, but I thought the coriander and lime on the finish made it almost refreshing, the herby nature was really quite fascinating in a creamy drink.  On top was something we couldn't quite identify.  I thought it was pink peppercorn, he thought it was candy.

If you like piña coladas, this was a fun take on it, and, also available with rum.

Savory Cuisine

Extensive Menu!

The Dishoom menu is rather intimidating in size.  It is broken into many sections: Small Plates, Salad Plates, Ruby Murray (curry), Veggie Side Dishes, Grills, Biryani, Bread & Rice, Frankies & Roomali Rolls, and, of course, puddings.  There are also dishes called out in boxes and highlighted, not necessarily part of any category, but instead features of the restaurant.

We skipped the salads (although if we ordered one more dish I was interested in the paneer & mango salad, with fresh mango, crispy shallots, and crispy naan strips), we skipped the curries, and we skipped the Frankies & Roomali Rolls (naan or roti rolls, which sounded interesting, but not necessarily sharable).

Chutney: Tamaraind, Mint, Chili.

Once we ordered, a trio of chutneys was brought out.  I didn't find any of them remarkable, besides that the chili one (orange) was quite spicy.  Still, it was nice to have things to dip into and amp up our flavors a bit.

Small Plates

As is often the case, the small plates menu held a lot of appeal for me.  I tried unsuccessfully to excite the group about the chili cheese toasts (seriously, why didn't they want melty cheese and chili on toasts?  It looked so good!).  They also had standards like several types of samosas, and a bunch of buns {what are these style dishes called?}

Okra Fries. £4.20.

"Fine lady’s fingers for the fingers."

Since we arrived on the early side to avoid the lines, and were seated earlier than we actually wanted dinner, one member of our party suggested just ordering something to munch on while we figured out what we really wanted, and while we had some cocktails to start.  He selected a random munchie from the small plates menu: okra fries.

I can't say I was excited about okra fries, but, they turned out to be pretty interesting.  The fries were super crispy, not oily, and the okra wasn't at all slimy.  The batter was spicy and quite flavorful.  One diner said it reminded her of Popeye's batter (and this was a good thing).

Everyone enjoyed dunking these in the chutneys, and, I'll admit, I prefer them to papadams at least.  Still, not quite my thing.

One person declared that this was the first time he ever actually liked okra.  As in, ever in his entire life.  He, and the other two diners, all rated this the second best dish of the night.

Dishoom Calamari. £5.90.

"Tiny tender squid, grainy crumb crunch, quick-fried and tossed into a bowl with Dishoom drizzle. "

I lobbied for the calamari once we were ready to start ordering for real (well, first I lobbied for the chili cheese toast, but, when that failed, the calamari was my next choice).

I'm not necessarily a huge fan of calamari, as very often it is rubbery, or just a very generic dish to order, but, I read many positive reviews of Dishoom's version, and they even put their name in the title of the dish, so it must be a signature item for them.

It was pretty good calamari.  The coating was different from the okra, as it had breadcrumbs and it wasn't spicy, but, like the okra it was made fresh to order, nice and crisp, and not too oily.  Our little pot had assorted types of pieces, including some little tentacles.

My favorite element of this was the "Dishoom drizzle", a really tasty sweet sauce that was drizzled over the top.  I carefully aimed to grab pieces that had the delicious drizzle on them, but, there were many pieces without. The sauce on the side may have been more successful.

Overall, good for calamari, slightly non-standard, and my second favorite savory dish.

Veggie Side Dishes

Veggie side dishes were an odd assortment: a simple kachumber salad, a bowl of grilled greens, slaw, and raita.

Dishoom Slaw. £3.20

"A kachumber with shredded cabbage, pomegranate seeds and mayonnaise. Fresh, feisty, crunchy."

I really love slaw of all varieties ... as long as they are mayo based.  And, after my week in Munich, I wanted vegetables.  So, I advocated for the slaw, as strange as that is as something to get at an indian restaurant.  It was one of only a handful of dishes, like the calamari, with Dishoom in the name, so, clearly it is a signature item.

It was good.  The cabbage was indeed fresh and crisp.  The pomegranate was a fun twist, although there wasn't much of it, just a sprinkle on top.  

It was super creamy, very, uh, dressed in mayo.  Which of course I like, but, beware if you are expecting something lighter.

I'm not sure how this is an indian dish, or how it really went with our food (besides the fried calamari, which, I guess is also not really indian ...), but, I liked it.  My favorite dish of the night.

Black House Dal. £5.90.

"A Dishoom signature dish — dark, rich, deeply flavoured. It is simmered over 24 hours for extra harmony."

The dal wasn't actually listed as part of the sides, but it also wasn't listed in any other category, so, I'm just going to put it here.

I hate lentils, and obviously wanted nothing to do with the dal, but, it was called out on the menu in a box as a very special item, and, the others all wanted it.

I tried a bite out of good measure, willing myself to like lentils, but, alas, no.  Interestingly, it was the spicing I hated more than the lentils themselves, which is too bad, as the sauce was quite creamy and would have been nice to use to dunk my naan into.

Everyone else though ... loved it.  "I really like the dal!", one diner kept saying over and over.  The others all declared it their favorite dish of the night.

Grills

"First comes the marinade, then the open-air grill. Picture Bademiya in Colaba, a Bombay institution since 1942. A balmy night, with newspapers laid out on old car bonnets. You eat. Savour. Spill."

The grills is probably the most extensive part of the menu, besides the small plates.  The grill selection has multiple types of chicken, multiple types of lamb, prawns, mahi, paneer, and, potatoes.

Paneer Tikka. £7.70.

"Paneer is vegetarian first-class fare and a subtle cheese to make. Marinated then gently charred with red and green capsicums."

I love paneer, and, we clearly needed to pick at least one paneer dish.  Since my mango and paneer salad was ruled out, the only options were the mattar paneer curry or the paneer tikka.  The only memorable item from Benares the night before was the grilled paneer, and really, I just wanted more of that.

This was not that.  Yes, the paneer was grilled, but, it didn't have any smoky awesomeness, nor crispy charred exterior.  Along with the four chunks of paneer was a chunks of red pepper and three green peppers.  They kinda had a film on them from the contact points with the paneer that was a bit odd.

Also on the plate was a lime to squeeze over, and a rather ridiculous tangle of cilantro.

None of us really liked this, and it went unfinished.

Biryani

"Slow-cooked, layered and aromatic, the Biryani traces its origins to Iran — as does the old Bombay Café. A pot is to be shared, or kept as spicy contentment all for oneself."

Dishoom has 3 different biryani to offer: chicken, lamb, or veggie.

Awadhi Lamb Biryani. £9.90

"The lamb is prepared with stock and spices, then layered with rice and cooked in traditional ‘dum’ style."

I don't like rice, I don't like lamb, so this clearly wasn't for me.  The others all wanted a biryani, and, since I don't really care for rice, I decided to not voice my opinion on which variety.  They all wanted lamb, so, lamb it was.

They were not impressed.  "This is not what I expect from a biryani", one said.  "There isn't a lot of flavor in this", said another.  They also were disappointed by the very meager amount of lamb in it.

I however, did find something I liked about this dish.  The cooking vessel was sealed with dough.  This wasn't really meant for us to eat, I'm sure, and it was totally undercooked and dough-y.  Just dough.  Not pie crust, but, dough.  And ... I really liked it.

I know I'm a complete weirdo for this, and I can't explain it.  Undercooked plain dough.  Perhaps my favorite bite of the night?  I'm really not joking.  I'm glad my table mates put up with me digging all the dough off the rim of the dish.

Bread & Rice

"All breads are made by hand and baked to order."

And finally, breads and rice.  Not a huge selection, just plain steamed basmati rice, naan (plain, garlic, cheese), and a single type of roti.  Some kind of bread is a must-have for me and indian food

Garlic Naan. £2.50.

"With minced garlic and coriander sprinkle. "

We ordered garlic naan with our original order, but, once we saw it was only a single piece cut in half, we quickly ordered a cheese naan too (which, one person had wanted anyway).

The garlic naan was fine, fresh and hot, nicely buttered, with plenty of visible garlic bits.  It somehow lacked any real oomph for me, but, perhaps that is because I wanted a sauce to dip it in, and, I failed to order a curry, and only had the dal sauce that I didn't like.

Cheese Naan. £3.20.

"Cheddar is melted inside."

Our cheese naan was delivered pretty quickly after we ordered it, while we still had plenty of food left.  Points to them for that.

The cheese naan was pretty good, stuffed with plenty of melty cheese, and enjoyable enough of its own.

Everyone preferred this naan.

Puddings

Of course, for me, the most exciting part of a menu is the dessert, or, puddings in Britain.  Here we had a few options, including many frozen items like kulfi on sticks that many other tables ordered, interesting flavors of ice cream, and a really crazy ice based dessert, "kala khatta gola ice" with ice, kokum fruit syrup, blueberries, chilli, lime, and salt.  We opted for the warm desserts however.

House Chai. £2.50.

"All things nice: warming comfort and satisfying spice. Made in the proper way. All who have tried it are swearing by it."

While we were waiting for dessert, they brought us 3 complimentary chais.  If it were daytime, I would have loved this since I do like chai, but, at night, I didn't want the caffeine, nor did one other person.  So, the fact that they brought 3 for 4 people wasn't a problem.

I did sip a little of it though, and had to force myself not to have more.  It was tasty, warm, creamy, comforting, well spiced.  Good chai.

Decaf Americano. £2.70.

To pair with dessert, I did opt for a decaf americano, my classic bitter pairing with sweet dessert.

It was served with brown sugar in a cup, another cup with a little spoon, and a little pitcher of steamed milk.  I don't generally use milk in my coffee, but appreciate the touch of the steamed warm milk rather than cold milk that would chill my coffee.

The coffee was good, quite strong, and somewhat made me question if it was possibly decaf.  Still, I enjoyed it.

Dishoom Chocolate Pudding. £6.90.

"Melting-in-the-middle chocolate pudding served with a scoop of Kashmiri chilli ice cream. You will not want to share. "

One diner planned to get the chilli ice cream for us to share, but our server recommended the chocolate pudding, saying it was her favorite (in her very scripted sense, I think it was something along the lines of "Would you like to order dessert?  My favorite is the chocolate pudding", said as one breath).

So, he decided to upgrade to the pudding rather than just the ice cream, since it came with the chilli ice cream anyway.  As an ice cream lover and pudding lover, I supported this move.

At least, it was supposed to come with the aformentioned chilli ice cream.   Instead, it had the cinnamon ice cream, their other ice cream offering.  Perhaps this was a mistake?  Perhaps they ran out and didn't bother mention the substitution?  Either way, disappointing for us, since we wanted to try the chilli ice cream.

The ice cream was fine, besides being the wrong flavor, but wasn't really remarkable in any way, not particularly creamy nor rich.

The pudding was a warm chocolate pudding ... in the British sense of pudding.  One person was expecting american pudding, not this.  It was more like a molten chocolate cake.  The interior was goo, the top was a thicker custard.  It was dark, and fairly rich, but somehow not very chocolately.

We were all underwhelmed with this dessert.  It was just a standard molten chocolate cake and generic ice cream, no more, no less.  Fine, but, it went unfinished.

Pineapple & Black Pepper Crumble. £5.50.

"Tangy fresh pineapple infused with black pepper and Keralan vanilla, bedded beneath a layer of crumble topping. Served warm, with custard on the side."

I had my eye on the crumble of course, as I love crumbles, even though pineapple would never be my first choice of fruit.

It too was served hot, which I appreciate.  The base was pineapple, warm, soft, and really quite sweet.  It was fine for what it was.

The crumble on top added a good crunch, and had some doughy bits which I liked, but, none of us tasted any black pepper.  Not that we necessarily wanted to taste black pepper, but, that is what made this dish sound unique.

Of course, I loved the hot custard on the side.  We poured a little over it to let it soak in.  Then we poured on more and more.  The custard was good, rather thin at first when it was hot, but it thickened as it cooled.  It had good vanilla flavor, clearly real vanilla not extract.

I was happy enough with this dessert, but, I can't say I'd get it again.  My favorite aspect was the pitcher of custard, which of course I finished myself.

So, like the chocolate pudding, this was just fairly standard.  Fruit topped with crumble, no particularly spicing, no real pop to it, but at least it was warm.

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