Since Gautham Iyer and his wife Caroline opened this very small South Indian restaurant in December 2012 it has not only built up a laoyal local cleint ele but also attracted customers from far beyond Cork city - who come for the consistent excellence and authenticity of food which is also very keenly priced for the quality.
Gautham - a veteran of Electric Picnic and some very successful pop-ups - is an expert forager and everything on his entirely vegetarian menu is prepared freshly on site.
While the ever changing menu will be new to many people, the service is very friendly, considerate and helpful with queries. The deftly handled spicing is not at all extreme, and customers are encouraged to add their special pickle if more heat is desired.
Some popular Indian specialities like dosas and samosas are regularly featured, including Samosa Chaat; an enhanced version of the classic with chick pea chole (curry), red onion, rice puffs and garnish, it is crunchy, judiciously spiced and very tasty.
The Dosas are like big pancakes or crepes and come plain or with various fillings - Onion or Masala, for example - and all are served with homemade chutneys (tomato, perhaps, or coconut) and sambar (a kind of soup, maybe with a bit of spice). There are some rice dishes too, one to look out for is Tamarind Rice, which is a lovely mix of colours, flavours and textures, and comes with a spinach Kootu and poppadom.
There's also a lovely range of cooling drinks including the great tasting Mango Lassi, Fresh Lime Soda (with sugar or salt), a summery Mango Misty, the refreshing Apple & Mango Juice and some sweet ones too such as Mango Kulfi.
And to finish, don't go without having something sweet, from the counter. All the baking is done by Gautham’s wife, Caroline, who provides plenty of temptations to to indulge in with your Badger and Dodo coffee - a Chai Masala Brownie, perhaps, or a slice of Pistachio and Rosewater Cake, or a Cashew and Coconut Cookie... All are equally delicious and, like everything at this super little cafe, handmade with care and authenticity.
