Cafè Malabar

Thought we did come across quite an unfamiliar sight when we were going around the Arab Street vicinity right across from Golden Landmark Shopping Complex — Cafe Malabar is a pretty recent addition to the neighbourhood, being housed within a shophouse unit along the same stretch of shophouses where one would be able to find notable dining establishments such as PST Pizza Studio Tamaki. As the namesake suggests, Cafe Malabar is o an establishment that serves Indian cuisine — quite a bit of a rare breed in the Kampong Glam neighbourhood especially considering how Cafe Malabar emphasises on serving up Kerala-style cuisine that is more commonly found in the Little India district than the Kampong Glam neighbourhood. The menu is actually surprisingly wide and consists of quite a number of communal dishes amongst some individually-sized ones; the menu being split into categories such as that of Cafe Malabar Signatures, Erachi (Beef), Kozhi (Chicken), Vegtarian & Egg, Egg Selection, Vegetarian Favourites, Aadu (Mutton), Meen (Fish), Bread and Rice, Small Bites & Starters, and Desserts.

The Paal Kappa with Erachi Curry was one of the dishes that stood out to us considering how it was being described in the menu; elements coming with the dish includes steamed cassava that is then mashed, coconut milk, and beef curry — also a dish that is marked as a Chef’s Recommendation in the Cafe Malabar Signatures section of the menu as well. Patrons also do get a choice to go for the Meen Curry (i.e. spicy fish curry) if beef isn’t up to their fancy. The dish comes in a bowl with a swirly aesthetic with a hollow centre; the middle being where the beef curry is being plated while the swirls hold the cassava. Other garnishes included were dried chilli, fried shallots, wok-fried curry leaves and mustard seeds. Digging into the dish, we did find that the consistency of the steamed and mashed cassava to be pretty close to that of mashed potatoes — that being said, we did feel that the overall texture was lighter and fluffier than that of mashed potatoes, while there is a slight saltish-ness that came with a creamy note that came from the use of coconut milk. The addition of other spices like mustard seeds and curry leaves do add a different dimension of flavours to the dish; the curry leaves adding a hint of fragrance, while the fried shallots add another dimension of savouriness to the cassava. The Erachi Curry was rich and fragrant from the use of various spices, while the cubes of beef does come with a slight gaminess that adds depth to the flavours of the curry itself; the chunks of beef being cooked to a tender texture that was easy to chew without any fatty or veiny parts.