What could be out of the ordinary in a street packed with eateries? You would think so when you stroll down the lane where Jyoti Niwas College is located in 5th block, Koramangala. But then Kopper Kadai, which opened recently, is an exception.
It has been in the news for receiving a special mention by the Masterchef judge, Matt Preston, who was in the city recently, and has received good reviews. These factors and the fact that it had been conceived by celebrity chef, Akshay Nayyar, piqued our curiosity. This was a restaurant that had to be visited.
As we enter the restaurant we are informed it’s fare of the North West Frontier Province. Copper is the dominant theme of the restaurant, from the utensils and decor to the general colour, interspersed with hues of rust and bottle green.
It is spacious and quite packed. But the restaurant has been designed such that the tables are set apart so as not to block passageways and intrude into the personal space of other diners.
The entrance has 172 hanging copper spoons symbolising the spices used for cooking, all of which they claim are hand-made. At one end are copper handis fitted onto a device that has warm water flowing under the handis, a cooking process which keeps the food fresh. The old-style and sophisticated furniture and cutlery are all customised.
The sherbets--alcohol is not served here--are worth a try. We sample kiwi ambi panna, made of smoked raw mango, gooseberry and green chilli, masakali, a frozen lemon drink and chatmolafatafat, a combination of cola and jaljeera. It was hard to choose which was tastier. Each has a distinct taste.
We find even more uniqueness in the way the food is served. Patiala hari mirch fried chicken (PFC), a fitting reply to its American counterpart, is served in a mini-sized truck!
An upturned umbrella, charpoys -- it is entertaining to see the varied serving dishes. We next sample the soya bean chaap, which isn’t all that wonderful. But the Lucknowi dahi ki shammi, which is yoghurt patties with a hint of ginger and chilli, made up for that disappointment. We couldn't wait to savour ganna chicken. This minced chicken kebab served on marinated sugar cane sticks with sweet and sour sauce was hailed by Masterchef judge Matt. And you would know why as this was one of the best dishes of the evening. The sugar cane stick lends a truly outstanding twist to it.
Kebab number 4, Kiari kebab, a Kopper Kadai signature dish, lamb kebab served in Indian white sauce, was also delicious. The main course has a range of curries and biriyani to choose from. The dessert, though, was the icing on the cake. We were served Batessa cake, similar to son papdi, but layered with mawa. It left us speechless. After the experience at Kopper Kadai, we knew why it is still among the highest rated restaurants on Zomato in the city.
Kopper Kadai is located at 5th block, 77A Jyoti Niwas College Road. Prior reservation is required. Call: 49652518
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Ambience: Soothing
Wallet factor: Rs. 1,200 for two
Speciality: Ganna chicken
