The restaurant, unsurprisingly, has a very strong curry scent. I'm not sure what it is about curries that manages to make it's scent eat into fabrics and linger for an eternity. Sort of like durians. But I digress. Dining at Haandi starts off with a cute tablet-type thing on your table. The waiter pours warm water, upon which it expands into a towel to freshen up the face. Always a good sign when a restaurant tries to impress / entertain.
Plain and savoury papadums. I especially liked the savoury papadum that was loaded with a concoction that tasted not unlike salsa. Indian-Spanish crossover cuisine? Ha ha.
Deep fried vegetable cutlets. Didn't particularly care for this, but we had a vegetarian in the dining party.
Selection of Naans to go with our mains - the range available is pretty similar to what we get here in Malaysia - plain, cheese, garlic, etc.
What I also like is that the mains are served in metal bowls on top of a large slab of heated metal. Keeps the food nice and warm. Clockwise from top left:
- Fish Hari Amritsari (Fish Masala)
- Mixed Vegetable Jhal Frazie (Mixed Vegetables in masala sauce)
- Palak Paneer (Spinach + Cottage Cheese)
- Chicken Nilgiri Tikka (Chicken Breast BBQ)
The food was overall very good, and our companion of Indian origin agreed that it was relatively authentic. I also thought that the spiciness of the curries suited a Malaysian tastebud very well - not too spicy, but also not excessively neutered.
Haandi is located in The Mall Shopping Centre, Westgate. Prices for mains are about 800-1000 KSh, and expect to add on another 400-500 KSh per person for Naan's, rice, and/or drinks. (MYR 1.00 = 27.9 KSh)
