Kayra @ Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Kuala Lumpur

Kayra is an authentic Keralite restaurant that is located in Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Kuala Lumpur. They had started slightly more than a year now but due to the distance, I had not been able to visit them any sooner. There's been lot's of positive reviews about this place and being one who loves Malayalee food,  I was eagerly waiting for the day that I get a chance to drop by and thankfully, we managed to drop by this afternoon. 

Kayra Located Along Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1

Opening Hours

Lovely Decor

Comfortable Ambiance

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This restaurant is open daily from 12 noon till 3.30 pm and again from 6.30 pm till 11.00 pm. Despite us having arrived at around 2.30 pm, the staffs still gave us a very warm welcome although they knew that we would be stealing some of their rest time. That was such a lovely gesture. Another thing that impressed me is the overall professional look and feel that the restaurant had. The menu was an elaborate one having a range of authentic Kerala dishes and it took us a while to finally come to a conclusion as to what we shall be having. Thankfully, the waiter was very cooperative and assisted us whenever he could. 

Ginger Chiller @ RM 11.90

They had a range of interesting drinks on offer and I suppose some of them might be some famous ones in Kerala. I ordered the above Ginger Chiller, a drink that I have not tasted before and it was pretty refreshing. Loved the taste too! My rating for this shall be 9/10.

Ari Pathiri @ RM 5.00

Rice Pathiri is something that I had not tasted in a very long time and I was very happy to see it in their menu. It was perfectly prepared and it did taste good. My rating for this shall be 9/10. 

Puttu @ RM 10.00

For RM 10.00 , we got two large heaps of Puttu. This alone would have been enough for us actually as it was quite huge. The texture was perfect and so was the aroma. Again another one that deserves a 9/10. 

Avial @ RM 13.00

This is one of my favourite Malayalee vegetable dishes and it's a must have for me whenever I visit a Keralite restaurant. The preparation was very good and I loved the flavours. The vegetables were not overcooked and you could enjoy the crispiness along with the mildly sour gravy. 9/10 is what I would rate this. 

Chemeen Masala @ RM 35.00

This spicy Kerala style Prawn Masala was extremely good. A very spicy dish just the way it should be and it came with fresh prawns served in thick masala. The gravy was so addictive and went so well with the Puttu as well as Pathiri. I would definitely give this 10/10. 

Nadan Erechi Ularthiyathu @ RM 32.00

This Kerala Style Mutton Roast was a fantastic dish. Even from afar, we could get the delicious aroma of the dish and it was so good. A slightly dry dish but it was a treat to mutton lovers like me. The texture of the mutton was so soft and tender and the medium spicy gravy complimented it so well. I will definitely give this 10/10. 

Masala Tea

Nothing beats having a Masala Tea after a sumptuous meal. The Masala Tea was a little strong and the flavours of the Masala dominated the drink. This isn't usually the case in Tamil restaurants and I am not too sure if this is how it is served in Kerala. Nevertheless, it was a drink that I enjoyed. 

I must confess that Kayra does serve some excellent Kerala food. Every item that we tried was so good and it was great to find such s diverse offering in their menu. Chemeen Masala and Nadan Erechi Ularthiyathu were two dishes that were mind blowing. Prices are on the high side but it's totally worth it. If you're looking for some excellent Kerala cuisine, Kayra is the place. 

Address: No. 46, Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 1, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, 60000 Kuala Lumpur.

Opening Hours: 1200 - 1530 & 1830 - 2300 Daily

Restoran Hijas @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Restoran Hijas is now the most popular Indian Muslim restaurant in Tanjung Malim. Located along Jalan Cahaya in Taman Anggerik Desa, this restaurant operates 24 hours daily and has a huge base of loyal customers, mostly from the nearby University. Though there ins't any illuminated sign at the restaurant, the place is occupying the same unit as Hotel Cahaya and is directly opposite the Hindu Temple at the traffic lights. Do note that this is not a Tamil Muslim restaurant as the owners are Malayalee Muslims. That being said, some of their food items would be tasting differently as the Malayalees are very famous for their Roti Canai, Tea and Fish Curry. I have been here many times before and have also blogged about them once but that was limited to their Roti Canai, Mee Goreng and Teh Tarik. Today, I am returning with an intent to try their rice and curries.

The Restaurant

Quite Empty

This evening, due to the fasting month, the place was quite empty. We arrived here slightly before the breaking fast time and food were freshly prepared and placed at the counter The available spread was excellent too. I know that the place would be full house in a matter of 30 minutes or so and decided on having a quick meal before the crowd arrives. 

Teh Tarik @ RM 1.30

Teh Tarik @ RM 1.30

Their Tea was very good. Well, Keralites are famous for their excellent tea and this was no exception here. I would rate their tea at 9.5/10 .

Teh O @ RM 1.20

Teh O @ RM 1.20

My Brother Having His Tea

My brother ordered a glass of Teh O and that too was very good. I would rate that at 9/10 . As the place was quite empty, we had the benefit of being served like priority customers. Having gotten our drinks, I then went over to their curries station to get my meal.

My Dinner @ RM 6.00

As mentioned before, the available selection was excellent and I was spoilt for choice. After great contemplation, I selected my dishes and returned to our table. I choose some Fried Bitter Gourd, Long Beans, Ayam Masak Kicap and Fish Curry. Once back to the table, one of the waiters came over to evaluate what I had taken to write the bill and he had charged me RM 6.00 for the above. I feel that the price was very reasonable for the number of items that I have taken. Now, time to enjoy my meal.

Fish Curry

Fish Curry

Their Fish Curry was excellent! It is definitely the best that I have tasted in Tanjung Malim (Indian Muslim Style). It was not the watered down version and was filled with aromatic spices. Do note that their Fish Curry is cooked with Fish Head and that gives it an extra punch. Excellent and I would rate this at 9/10 .

Long Beans Perattal

Long Beans Perattal

Another good preparation. What I love most about this is simply the fact that the beans were still fresh and not overcooked like what is commonly served in most Indian restaurants. And the mixture of ingredients had given it an excellent taste too. I would rate this at 9/10 .

Fried Bitter Gourd

Fried Bitter Gourd

Fried Bitter Gourd is one of my favourites and goes very well with Fish Curry. Of course not all would have a liking for this as it is generally bitter. Somehow I just love this vegetable and loved the preparation here. Dipped into flour and deep fried to a golden brown perfection. These little rings were a true delight. I would rate them at 9.5/10 .

Ayam Kicap

Ayam Kicap

A commonly found dish in most Nasi Kandar outlets. This was not up to that standard of those authentic Nasi Kandar joints, nevertheless it was still considered very good for a day to day Indian Muslim restaurant. It had a thick coating of Kicap (Soy Sauce) and tasted sweet and spicy. Good I would say and my rating for this shall be 8.8/10 .

Our Bill For The Day

Overall, I am very happy with the food here. Seriously, I did not expect the food to be this good and came with low expectations. Now, I am truly overwhelmed and would definitely be a returning customer. Looking forward to tasting more of their dishes soon!

Address: No. 5, Jalan Cahaya, Taman Anggerik Desa, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak

Opening Hours: 24 Hours Daily (Closed from 1200 - 1400 on Fridays)

Restoran Hijas @ Tanjung Malim, Perak

Restoran Hijas is now the most buzzing Indian Muslim restaurant in Tanjung Malim. Located along Jalan Cahaya in Taman Anggerik Desa, this restaurant operates 24 hours daily and has a huge base of loyal customers, mostly from the nearby University. Though there ins't any illuminated sign at the restaurant, the place is occupying the same unit as Hotel Cahaya and is directly opposite the Hindu Temple at the traffic lights. It was almost midnight and I wanted to have a quick meal and since I had never tried this restaurant, decided to drop by the place.

Restoran Hijas in Tanjung Malim

Interior of the restaurant

Cashier Counter

Curry Station

This restaurant is owned and run by Malayalee Muslims and not Tamil Muslims. Usually, the Roti Canai is quite good at Malayalee Muslim restaurants but the curry is not up to the standard of the Tamil Muslim restaurants. That is generally a rule that has generally been accurate throughout my knowledge but I am yet to try out this place. Also, it was amusing to see a framed photograph of the owner with the IGP being displayed above the cashier counter, wonder what purpose does that serve. The restaurant set up is just like any other Indian Muslim restaurant and it was generally clean. During my time at the restaurant, there was a high turnover of customers and the staffs were very efficiently coping with it.

Thai Dishes Menu

Thai Dishes Menu

Naan and Tandoori Items

Besides the usual curries and dishes, they also offer the above Thai food and that is specific to dinner onwards only. They also have the Malabari Briyani for lunch which is a unique style of Briyani originating from the state of Kerala in India. Honestly, the staffs here were not too courteous or friendly. They never put on a smile and seem to be only doing their job and this is same with the owner who sits at the cashier too. 

Teh Tarik @ RM 1.30

Their Tea was good. Well the Keralites are famous for their excellent tea and this was no exception here. I would rate their tea at 9/10 .

Mee Goreng @ RM 4.00

Wet Style

Their Mee Goreng was also good but as you can see, it was not prepared similar to the Tamil Muslim style as this preparation was on the wet side.  The flavours were good and they came with some chicken chunks, onion, tomato and bird's eye chilies. Not too spicy, it was an ideal dish and I would rate it at 9/10 .

Roti Canai @ RM 1.00

Roti Canai @ RM 1.00

Surprisingly, their Roti Canai failed to impress me. It was not up to standard that I had expected it to be. Honestly, this was second to the Roti Canais prepared by the Tamil Muslims too. Taste wise, I would only rate this at 8.2/10 .

Fish Curry

Fish Curry

I had requested for Fish Curry to go with the Roti Canai. Their Fish Curry however was excellent. Usually curries in Malayalee Muslim restaurants are just average but here this particular curry, though it was the only curry that I had tried, was good and impressive. Perfectly flavoured, I would rate this at 8.9/10 .

On the whole, it was a satisfactory dining experience for me and the prices seemed to be reasonable too. I would definitely return again to try out their Kerala Special Briyani sometime. 

Address: No. 5, Jalan Cahaya, Taman Anggerik Desa, 35900 Tanjung Malim, Perak

Opening Hours: 24 Hours Daily (Closed from 1200 - 1400 on Fridays)

Malabar Palace @ Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur

Restaurant Malabar Palace is a one of it's kind restaurant that is located on the Ground Floor of Hartamas Shopping Centre. This restaurant is one of the few restaurants in Kuala Lumpur that specialises in Malayalee / Kerala cuisine. They have been around since 2009 and have had a good response from the locals around this area. Being inside a shopping mall, they have not had the exposure that they deserve except from a few patrons who have visited them and blogged about this restaurant. Other than that, it is little known to the world outside and this includes the Malayalee community. Since it is a Sunday, my brother and I decided to head here for a splurge lunch. 

Restaurant Malabar Palace in Hartamas Shopping Centre

Interior of the Restaurant

This restaurant is located on the far end of the Ground Floor of Hartamas Shopping Centre. It does not have a very large seating capacity as there is a limited space. They have a very small outside seating area that can accommodate three small tables and then an inside seating area that accommodates roughly around 40 pax max at any one time. All their staffs including their Chef are from Kerala, India. Do note that this is a Halal restaurant but they also do offer alcohol on their menu. 

Papadam

Special Chutney

The moment that we walked in a took our seats, the above Papadam and Chutney were served. This was served on the house. In fact, once the Papadam was done, they topped it up for us. This is the first time that I am seeing the Papadam being topped up. Usually, it is only for a single serving. The Papadam was fried fresh as we arrived and it was not something that was stale. The Chutney tasted something like the Inchi Puli but it was something else altogether. It tasted excellent and was slightly on the spicy side. In short, the Chutney was very delicious. I would rate it at 10/10 .

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The Menu

The above are just a few pages from their menu. They did have a very good selection of dishes and they were all reasonably priced. 

Lassi @ RM 6.00

The Lassi here was quite good. It was thick and sweetened to just the right level. I would say that for RM 6.00, this is quite cheap. I would rate this drink at 9/10 .

Masala Tea @ RM 6.00

The Masala Tea was on the light side. There was a good amount of masala but it was not too strong. I would usually prefer this to be much stronger. Nevertheless, it was still nice. I would rate this drink at 7/10 .

Fish Cutlet @ RM 11.50

Their Fish Cutlet set came with two large cutlets along with some Spicy & Sour Mint Chutney. The Fish Cutlet was coated in bread crumbs and the patty was mixed with Potato's and some vegetables. I would have preferred the patty to only have fish instead of mixing it with other items as it had subdued the taste of the fish and it felt more like having a Potato Cutlet instead. I would rate this dish at 6.5/10 .

Malabar Special Soup @ RM 7.00

This soup was very unique as I had not seen this in any other Indian restaurants and it must be unique to Kerala. It was typically Lamb Bone Marrow cooked with lentils and the Chef's Special Sauce. There was also a lot of cumin and turmeric in it. It had chunks of mashed lamb in it and tasted really good, though slightly on the spicy side. I would rate this soup at 9.7/10 .

Malabar Crab Soup @ RM 10.00

This soup was made from Roasted Crab Meat along with some Coriander Roots, crushed Pepper, roasted Garlic and a mix of spices and it came in a  clear broth. This soup was only above average though it came with a lot of crabs. I felt that it lacked pepper and it would have been better if more pepper was added to it. I would rate this soup at 6.5/10 .

3 Butter Naans @ RM 12.60

We decided to have Naan's instead of rice. The Butter Naan's were priced at RM 4.20 each and that is definitely a very reasonable price. They were also very soft and came with loads of butter spread on them. This was definitely an excellent preparation. I would rate their Naan's at 10/10 .

Malabar Lamb Varatal @ RM 19.00

This dish is the Kerala style Lamb Masala that is pan roasted with onions, red chilies, peppercorns and enriched with turmeric, fresh ginger, clove, cinnamon, star anis and cardamon. Being pan roasted, the lamb was very tender and it was juicy and delicious with a slight clove aftertaste to it. Both of us enjoyed this dish and it was very well prepared. I would rate this dish at 9.5/10 .

Avial @ RM 12.00

This is a very traditional Malayalee dish and it is one of my favourites. It is typically Muringa Oleisora and mixed vegetables cooked with semi grated coconut, turmeric, yogurt, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Due to the yogurt, it has a slightly sour taste to it but it was absolutely delicious. A very well prepared dish. I would rate this dish at 10/10 .

Crab Varatal @ RM 28.00

This dish is the Kerala style Crab Masala that is pan roasted with onions, red chilies, peppercorns and enriched with turmeric, fresh ginger, clove, cinnamon, star anis and cardamon. Please do note that this dish is only available on weekends and Public Holidays. For the price of RM 28.00, it definitely did have a decent amount of crabs. Although the style of cooking was the same as per the previous Lamb dish, this was slightly on the spicy side. The Chef had ensured that the gravy was not only on the outside and it had seeped in well into the crab meat giving it an wonderful flavour. Definitely a highly recommended dish. I would rate this dish at 9.8/10 .

Kerala Payasam @ RM 7.00

Close Look at the Payasam

Kerala Payasam is very much different to the Tamil  Payasam. Here it is much thicker, has grated coconut in it and is made to be very much sweeter. There is also a lot of palm sugar that is added in the dish. Here, this Payasam was very well made  and I would rate it at 9.5/10 .

On the whole, this place has definitely some good food to offer. If you love Indian food and want a change from the usual North Indian or Tamil style of dishes, this would be a great place as it gives you a new culinary experience and an array of dishes to taste which are specific to the state of Kerala.  

Address: Lot G13A, Ground Floor, Hartamas Shopping Centre, 

                No. 60, Jalan Sri Hartamas, Sri Hartamas 1, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Opening Hours: 1000 - 2200 Daily

Telephone: +603 6206 2310

Website: http://malabarpalace.webs.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/malabarpalacekl