Saturday, 1 August 2015

Chutney Roti, Whitchurch Road, Cardiff restaurant review


Chutney Roti on Whitchurch Road is an interesting proposition.

Their menu largely comprises of home-style Indian food with a strong showing of fish dishes. In fact, one of the menu’s sections is called Sea World - reassuringly there’s no sign of Willy or Shamu.

For those looking for something more familiar, all the old favourites including bhunas and kormas are present and correct.


Crisp & fresh poppadoms (70p each) were accompanied by an interesting mix of chutneys (£1.50). Fragrant nigella seed flecked mango chutney & a fruity yet not too sweet blackberry chutney were the standouts. 


To start, Amritsari fish (£4.50) comprised of tilapia fillets coated in an intensely spiced batter twanged with garlic, ginger and cumin. 


A pair of generously filled samosas (£3.50) were pepped up with a topping of chopped red onion, yoghurt and a mix of chutneys. Whilst the samosa pastry lacked a bit in crispness, the addition of pastry shards provided welcome crunch. 


Unsurprisingly, chilli paneer had a good wallop of heat (£4.95). Fried cubes of cheese were served with a mix of peppers and onions. It was a good plate but lacked the hit of soy sauce I'd normally associated with this Indo-Chinese classic.


Mains were all very good.

Dhaba lamb (£8.50) contained a generous amount of yielding meat in a sauce of onion, tomato and coriander with a tang of yoghurt. 


Ginger chicken (£7.99) was succinctly described on the menu as “Chef’s speciality”. Another lovely curry, tender meat was served in a tomato-based sauce stacked with fresh ginger. 


Finally, prawn chettinad (£12.99) contained a ton of juicy tiger prawns in a sauce containing fragrant curry leaf, fresh ginger, onions and pepper. Described as medium, I reckon it could have done with a bigger whack of chilli. 


Accompanying paratha contained the expected layers but could have been slightly more buttery. 


Plain naan breads (£1.95) were excellent.


So too was lemon rice (£2.95) which was well fragranced and fluffy. 


Chutney Roti’s dessert menu is particularly strong with no sign of a Punky Penguin or ice cream filled coconut shell. Options include chocolate samosas, mango & cinnamon cheesecake & kulfi.

Tandoori pineapple (£4.50) was soft and juicy with a smoky lick of char. A drizzle of honey and crushed pistachios added sweetness and crunch. A scoop of pistachio ice cream was well flavoured but could have been a touch smoother. 


Gulab jamun (£3.50) were of the highest order. Warm, moist and sweet yet still retaining a spongey bite. They were accompanied by more of the same pistachio ice cream. 


Dinner at Chutney Roti was very good - it’s definitely one to add to your to visit list.

The Details:
Address - Chutney Roti, 90-92 Whitchurch Road, Cardiff CF14 3LY
Telephone - 029 2023 1511

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