I’ve always really enjoyed their menu of spice-packed Indian street food featuring dishes such as pav bhaji, dum biryani and paratha rolls. It’s still the same shtick in their new venue but there have been some price increases since my last visit; for example, the mixed bhaji was £3.50 but is now £5.95 and their thali was £9.50 but is now £14.95.
The dining space is homely, unique and intimate. It’s a far cry from the glut of slick cookie cutter chains which have arrived in Cardiff city centre of late.
Pints of Cobra (£3.95) were cold and not too fizzy; the ideal curry foil.
We shared a selection of starters.
Golden, crisp mixed bhaji (£5.95) were served with a vibrant coriander and mint chutney. Verdant spinach leaves, tender disks of potato and soft shreds of onion were all on the mark.
Paneer tikka (£6.25) pieces were creamy, squidgy and golden crusted. They were cleverly split down the middle and stuffed with a whopping flavoured mint and garlic marinade.
Dahi puri (£5.99) delivered megaton payloads of flavour and texture. The crispy puffed puri were filled with soft potato, sweet minty yoghurt and tangy tamarind and topped with vermicelli fronds.
Mains were even more multi-dimensional in their spicing.
A good sized thali (£14.95) didn’t have a weak link. From curry leaf-laced tender lamb curry to a hot and sour potato curry and silky mustard seed spiced dhal, everything was delicious. Fluffy rice, mouth-puckering lime pickle, flaky paratha, potato bhaji, creamy mint raitha and a poppadom completed the dish.
Mrs G’s masala dosa (£5.99) was another massive winner. The rolled up newspaper sized thin and crisp pancake was filled with a comforting spiced potato mix and joined by more of that delicious dhal and a spicy chutney. A bowl of chicken curry (£7.95) was decadently creamy and coconutty whilst delivering a huge level of fragrant spice.
At this stage, it’s worth flagging a few issues we had with service. It took a few prompts to receive menus, have our order taken and ask for more drinks. Mrs G’s main dish also arrived a fair bit after everyone else’s. But, I’ll let Three B’s off because there’s no doubt they’re serving some of the best Indian food in Cardiff city centre. And because I’m sure their friendly serving team can rectify all of these problems.
The Details:
Address - 3B's Cafe, 12 High St, Cardiff CF10 1AX
Web - http://www.3bscafe.com/
Telephone - 029 2037 2352
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