Sometimes going slightly off the beaten track brings unexpected results. Last Friday we set out on foot from the city centre along the banks of the River Taff. Our destination was the Vegetarian Food Store, by all the online accounts, an award winning Indian restaurant. In reality, it wasn’t that far from the beaten track, but our poor map reading, even with an iPhone app, meant we went some 20 minutes out of our way through a residential area. But believe me when I say it was worth it…
The Vegetarian Food Studio is unassuming from the outside, but you enter into a large, slightly rustic restaurant, with an Indian sweet counter in one corner and beautifully painted murals on the walls. The menu was helpfully divided into sections, including south Indian, Gujarati and oriental sections. However, it was our choice of starter that set the tone for a true taste sensation.
We opted to share an absolutely awesome plate of Sev Puri (pictured). The puri (crispy rice balls) were layered with an exotic mix of potatoes, onions, tamarind sauce, coriander, and plenty of sev (small crunchy sticks made from chick pea flour). It was rich, sumptuously spiced, and oh so tasty.
This excellent starter was followed by our equally exquisite mains. I had a Paneer Dosa, served with a traditional south Indian sambar while Karon chose Ringan No-oro, a spicy aubergine dish, which she had with lemon rice. By the time we’d finished we were comfortably full, so we resisted the temptation to buy some barfi from the sweet counter.
It was a Friday evening when we visited, and by 8.00pm it was just about full. It’s also worth mentioning that they don’t have a drinks licence, but diners are welcome to bring their own. Overall it was a fabulous meal. We’d both return to the Vegetarian Food Studio if we are ever in Cardiff again.