Thava’s flavours and aromas bring a taste of India to GrandWest
Cape Town - It’s like a troupe of Bollywood dancers on your tongue, with all the aromas and spices and colours of India.
This is Thava Restaurant at GrandWest Casino and Entertainment World.
The brand new Thava branch had its opening launch on Thursday, which took us on a journey to India in the heart of the Cape. Thava has its roots in Kerala, India, affectionately known as god’s own country.
On entering the restaurant one cannot help but rhythmically dance to the loud but welcoming Indian music. Not being a very big fan of spicy food (or loud music), I nevertheless thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
The food is spicy, though not the spiciness one gets from adding chillies, but flavoursome spicy aromas that can only be achieved by aromatic spices and herbs. Authentic flavours which happily take your tastebuds to India.
There was an array of curries but I opted for the mutton, prawn and butter chicken curries.
All three tasted just like their aromas – divine. The mutton and prawn curry paired perfectly with the pilau rice. My favourite was the butter chicken, which I ate with the soft roti.
The dessert was a perfect cleanse of the pallet and replaced the spiciness of my main meal with heavenly sweetness.
Thava served Gajar ka halwa, also known as gajorer halua, gajrela, gajar pak, a carrot-based sweet dessert pudding made by placing grated carrots in a pot containing a specific amount of water, milk, sugar and cardamom paired with sevaya kheer (vermicelli milk pudding).
The rest of the menu offers a mouth-watering array of vegetarian, vegan, lamb, chicken or seafood dishes to select from, off a menu that includes fragrant curries, biryanis and stews, spicy tandoori and masala dishes, all served with traditional breads, rice dishes and side dishes of freshly prepared chutneys, pickles or vegetables. All of their meats are strictly halaal and are not cook with alcohol.
If you prefer a glass of wine there are a variety – from a classic house red to a cocktail. And if you are a lover of Indian food and tradition this restaurant comes highly recommended.