Kauai, get ready for a new plate lunch — south Indian style.
It’s called thali, and it’s the new lunch special at Shivalik Indian Cuisine.
The Waipouli restaurant reopened Friday under new management, after being closed for four days for renovation. Sam Sudhakaran will be leading a completely new crew, including a new curry chef, tandoor chef and two prep chefs.
In addition to the traditionally prepared Indian food that has been served at Shivalik since 2010, Sudhakaran is looking forward to introducing some new things.
Such as thali.
Shivalik’s new menu describes thali as “a traditional Indian take on the classic plate lunch.”
Each lunch includes certain dishes: a main entree, basmati rice, yellow dal, vegetable curry, achar (Indian pickle), naan (flatbread) and salad.
Diners will get to choose their own entree, and — perhaps more importantly — their desired level of heat.
That makes thali better than the lunch buffet formerly offered at Shivalik, said Sudhakaran. On a buffet line, all the dishes have to be prepared with the same amount of spiciness. But some diners want searing heat while others prefer milder meals.
This way, diners can get exactly the level of spices they prefer.
“Some customers need spicy,” he said. So when they order the thali, “I can add it.”
The lunch special features eight vegetarian entrees, ranging from dal makhani and chana masala, to saag paneer and eggplant. The non-vegetarian choices are chicken, lamb or shrimp curry, and chicken tika masala (All the vegetarian entrees are $9.99, while the meat dishes are a few dollars more).
Sudhakaran served me a preview of the thali a week before the reopening. A large tray was loaded with chicken tika masala, mixed vegetable curry, palak paneer and yellow dal. A heaping serving of basmati rice and fresh salad rounded out the generous meal. It was all delicious, especially the palak paneer.
A thick curry sauce made from a dense and flavorful spinach puree, it was dotted with cubes of potatoes and paneer, a fresh Indian cheese made at Shivalik.
The chicken tika masala featured large chunks of boneless chicken that had been marinated, then grilled in the tandoor, or traditional clay oven, and finally sautéed in a savory tomato sauce.
The vegetable curry and dal were also very tasty. But honestly, for this naan fan, the most enjoyable part of the whole meal was the chance to indulge in lots of fresh flatbread made by an expert.
Shivalik’s naan was perfect: slightly crispy and slightly chewy, perfect for dipping into the sauces and scooping up dal.
Intrigued by the other varieties I spotted on the dinner menu, I went back later to try two: the lassan naan, studded with freshly chopped garlic and cilantro ($3.75); and paneer kulcha, stuffed with spiced Indian cheese ($4.50). The Peshawari naan (stuffed with finely ground nuts and raisins) will have to wait for another visit.
The naan is prepared on Shivalik’s clay tandoor oven which uses charcoal, not gas. That gives the food a natural flavor, explained Sudhakaran.
Another unique food that requires special equipment will be added to the menu soon. Sudhakaran plans to introduce dosa, a “very special, traditional south Indian dish.”
The thin pancake can only be made by a very experienced person using a special grill. Sudhakaran plans to begin offering very healthy food, which is “very popular everywhere on the Mainland,” soon.
Slight changes may be made to the dinner menu, but traditional favorites will be retained, with the addition of popular south Indian dishes, Sudhakaran said.
The biggest change will be the switch from the lunch buffet to thali style lunches, but a dinner buffet will still be available from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays because the owners know how much Kauai diners love buffets.
Sudhakaran, who is also a chef, brings 30 years of restaurant experience to his new role as manager. He sounded excited about the challenge.
“It’s good,” he said, looking around Shivalik. “It’s good.”
Shivalik Indian Cuisine is located at 4-771 Kuhio Highway, Kapaa, near Foodland in the Waipouli Shopping Center. Lunch is served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and dinner is served from 5 to 9:30 p.m. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.
Shivalik offers a kamaaina discount of 10 percent, although that does not apply to the lunch special.
For more information, call 821-2333 or go to shivalikindiancuisine.com.
