Sunday 6 April 2014

The Peas Family Reunion: Part Two, The Purple Poppadom


We had a few days to recover from this before we went to the Purple Poppadom (a sentence that skates over such sights as my sister and father pulling a chicken carcass apart with their hands, my sister getting tipsy on a school night for the first time in living memory, a car blowing up, and all the other related drama that occurs when the Peas clan is forced to share a pod) and due to some baby-sitting issues the guest list went through some flux.

In the end, I was joined by Rasputin, Mr Green, my sister and her husband, and my seven-year-old niece, La Petite Pea.

Now, on a table this size, it is nearly impossible to keep track of what other people are eating, and there were some dishes I didn’t get to try, much to my regret.

Everything was exquisitely done, however. The starters alone were a masterpiece in presentation and content. Admittedly, La Petite Pea didn’t like her starter, but my sister and I made short work of her potato cake, Bombay Chat, and puffed rice salad. It was nice enough, but couldn’t hold a candle to the Nandu Trio we had both chosen – soft shell crab fried in a crispy batter that was as light as a thought, a coconut and crab salad with sweetcorn, and a tasty little crab cake. Writing about it now makes me sad I’m not eating it right this minute. Mr Green had chosen Fresh from the Creamery which used paneer, Tintern cheese, and a warm goat’s cheese to great effect – and although I still preferred the crab, it was really interesting to see the way they combined Indian and Welsh food.

Fortunately, La Petite Pea enjoyed her main course much more, and she finished her Lamb Chukka with evident delight. She and my sister had chosen the most traditionally Indian dishes of the meal – my sister had Chilli Coconut King Prawns. The rest of the table had opted for dishes that showcased the same meeting of cuisines that had been apparent in Mr Green’s starter. Rasputin had chosen the Anglo-Indian Pork Roast, which sated his appetite for belly pork so fully that I didn’t even get a chance to look at the plating. I had chosen the Tiffin Seabass, which has to have been the first time I have ever had mashed potato in an Indian restaurant. I’d have it again – topped with a piece of perfectly cooked fish and a coconut, mango, and ginger sauce. It was beautiful, but rather suffered by comparison to Mr Green’s Trio of Venison. It had a pie, dear reader. A pie topped with flaky pastry and filled with venison curry. And a burger that was spicy and wonderful. And some lumps of venison that had been cooked in the tandoor. But mostly – pie. My envy was only assuaged by the fact that Mr Green is a caring soul who shares pie. Which was lucky. Events might have taken a nasty turn otherwise.

How can you top pie, though, I hear you question. Well, it’s tricky, but you can do it. Two words, my dear: chocolate samosas. Chocolate samosas moreover where the pastry is perfectly crisp and the insides are full of melted Belgium chocolate ganache and which come with vanilla ice-cream. For the record, the dessert wine went amazingly well with the ice-cream, and I would recommend it thoroughly.

It was also remarkably prudent. Dinner for six came to £264, including drinks, but not including service. They deserved more than the 10% added to the bill – they’d been informative, professional, and unobtrusive throughout the meal – so I dealt with that separately. A remarkable place – surprisingly so, given its location above a row of shops in Canton – and I will definitely be going back. Darling Julian needs to see this one, and I most definitely need to try the tasting menu.

Purple Poppadom, Upper Floor
185a Cowbridge Road East,
 Canton,
 Cardiff,
 CF11 9AJ, 029 2022 0026, www.purplepoppadom.com

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