Kailash Parbat – Nu Sentral, Indian Vegetarian Restaurant
Words: Lianne Chung
Photos: Peter Tan
The fan following of Kailash Parbat runs far. Its brand recognition might hold a similar cultural relevance to that of its American counterparts, Cheesecake Factory or Olive Garden. A notable restaurant chain in India, it now finds a new home in Kuala Lumpur. With dozens of Indian restaurants to try throughout the lively neighbourhood of Brickfields, Kailash Parbat offers a modern and quieter space with authentic flavours from a diverse vegetarian menu.
Kailash Parbat Nu Sentral KL
As with the hope of many franchised restaurants, you’ll get consistency in quality. Every recipe is consistent, with each product made in-house: a point of pride for this North Indian Vegetarian chain. Located at the corner entrance of NU Sentral, the restaurant provides a calm reprieve from the busy mall. At this location, the interior is warm, with its neutral colour palette complementing a rattan decor. Instead of booths, large beige couches add to its cosy ambience.
Drinks Menu
We were welcomed with the classic Mango Lassi (RM 15), which was creamy and appropriately sweet. The yoghurt base provided a needed balance to the heat of the spicy dishes we would try later on. The Chilli Guava (RM 15) was a promising, unexpected savoury flavour. Inspired by the Bloody Mary, the guava juice is infused with salt, chilli, and Tabasco sauce. However, unlike the Bloody Mary, the mainstay is the chilli powder and salted rim rather than the Tabasco, offering a unique interpretation of the classic.
Indian Street Food Menu
With chaats being a central feature of Kailash Parbat’s dining experience, it’s not a surprise that this was one of the best parts of the meal. Usually sold in individual helpings on the street, the restaurant serves larger portions and encourages a sharing concept. The staple Pani Puri (RM 18) consists of fried dough balls stuffed with lentils, diced potatoes and red chilli powder. The beauty of this chaat is that you can add as much or as little of the sweet chutney (tamarind, jaggery, and fennel) or spicy sauce (water, mint, coriander) to your preference.
The quintessential Aloo Tikki Chaat (RM 20) arrived appropriately tangy, sweet, and spicy- similarly characteristic of its street dining experience. Served in a wide bowl of boiled potatoes, dumplings (tikki), chutney, and chopped coriander, it included various textures. This was my personal favourite of the street foods- refreshing and balanced, and the variety of textures, flavours, and contrast of temperatures made each bite unique. These elevated dishes maintained the essence of street food while providing a flavorful introduction to the rest of the meal.
House Specials
Before fully moving into the main part of the meal, there were two more street food items to try. The Bombay Vada Pav (RM 18) also fittingly called the “Indian Burger,” sandwiches a deep-fried potato patty of coriander, garlic, mustard seeds, and curry leaves into a mini bun. The side chutney and spices added a welcomed flavor profile to this filling snack.
An alternative to the Vada Pav was its sibling, Borivali Ki Dabeli (RM 18). Both of these slider alternatives included a spiced potato filling, but “dabeli,” meaning “pressed,” ensured this second option’s filling and bread stayed together. It was served with the traditional crunchy sev as a topping, creating a different texture.
Flavours of Punjab
Our curries from the north included the Paneer Tikka Labadar (RM 25), Palak Paneer (RM 25), and Dal Makhani (RM 24), and each of these offered a distinct character that rounded out this part of the meal. The Paneer Tikka Labadar was sweet and smoky with a creamy tomato base, and the classic Palak Paneer’s earthy spinach puree was accented by its smoked cottage cheese. The main focus for me was Dal Makhani. Its buttery black lentils are soaked overnight, boiled, and then simmered in cream and butter for another eight hours, creating a rich and delicious creamy sauce. Understandably, a curry that you can only eat in small amounts.
The KP Kebab Platter (RM 48) included skewers that were cooked in the tandoor. This slow cooking process allows the seasonings to permeate each of these vegetarian ingredients. With a variety of four different kebabs, vegetarians have the option of skewers, including stuffed potatoes with cottage cheese, capsicum, baby corn, and mozzarella sandwiched mushrooms. The sheekh kebab was made of chopped vegetables and roasted chickpea flour, again highlighting the textures and complexities of Indian cuisine.
The Bread
The Bhatura Platter (RM 39) is a serving of fluffy deep-fried bread. These puffy, crispy discs with a soft, airy interior are a colourful, eye-catching platter featuring four different types of bread: paneer, red chilli, green peas, and plain. This is accompanied by the standard chole, a spicy chickpea gravy with onions and tomatoes.
Our assorted breads included the Garlic Naan (12), Butter Naan (RM 10), and the traditional Roti (8), which provided the perfect variety of options to spoon up and complement the different types of curries. My own Achilles heel is any form of hot bread, and the Bhatti Ka Mini Naan Cheese Bomb (RM 20) was at the peak of this vulnerability. These mini naans are stuffed with cheese and fried green chilis, then rolled into balls and cooked in the tandoor. The result is a gooey, cheesy interior and a hot, doughy bread that is recommended to be indulgently paired with the Dal Makhani.
Kailash Parbat Dessert Menu
To bring equilibrium to the main course’s spicy, tangy flavours, we ended our meal with the sweet Malai Kulfi (RM 13) and the Ras Malai (RM 14). Each of these traditional desserts was cool and creamy. The Malai Kulfi resembles a thick ice cream with cardamom and slivers of pistachios and almonds. The Ras Malai consists of a soft dumpling of curdled milk, which becomes a doughy dumpling soaked in a milk syrup and with cardamom or saffron.
Kailash Parbat Review
Kailash Parbat serves all the classic Indian vegetarian favourites, making it an easy option if you’re craving Indian cuisine. The options are wide enough that even non-vegetarians will leave pleased. The presentation of the food and the welcoming aesthetic make it a perfect weeknight meal or an option for a weekend get-together with friends.
Reasons to visit Kailash Parbat: the flavourful chaats, the diverse vegetarian options, must try the Mini Naan Cheese Bombs, a welcoming dining experience, conveniently located street-front in NU Sentral.
Kailash Parbat
LOT LG27 & LG28, Nu Sentral, Shopping Centre
Jalan Tun Sambanthan, Brickfields, 50470 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Link to Kailash Parbat KL on Google Maps
+60 112846 7838
@kailashparbatmalaysia
Kailash Parbat Hours
Daily: 11 am – 10 pm
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