The Mission is experiencing such a wealth of good restaurants from all parts of India. Kolapasi Southern Indian Cuisine opened recently in the former Media Noche space (which I was sad to see go). The modern look befits the new restaurant’s purported modern takes on southern Indian classics. “Kolapasi” translates to “ravenously hungry” in Tamil, and that we were.
To start, we tried the crispy chili chicken.
We had asked for the “boom boom chicken” (mostly out of curiosity), but were told they did not have it, and further that that dish was considered one for children, simply chicken tossed in Sriracha; those are some bad-ass children! In any case, we opted for a similarly described chicken and were deeply pleased with it. Spicy and crispy, the chicken held up under the not-too-heavy/not-too-sweet sauce, along with crispy bell peppers and onions. A favorite at our table; one of us proclaimed she’d be happy with just this and a bowl of plain rice.
Next up was the Madurai egg curry dosa:
I’m up for anything egg and, since we lost our beloved Dosa, this really hit the spot for me. The dosa was a little thicker than others I’ve had, but that just gave the dish more heft. Sided by the typical sambal and coconut and tomato chutneys, this was another favorite for me.
I almost can’t go to an Indian restaurant and not have saag (or palak) paneer.
A very reputable rendition, as reliably good as the chana masala.
Both of which we scooped up with bread. Our server told us they no longer have naan (though it’s on the menu) because they don’t have the requisite oven, but that the chapati was made in-house. We also got the parotta, described as similar to naan but softer.
The chapati was standard, but the parotta was a delightful, lacy skein of fluffy, buttery strands of dough.
The menu offers a wide selection of biryani, of two different types: Vijayawada and gongura. Vijayawada is an area in southeast India, known for its biryani, while gongura is a plant whose leaves are used in southern Indian cooking resembling sorrel, and impart a tangy flavor. We opted for the Vijayawada goat biryani.
While certainly not bad, this was our least favorite dish of the evening. The goat itself was too salty for me, too gamey for another in our group, and the rice just not as flavorful as I’m used to in a biryani.
There are many other dishes I’m eager to try: Chicken, mutton, lamb, prawn, and fish dishes/curries, a variety of dosas, and multiple vegetarian offerings. Kolapasi has no alcohol but you are made welcome to walk to Rhea’s half a block away on Valencia and bring back beer or wine (no corkage fee!)
Overall, Kolapasi offers freshly made, mostly flavorful food, in a lovely space, with warm and friendly service. Not to mention that the prices were completely reasonable. I was happy to see how busy the place got as the evening wore on.
Great to have another good restaurant in the neighborhood to help with those “kolapasi” moments!
Between offering “boom boom” chicken and goat curry, this almost sounds like a Korean/Caribbean/Indian fusion restaurant 🙂
It was hard for me to find restaurants in South India serving meat when I spent 3 weeks there. It was mostly vegetarian. But I guess in the US there is a lot of demand for meat and so they oblige.
I know I can just look it up, but I’m lazy/busy and you’re not doing the restaurant any favors by not including its address. Beyond “did the reviewer like the restaurant overall?” that’s the first thing I look for .( Yes, in the time I wrote this I could have looked it up 20 times over. Writing in the hopes that in the future you’ll include addresses.)
Maybe I’m missing something… but WHAT’S THE ADDRESS?
Yum! What’s the address and cross-street?