From desk until dawn: Trying Tharavadu's Michelin-recommended curries and new house beer at event for Leeds foodies
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It was wonderful to see the city centre so full of life and the turn in weather must be a welcome relief for the hospitality industry.
I got the chance to visit Tharavadu on Bank Holiday Monday as the restaurant launched its exclusive tap beer with Kirkstall Brewery.
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Hide AdIt was my first time visiting the Keralan restaurant and I had high hopes - Tharavadu is the only Indian restaurant in Leeds which is recommended in Michelin's Restaurant Guide.
And I was even one of the first people to taste the new Somarasam house beer, a 4% Pilsner, during an event for Leeds foodies.
Kirkstall Brewery's CEO, John Kelly, is a regular at the restaurant - he visits every couple of weeks and always orders the fish curry and paratha, a layered Indian bread.
The collaboration made sense, is there anything more adored by British diners than a pint and a curry?
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Hide AdAnd Somarasam, which means the 'drink of gods', was the perfect accompaniment to the flavour-packed South Indian cuisine.
It was crisp and refreshing and didn't leave me feeling bloated. If anything, it wetted my appetite for the food - and there was lots of it.
Our table was quickly filled with starters including a huge masala dosa, packed with potato and flavoured with punchy Keralan spices.
The highlight of my meal was the pappada vada, a traditional South Indian street food dish - deep fried 'donut-style' pappads dipped into warming sambar, a lentil-based curry.
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Hide AdI ordered an aubergine curry for my main with a Keralan paratha, inspired by John's order. It was light and fluffy with lots of layers and I didn't hold back, scooping up my curry until my bowl was clean.
It was a wonderful treat and I can see why the restaurant is the favoured choice of many, including Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli who frequents the restaurant on his visits to Leeds.
"It’s a nice change from the normal curry, there’s no tikka masala or jalfrezi on the menu," Tharavadu co-owner Sibby Jose told me.
"John knew about the flavours of the food and believed the Pilsner was the best to compliment it - we tried it and it’s a perfect match.”
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Hide AdIt's encouraging to see Leeds businesses working together to improve their offering.
Northern Monk Brewery's Little Sümmer Boy’s residency - a collaboration between Asian street food vendors Little Bao Boy and vegan junk food pioneers Döner Summer - is another exciting partnership.
It feels like summer has officially begun in Leeds and I can't wait to get stuck into everything our city has to offer.
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