Krishna Curry House — as popular as ever

KRISHNA CURRY HOUSE, 
D-G and E-G, Jalan SS9A/14,
Seri Setia Sungai Way, Petaling Jaya.
Tel: 03-7865 7469
Business hours: 7am-10pm

Satisfied customers continue to patronise the restaurant even after it moved to its new location.

KRISHNA Curry House is a restaurant that needs no introduction for most, particularly those who love a banana leaf meal.

Mention the name and the usual response one would get are “Wasn’t that the restaurant in Jalan 222?”, “Great appam!” and “Love their claypot mutton”.

Back in the 1990s, Krishna Curry House was flourishing in its corner shop in Jalan 222, Petaling Jaya. It was a household name for South Indian food.

It is a common sight to see customers ordering their roti, tosai and appam in the morning while the place is packed to the brim during lunch hour, with hungry diners craving the eatery’s popular banana leaf meal.

Run by A. Kunasingam and his wife Pushparani Ratnam (top pic), the restaurant started after Kuna, as he is fondly known, realised the potential of capitalising on his wife’s passion for cooking. The couple saw the opportunity to fund their children’s education.

After operating for 27 years in Jalan 222, the couple sadly relocated in December 2013, as they could not afford the increase in rent.

Without much notice, most of their customers were left searching high and low for the restaurant’s whereabouts.

Thanks to social media, about 50% of the restaurant’s regular customers now convene regularly at the new venue, a place that occupies two units in Jalan SS9A/14, Section 51A, Petaling Jaya (behind Cycle and Carriage, along the Federal Highway).

The restaurant’s fried sotong and prawn sambal.

Kuna claimed that his restaurant was the first Indian restaurant to use the name “Curry House”.

“I didn’t think anyone else would use the name but now I see that many have followed suit. Friends and family said I should have it patented,” he joked.

Krishna Curry House is synonymous with its famous claypot mutton and chicken as well as its chicken varuval, signature dishes at the original restaurant.

Today, the restaurant’s chicken varuval remains one of the most sought-after dishes.

A tasty crab curry.

“The dishes in the restaurant are cooked based on my wife’s recipes. Not only does she cook regularly, she ensures quality control on a daily basis too,” he said.

Kuna manages the restaurant and ensures that his customers are happy with their meals.

“I usually walk around the restaurant and take note of the customers’ uneaten food.

“If there is any, I request for the dish and try it myself.

“By doing this, I can find out if the dish was not good enough or if the customer had ordered too much for them to finish it,” he said.

The restaurant is able to receive more customers daily as the venue is bigger and can accommodate more than 200 customers at any time.

 

It is the norm to see customers from the vicinity as well as those travelling from afar flocking to the restaurant for lunch by 11.30am on a weekday, and especially during lunch hour on Fridays.

Priced at RM6, the meal comprises rice, vegetable and other condiments. Diners can order claypot chicken or mutton, chicken varuval or fried dishes including fried fish and squid on the side.

As I sat down for my meal, I noticed a customer walking up to Pushparani. He ordered fish head curry.

“He’s a regular customer and usually requests for my wife’s fish head curry,” Kuna said.

Pushparani’s fish head curry is different than most. The fish served was fresh, and the curry was light and savoury.

A must-try when you dine at this restaurant is the famous claypot mutton, priced at RM10.

Served in a small claypot, perfect for two, it is a mixture of mutton leg, marrow and ribs.

Mutton lovers will definitely enjoy this dish as you get the best parts of the mutton.

The meat is well-seasoned, tender, does not smell unpleasant or leave a strong after taste.

Now, the restaurant also serves mountain goat curry, available every day except Mondays.

Kunasingam recommends customers try their mountain goat curry.

Mountain goat is normally served stewed in Chinese restaurants but Kuna has found a way to serve this meat in curry, without having the meat’s lingering overpowering smell.

The restaurant also serves a tasty crab curry that leaves you wanting for more.

When cracked open, you get soft crab meat that goes well with white rice or briyani.

Kuna said his wife loves introducing new dishes so as to give their customers a variety of choices.

A TOTAL of 22 recommendations have been submitted in the Best Banana Leaf Meal category for The Star People ’s Food Awards. So far, the hot favourites are Restaurant Sukha Authentic Banana Leaf Cuisine (49 endorsements), Sri Nirwana Maju and Sri Paandi Restaurant (both 16 endorsemen ts each ) and Sri Ganapathi Mess (12 endorsements) and Kanna Curry House (11 endorsements). For the past two weeks, netizens have been diligently sending in their recommendations, for the best banana leaf meal via Metro Online Broadcast (MOB) at www.mob.com.my. Visit MOB for the other favourite eateries. Voting starts on Aug 15.