kallianees - kerala cuisine in kuala lumpur

there has been a number of indian restaurants opening in kuala lumpur of late, particularly in bangsar and the business district. here's one of them with many more to visit and catalogue.
kalliannees at 16, lorong yap kwan seng is just down the road from the suria klcc shopping centre down jalan yap kwan seng, past the kampung pandan restaurant on the left and next to the jaguar showroom. the double-storey restaurant has a balcony and grounds with a view of the 88-storey petronas twin towers.
kalliannees, which opened for business in early april 2005, prides itself on serving authentic kerala food, the famed cuisine from the west coast state in india. several young chefs from kerala handle the kitchen and the results are pretty good, if the simple dinner i had was anything to go by.
a plate of deep fried fat anchovies started the dinner, quickly followed by plates of sizzling kallianees special prawns - a recommendation from the manager as it was not on the menu. the prawns were superb - a spicy marinade combining with the sweet prawns that made the mound of rice flatten out quite quickly.
a plate of spicy mutton and sauteed okra together with one of the best raitha - onions and cucumbers with green chillies in yoghurt - rounded off an excellent dinner.
the dishes are slightly pricey but the food was worth it.
pity that the beverages were not too good. all the waiters - dressed in traditional cream jippas - had to offer was instant coffee and standard draught and bottled beer.
not really the way to end a good dinner near the giant banyan tree complete with its stone and water feature, watching the petronas twin towers illuminate the night sky.
the consolation is a small corkage for either wine or liquor brought into the house. let's hope they improve and serve some quality beverages soon.
call +603 2161 0616 for reservations. kallianees is open between 11.30am and midnight everyday with limited parking space. major credit cards are accepted.