We first discovered Ras Vatika several years ago, after passing by the brightly lit window and having a spontaneous curiosity about Indian vegetarian food. Fortunately there were not many other customers, as we were faced with a vast array of options from the wall menu and needed the hostess to explain nearly everything. After asking vague questions about what to eat, we chose the Special Thali (selection of different dishes served in small bowls on a round tray) which she suggested we order, as we could then have a little bit of everything. The Faluda (a delicious drink with icecream and vermicelli available in three different flavours back then: rose, pistachio and saffron), which we also sampled, was a visual feast as well as a great taste sensation, and made sure we returned with friends in tow, even the self-professed carnivores.
Wall menu that had us at a loss as to what to order
Special Thali - 5 roti, 3 curries, rice, dhal (lentil soup; could also have chosen khadi, or yoghurt soup), salad, poppadom, pickle, gulab jamun (milky balls in syrup) - too much food even for two people
Rose Flavoured Faluda
While the curries have great flavour without the heavy creaminess offered by many other restaurants (though sometimes a little too salty), we have decided that this little restaurant particularly excels at dishes made to order, settling on the dosa (fermented rice and lentil crepe), uttapam (Indian pizza) and a couple of other dishes as firm favourites.
Dosa served with coconut chutney and sambhar
Chole Bhature - bread puffs served with chickpea curry, yoghurt, onion salad, poppadom and pickle
Pullav and side salad. The slab of butter and fresh coriander made it even more delicious.
A couple of months ago, the restaurant introduced printed menus, which came with descriptions of each dish, helping with the decision making process without making the items any less exotic. Perhaps we will choose new favourites as we try more dishes, or perhaps not. Service can be slow in this homely eatery, but in any case, we will be coming back for more.
Panda Recommends
Mains: Chole Bhature ($10.00); any of the Dosa and Uttapam variations ($7.00 - $13.50), especially Mysore Masala Dosa ($12.00) and Tomato and Onion Uttapam ($10.50) Sides: Dhai Poori ($7.50), Chili Pakoda ($1.50) Drink: Rose Faluda ($7.00), if you are very hungry Avoid the thalis - they aren't bad, but the curries from the warming drawers are definitely not as good as the freshly made dishes!
[Added 18 May 2014: This eatery has now been renovated, and even has branches in the city and in Howick.]
The first thing that drew us to Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle was the name of the eatery. What on earth might martial arts have to do with food? The movie Kung Fu Panda sprang to mind. After driving past several times asking the same question, we eventually found the courage to investigate. The place was full (always a good sign), the items pictured in the window looked interesting, and we entered.
The star attraction, the item after which the restaurant is named, are the freshly made noodles pulled to order. The chefs, with closely cropped hair in keeping with the theme, pound and stretch the noodles behind a booth in the dining area. The smell of cumin permeates the air. As soon as a table became free, we eagerly perused the menu, which fortunately had reasonable English translations, though what was written on the specials board remains a mystery.
The noodles we saw being made were fantastic, served in soup that tasted like real stock rather than MSG water and garnished with fresh coriander, but what blew us away was actually the cheapest item on the menu: fried bread pieces, brought out with a shaker labelled "Oregano", which in fact contained cumin. The bread was perfectly fried, crispy but not oily, and as you can see from the picture below, we tore through most of it before we managed to take a photograph.
Deep Fried Chinese Bread Patty
Kung Fu Beef Noodles
We were so enthused we invited friends to Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle just a few days later, this time to try the lamb kebabs and other items. Again, there was a small wait for a table, which was well worth it. There was minor confusion on our part, because the filling for the chapati (in case you were wondering, these are soft bread rounds like the wrappers for Peking duck) was brought out well before the flat breads arrived, and we had to ask for the cumin shaker for the fried bread this time. We also discovered that there are at least two different types of noodles on the premises, in addition to the hand-pulled ones, so make sure you specify Kung Fu noodles if you want to have the noodles the chefs stretch to order.
Selection of dishes at Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle - Cleaver Sliced Beef Noodles, Yummy Lamb Kebabs, Chapati with Braised Lamb and Spring Onion Filling
This was unlike any Chinese food we had had before, featuring lamb, cumin and hand-pulled noodles, so as soon as we got home, we did a bit of research online. One forum participant referred to this eatery as serving Xi'an food, and the menu of the Xi'an restaurants in America certainly appears to have the same sorts of dishes. Xi'an is about 550km west of Zhengzhou, where the Shaolin monastery can be found. Below is a video of Shaolin Kung Fu Noodle making in Zhengzhou, which is a lot more spectacular than in our recommended little New Zealand store. Lamb kebabs with hand-pulled noodles also seem to be associated with the Muslim Uighur people of the Xingjiang region in northwestern China, so perhaps this is eaten throughout the north of China? Resident experts please enlighten us.
[Added 8 Feb 2014: A fellow blogger named Lucy has a newer review (with great pictures).]
Panda Recommends
Mains: any dish with Kung Fu Noodles ($6.50 - $9.80)
Sides: Deep Fried Chinese Bread Patty ($2.00)
Avoid dishes that look like they might have been put there to appeal to a Western audience, such as Stir Fried Chicken with Cashews and Veges ($13.00).
Vegie Pandas
The fake meat of the Vegetarian Chicken Noodles was not so inspiring, and the soup it came in was probably not really vegetarian. Have the Kung Fu Dry Noodles with Eggs instead. You also have a selection of bread, tofu and vegetable based options.
[Added 10 July 2011:
The menu below is out-of-date. In their updated menu, they have done away with the Vegetarian Chicken and the Chapati, but added other items, like fried rice and chicken kebabs (the lamb ones are better though). Prices have been revised upwards for some dishes but not for others, and this place is just as popular as ever. Oh, and the fried bread patty is no longer the cheapest item.
Added 13 January 2013:
The latest menu nearly doubles the number of offerings, with more seafood dishes (including fish, prawns, shrimps, crab and scampi in addition to the squid that was previously available), new sweet and sour meat dishes and a greater range of tofu dishes.
Added 4 January 2014:
The updated menu now contains colour pictures, an enhanced selection of dumplings, more kebab options (including skewers of chicken gizzards and hearts), whole blue cod (I saw this being brought out to a table and it looked great), and of course, higher prices.
]
Menu - page 1
Menu - page 2
Note
Groups larger than 4 people will have difficulty finding a table.
[Added 26 December 2013: They have opened up the upstairs area some time ago, and can now also cater for larger groups.]
