Kumar's Southern Indian restaurant, City Road, Cardiff

It's this kind of place- small, unassuming, unpretentious- which makes you fall in love with City Road. I did, decades ago; and wherever my wanderings have led me over the years, I've never lost that attraction. I guess I'm too old to change that now. 

There's no hectic social media profile to this place- they have a Twitter account, but have never tweeted. It's just word of mouth and repeat custom which drives Kumar's. And you don't get that without delivering consistently good things to eat. 

Mutton rolls are breadcrumbed deep-fried little cylinders of onion and potato, packed full of that telltale slightly gamey tang. 

Pakodas are plentiful, thin slivers of red onion lightly battered and spiked with dried red chillies lurking to surprise the unwary. A cooling dip of grated coconut and tempered mustard seeds is just the thing to take the edge off the unexpected bursts of heat. 

Gobi 65- little cauliflower florets marinated until sin-scarlet then deep-fried- are an instantly moreish appetiser with a gentle heat, the kind of thing your dream pub would have on the bar as a snack alongside your IPA.

There's no doubting the excellence of their parottas- thin, buttery layers upon layers ideal for mopping up thick spicy gravies. On our return trip I pour my curry onto the bread and wrap it lengthways, because that's how I roll. 

Sorry.

Rice- so often, no more than a starchy sauce-sponge- is particularly good at Kumar's. Mine is flecked with curry leaf, black mustard seed and dried red chillies. Cashews stud lemon rice, again with chillies and curry leaf, to produce something you'd be happy to eat a big bowl of on its own.  

Chettinadu lamb has a heat that builds gradually: the menu mentions 18 spices, most prominent chilli and curry leaf, and it's certainly complex spicing that results in a lingering depth of flavour. It's anything but one-note.

Kumar's is the kind of place you'll find belongs on your 'regulars' list. It brings the Southern Indian flavours of Purple Poppadom, Mint and Mustard, Keralan Karavan, Chaiholics- all reviewed on this blog- and delivers them in far more casual surroundings. Take it on its own terms- service can be languid at times, to put it mildly- and you'll be rewarded. 

Kumar's

129 City Rd, 
Cardiff 
CF24 3BP

Monday 12–11pm
Tuesday 12–11pm
Wednesday Closed
Thursday 12–11pm
Friday 12–11pm
Saturday 12–11pm
Sunday 12–10:30pm

Phone: 029 2021 4569