Pepper Green Indian Cafe
ADDRESS: 57 Marina Blvd, Cullen Bay PHONE: 8941 5277 OWNERS: Sojin Sebastian and Jaimon Abraham CHEFS: Jaimon Abraham and Roger George ENTREES: $5 to $12 MAINS: $13 to $20 OPEN: Monday to Saturday, 5pm to 9.30pm STAR QUALITY: 4.4/5
Please don’t be put off by the lighting. I hope the owners change it soon. The food here is superb, so breathe out and go in. In the past year or so we have seen an emerging trend of new Indian eateries spring up in Darwin and Palmerston.
They are very welcome by me and my fiery foodie friends. One new kid on the block is Pepper Green, which opened last July.
This is a small, café-style BYO eatery. Simple, clean, functional and priced accordingly. I assure you it is ALL about the food.
What was missing on the Indian food scene was Kerala cuisine. This south-eastern province of the sub-continent is home to its own style and flavours of food.
“This is our home-style cooking, but on a bigger scale. We use our family recipes and masala mixes,” Chef Jaimon says. I say it is bloody sensational! Dosa is featured with the handmade breads. Not many attempt this. Made from fermented rice and chickpea flour, this huge thin and crispy wafer is delicious and fun to eat as it melts in your mouth. Ours was filled with shredded lightly spiced chicken and served with yogurt raita and a light curry sauce. A meal in itself.
We went off the map and ordered a selection of the home specialties. PG special chicken roast was special indeed. Tender breast meat fried then gently poached in a heavenly gravy of tomato, onion, ginger, garlic and spices, then finished with cashew nut paste and coconut cream. Tick the box that says “to die for”. Unlike anything I have had before.
If a goat curry is on a menu, I am all over it. Goat pepper peralan, the menu said. This is a drier curry, not dissimilar to a rendang in texture. The meat is always slow cooked on the bone, so expect it. But this was so much more than a rendang. Rich, earthy, deep and very spicy. There was no holding back with spices. No apologies and my goodness it was delicious. (Can I get an amen over here !)
In delightful contrast was the simple tomato curry. Light, and refreshingly different. Mustard and onion seeds provided the main flavor. We also had a small serve of paratha bread, which was fresh, warm and delectable.
A new addition to the menu is bamboo rice. You choose with egg, chicken or goat.
The spiced grains are cooked within the hollow of a large bamboo section. Released at the table it has to be the best Indian rice I have tried, ever.
If you are hankering for a decent curry that won’t break the bank, you owe it to yourself to try Pepper Green.
The lighting is hell, but the food is heaven. It is unapologetically traditional to the core. Please don’t change a single thing — except that lighting.