Kinara Kitchen in Ranelagh had been on my list for quite some time before myself and my Mum made a visit on your behalf. Friends had raved about the food in this Pakistani kitchen, the third installment of a chain of Kinaras that was started in Clontarf in 2001 by Sean Collender and Shoaib Yunus. Kinara means ‘at the water’s edge’ in Urdu, fitting in well with their Malahide location.
We were welcomed into Ranelagh’s Kinara Kitchen on a busy Sunday evening by a charming waiter who looked after us well throughout the evening, laughing at our questionable jokes that got worse through the application of cocktails. We couldn’t resist trying the Flirtinis, especially considering Paul Lambert is the force behind Kinara’s excellent cocktail list. Lambert, who you may know as the man behind The Blind Pig, had done some training with Kinara a few years back but is now part of the full-time team. The Flirtini (€12) was a frothy, sweet and foamy treat that went down far too well.
The menu at Kinara Kitchen seems huge. Mum, being vegetarian, isn’t used to choice when eating out and reveled in reading the menu thoroughly. Good thing we had a generous portion of crisp poppadoms and excellent chutneys to stave off the hunger. The accompanying chutneys – sweet mango, finely chopped cucumber and onion, and tamarind – were a tangy start to what turned out to be a very enjoyable meal.
We shared a starter of Beghan Behar, a dish of roasted aubergine with spiced vegetables served with steamed rice (€8.25). It looked a bit of a mess when it arrived, lacking the finesse I was expecting. It mattered not once we got stuck in, the aubergine perfectly spiced and tender making it a great dip for our wholemeal Paratha naan (€3.20).
Mum chose small portions of Palak Paneer (€7.25) and Tarka Dal (€7.25) to go with our shared portion of Pilau rice (€3). Both were fresh and flavourful, with the Palak Paneer being a special stand-out. This well-known spinach and cheese dish can usually be a little forceless but Kinara’s paneer was bright and springy, with its creamy sauce complimentary rather than over-powering.
My Champ Do Piaza (€21.50) was great. Tender lamb chops smothered in a tomato masala sauce packed a pleasing punch spice-wise, without undermining the deep flavours of the sauce. It was a huge portion, so the kitchen obligingly sent me home with a doggy bag of my leftovers as well as a doggy parcel of lamb bones for the dog.
Dessert isn’t something you would usually associate with Pakistani or Indian food so we were pleased to have a choice of about eight on the menu. I couldn’t resist the Saffron and Cardamom Panna Cotta (€6.95) which was creamy and wobbly, with the spices really coming through. Mum had the Gulab Jamun (€6.95), a dense, sticky and sweet dumpling served with ice-cream. It was a little stodgy after our big meal but we enjoyed the syrupy flavour.
Including a crispy glass of Austrian Steininger (€7.50) and a South African Pinotage (€7.25), our bill came to €102.35. This might seem extravagant but don’t forget about our Flirtinis. It’s quite possible to eat at Kinara Kitchen on a budget, with many of the mains priced around €18. There’s also the Early Chef’s Special running Mondays to Thursdays from 4pm to 8pm where you can indulge in three courses for €19.95. If that’s still over-budget, you could go vegetarian. My dear old Mum would certainly vouch for it.
Kinara Kitchen
Ranelagh
Dublin 6
01-4060066
