Loha is designed for in-house dining. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
Brand-new Loha in Nicholls showcases the rich tapestry of Indian cuisine, blending tradition with modern techniques and global influences, using premium Australian ingredients to create bold, complex flavours.
Some suburban gems cater mainly to the takeaway/Uber Eats crowd, but everything about Loha implores you to experience their food in-house; from the glorious photographs of India, lit up softly across the restaurant’s dark panelled walls, the moody-tiled bar, to the care taken in selecting the perfect plates your meal arrives on.
Loha means metal in Sanskrit; it symbolises strength and endurance. “Just as metals are transformed into art by skilled craftsmen, Loha reflects authenticity, versatility and creativity in culinary craft,” says head chef and co-founder Shaji Veetil.
Shaji’s career spans the globe: from his beginnings in Bangalore and Kuwait, a pivotal role as head chef at Brasserie Blanc in Oxford, to a move to Melbourne’s Grand Hyatt, and, most recently, serving as Executive Chef at Canberra’s Park Hyatt.
Our refreshing drinks. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
We take Chef Shaji’s recommendations after perusing the menu.
Our dinner begins with a glass of prosecco, smooth and fruity with soft bubbles that drift delicately up to the surface.
Our entrees arrive.
Zafrani Murgh Malai Tikka is saffron-scented chicken cooked tikka-style, but with very different, creamy, mellow flavours. The Kachumber salad features crisp shreds of radish and carrots and tastes herbed and piquant.
Hot garlic cauliflower submerges tempura cauliflower florets in a deep-red Indo-Sichuan sauce, garlicky with a gentle numbing heat from Sichuan peppercorns. We just keep dragging forkfuls of the cauliflower through that sauce. The Sichuan effect is always fun and so flavoursome.
Mangalorian lamb ghee roast features rich, earthy spices such as fenugreek, cumin, and coriander seeds, which enhance the deep, meaty flavours. The meat is fork-tender; the goat’s cheese and the ghee it is cooked in wrap it in big, buttery mouthfuls. The eggplant kasundi is a much-needed balance; it just slaps you right in the face. I am sure the eggplant contains wasabi, but it doesn’t, as I learned that kasundi is fermented mustard.
Zafrani Murgh Malai Tikka: saffron-scented chicken Photo: Kazuri Photography.
The Malabar Chilli Chicken is such a fun and scrumptious dish. When what tastes a little like Korean fried chicken meets an Indian stir-fry full of curry leaves, shallots, and capsicums, you get this deliciousness. It is the savoury dish of the night for me.
Next come the mains, washed down with an exotic Kerala Kick cocktail and a very refreshing and island holiday-esque virgin pina colada.
Loha’s take on butter chicken is not as sweet as your run-of-the-mill butter chicken. Smoky at the edges, tender mouthfuls of chicken in a smooth sauce that leaves a hint of heat at the end.
We delight in the lamb shank; earthy and redolent with herbs and spices, where the lamb juices have infused the rich gravy and from the gentle humming of my lips. I feel like there is some Sichuan pepper here.
Duck Chittinadu is sous vide, so of course, absolutely the most tender duck ever. The aromatics blend with the creaminess of coconut, creating bliss.
We are so glad our dessert stomachs have extra room. The main dessert, payasam, is chef Shaji’s indulgent taste of home from Kerala. This celebration dish is a delightful blend of flavours and textures, like walking down a market street in an Indian city! Fragrant, perfumed, saffron-hued custard, full of cashews, coconut chips and plump sultanas and something that feels like the bubbles in bubble tea on my tongue. A dollop of tart and tangy sorbet with a bright yellow drizzle of chilli oil sits on top. Chaotic and colourful, this is a scrumptious dessert.
Masala crème brûlée Photo: Kazuri Photography.
The masala crème brûlée is the brûlée of my year. The torched caramel crisp is wafer-thin and delicious, topped with biscuit crumbs and diced mango. The silken custard within is infused with masala tea spices, cardamom and cinnamon. One mouthful, you are in India, the next you are eating a gingerbread cookie in Australia. It is sublime.
Loha is located at 64 Kelleway Ave in Nicholls. It is open from 5 pm to 9 pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Follow Loha on Facebook and Instagram.
Original Article published by Michelle Taylor on Region Canberra.
