Take a walk down San Magi in Santa Catalina every couple of weeks and you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in a time warp as a myriad of different restaurants and bars pop up and down. One however, if the other night was anything to go by, that looks set to stay, is Krishná.
The newest venture from Mitul, owner of well-established Taste of India, is Krishná, named after the Hindu god of compassion, tenderness, and love, one of the most popular and widely revered among the Indian divinities. They are certainly channelling his mojo. Mitul arrived here as a tourist in 2007, from north of Bombay in Western India after studying hospitality, and, like so many of us, never left. His legacy is well-known amongst Indian food afficianados and it is clear that his reputation is following him.
The night that we visited it was clear to see why he has found such success as the restaurant was buzzing with locals, tourists, expats and yachties alike. All were enjoying the welcoming ambiance, and on this particular evening, the gorgeous belly dancer, brought in to entertain and involve all of the tables. Now a regular feature on a Friday night, she has all of the tables involved which only added to the party atmosphere. I’m not sure that my own belly dancing was up to her ab tight standards. I can only hope a my ever true sidekick for these events, Anouska, did the right thing and deleted the photos of that moment. However, it certainly entertained the surrounding tables.
The food here is hearty and tasty. We started with the Indian staple of poppadums, with the requisite mango, mint and spicy accompaniments. Crisp and full of flavour, they were the perfect way to get our taste buds ready for the evening ahead. We quickly moved on to the starters of Hazari Kebab, a delightful dish straight out of the tandoor oven, the traditional way of Indian cooking over charcoal or wood. However this dish was served with a Mallorcan twist of a topping of Mahou cheese. The combination was pure bliss. Our second starter was a stomach pleasing delicious portion of lamb chops. The meat fell off the bone as we ate as if we hadn’t seen food before. All of this before we had even reached our mains. Those with a smaller appetite may have been full at this point, but we were here for a reason and we would not want to disappoint out readers.
For our mains we chose the chicken biryani with saffron rice. It was beautifully presented and was full of colour, delightfully and deliciously sprinkled with coriander, cashews, sultanas and chilli. Many rice dishes can be heavy and overbearing but Mikul has the levels just right and the rice glowed golden in the fading sunshine.
Our second main was chicken with garlic and chilli. Once again it was a plate of art. The garlic was dangerously moreish – maybe a dish to share – l and it was packed the desired spicy punch. Each plate on the menu can be cooked to the customer’s specification of spiciness. As we know, our Spanish compatriots aren’t quite as fond of the taste bud sizzling flavour of spice so be sure to specify. Ours didn’t disappoint. It was right on the mark.
Despite the fact that we could barely squeeze ourselves back into our chairs (and certainly not into any belly dancing outfit) we still managed to finish off with a dessert of sizzling brownie with pistachio ice-cream and mango drizzle. I’m not sure how we did it but it was simply too tasty to miss. The brownie was rich, dark and moist. The slight edge of bitterness perfectly offset the sweetness of the mango. The pistachio ice-cream took one straight back to the taste of India that pistachio always evokes.
The whole evening was wonderfully interactive, with the waiters talking us through each aspect of every dish and ensuring that we had everything that we needed. Nothing was too much trouble. When Mitul had time to sit and talk with us, it was clear that he loved his restaurants and clientele. They want to be a place that guests can call home and know that their dishes will be cooked exactly to their liking. It seems that Krishna’s love and compassion will look over what is sure to become a San Magi institution.
Carrer de Sant Magi, 54, 07013 Palma, IIles Balears, Spain
contact@krishnamallorca.com
http://www.krishnamallorca.com/
Monday to Sunday:
13.00 hours – 16:00 Hours
19.00 hours – 24:00 Hours
Call: +34 971 48 54 29
By Victoria Pearce
Photos Credit: Anouska Foss
