My Govinda’s – Karama

I am very much a culinary chuchter, uncouth and rural. There are so many things I simply don’t understand about the varied cuisines of the world, like veganism and sattvic foods. But I am a gastronomic adventurer and will try almost everything once – almost. This was actually my second visit to My Govinda’s, specialist in sattvic, vegan and vegetarian food. The restaurant is down 4A street in Karama, just past thali masters Rangoli. Highlight of its interior has to be this massive fake tree which immediately transforms an otherwise ordinary environment into an almost likable one – almost.

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Curious to sample food prepared without garlic or onion and heeding a stern warning not to share, my uncle ordered us both a thali. My Govinda’s thali is smaller than Rangoli next door or any of the other three big boys for that matter. And by smaller, I mean it has less variety (which some will argue is a good thing). I found the food interesting for sure, but ultimately bland and tasteless. The only item I liked was the daal which reminded me of the daal my dearest mummy would make towards the end of her life (after the doctors had banned salt and spice from her diet). Of course, hers was tempered with fried onion, garlic, cumin seed and a couple of red, round, dried chillies. My Godiva’s daal tasted likers hers before the tempering. My uncle was equally disappointed with the food.

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What the food lacked in taste and character My Govinda’s made up for with their impeccable service. Upon entry we were greeted and shown to our table by their tuxed-out restaurant manager who turned out to be from Koltata, a city I am very close to. He took our order and left it to an equally well-dressed, polite and efficient Nepalese waiter to serve our food and look after us throughout our meal. My personal thanks to them both. I also appreciated the fact that My Govinda’s has a fridge outside the restaurant in-which they leave food for the less fortunate. That said, the food simply wasn’t (at all) to my taste and, if I find myself near the Al Kifaf Oasis Plaza on 4A street in the future, it’ll be Rangoli I will stop at not My Govinda’s.

Hey! Now read this –
Xerxes physically dines at, or orders from, each and every venue he reviews. He pays in full for whatever he and his companions eat, drink, take away or occasionally throw at each other. Xerxes accepts no money, gifts, discounts or free meals in return for reviews or favouritism. What you have read was NOT influenced in any way by the venue. Join me on Instagram @ravenousxerxes or email me on xerxes@dellara.com.