Since 2010, Shivalik Indian Cuisine in Kapa‘a has been the prime spot for high-quality and mouthwatering Indian food. I stumbled upon this fine establishment weeks ago. Some of my friends and I had never tried Indian food, so we decided
Since 2010, Shivalik Indian Cuisine in Kapa‘a has been the prime spot for high-quality and mouthwatering Indian food.
I stumbled upon this fine establishment weeks ago. Some of my friends and I had never tried Indian food, so we decided to try out Shivalik’s Rogan Josh, a lamb curry dish.
I entered Shivalik alone and met with manager Debasis Panda. I knew immediately that I wanted to cover Shivalik for Kaua’i Times. The atmosphere was pleasant — it was spacious and I was greeted warmly.
The sound of Indian music was a fresh distraction from the norm. After I parted from Panda, I took the Rogan Josh to my buddy’s house and we sampled it. I tasted different flavors on each bite: garlic, mint and curry. It was my first time eating Indian cuisine, and I loved it instantly.
The beauty of Kaua‘i, its friendly people and magnificent Hindu temple lured Shivalik’s owner, Naresh Chand, to set up his base on Kaua’i and open the island’s premier Indian restaurant.
“The owner of the restaurant, Naresh Chand, visited this island several years back and he loved it,” Panda said. “He visited the Hindu temple here and he also liked the people, so he bought a house (here) and decided to open this restaurant.”
Shivalik, although known for delicious chicken and lamb dishes, specializes in vegetarian cuisine.
“On this island, many people love vegetarian food,” Chef Saji Sadanand said. “This restaurant’s specialty is vegetarian dishes, but we still have non-vegetarian dishes as well.”
Shivalik has a lunch buffet with an array of Indian foods on Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
“One appetizer, two non-vegetarian items, five vegetarian items, rice and naan and one dessert are served for the lunch buffet,” Panda said.
On Wednesday, Shivalik offers a dinner buffet with an additional lamb dish.
The lunch buffet on weekends is $13.95, and the dinner buffet on Wednesday is $16.95.
After Panda explained the delicious buffet, Sadanand brought forth a mountain’s worth of onolicious Indian dishes.
Presented first were two appetizers. The vegetable samosa, at $4.50, comes as two crispy fried pastry shells with a savory filling of spiced potatoes and peas. The chicken 65, at $7.95, consists of fried and boneless pieces of chicken served with pepper and garlic sauce.
After the appetizers, Sadanand presented three main dishes. The dal tarka, a vegetarian dish priced at $12.50, which consists of yellow lentil sauteed with cumin, garlic and tomato. It is served in a curry-like sauce. The kadai murgh, at $18.75, is chicken cooked with fresh tomatoes, bell peppers, onion and ground spice. The tandoori murgh, cooked in a tandoori (a clay oven), is priced at $17.95. This sizzling platter consists of chicken, marinated in blended yogurt with garlic and herbs and roasted to perfection.
These dishes were served with mattar pilau, at $5.50, which is basmati rice cooked with green peas and lightly flavored with saffron; and lassan naan, at $3.75, a traditional Indian bread which is a soft, flat leavened bread, studded with freshly chopped garlic and cilantro and baked in the tandoor.
Shivalik has something for everyone — whether it’s a vegetarian dish, curry or a dish from the tandoor.
Shivalik is at 4771 Kuhio Hwy. in Kapa‘a. It is open Thursday to Tuesday for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and daily for dinner from 5 to 9 p.m.
Call 821-2333 or visit shivalikindiancuisine.com for more information.
