A taste adventure awaits diners at The Curve’s Thosai Cafe with ‘thosai’ of unusual flavours and possibly the best ‘gobi Manchurian’ in town

PETALING JAYA, Dec 2 — You may think, it’s just thosai. Maybe they stretch it so high till it becomes a crispy, golden tower that it becomes a social media darling. Or add some potatoes.

But at Thosai Cafe, they go beyond all that.

Under Bangalore native Mithun Mohan’s creativeness, his cafe serves a mind boggling 70 plus varieties of thosai.

In this thosai wonderland, take a rollercoaster ride starting from flavours like the plain thosai, rising up to the masala thosai to hit the peak with crazy variations using mac and cheese or mozzarella cheese mixed with Italian seasonings, before you come down to reality.

That’s not all; the menu also extends to rice, noodles, wraps, burgers, sandwiches and Indian street food.

Everything is meat-free but with their punchy flavours, one doesn’t miss it. There’s a healthy spin with the menu too as Mithun is a fitness trainer.

The cafe at the front of The Curve offers indoor and outdoor seating. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Once a food truck, it’s now located at The Curve, sandwiched between Gigi Coffee and McDonalds with a front view of Ikea.

One can understand why Dil Khush (RM16) is given the nickname “Happy Thosai”.

The spring onions, cottage cheese and grated Cheddar cheese combination really worked well on top of the thosai. There’s shredded beetroot and carrot, adding a touch of colour to the thosai too.

There’s a freshness to each bite, followed by the healthy vegetables. And even though it has cheese, it’s just enough to add a taste only.

You will find the texture of the thosai is a little different though. They use semolina for the thosai, creating a firmer, crisp base to withstand the multitude of toppings.

It’s not pizza but the Palak Paneer ‘thosai’ with spinach, ‘paneer’ cubes and their signature beetroot, carrot and grated Cheddar cheese. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Palak Paneer (RM17) was an obvious choice for me, since it’s what I always order. Here the spinach forms the base and cubes of the paneer dot the thosai. Similar toppings like the beetroot, carrot and grated cheese are also added.

Definitely easier to eat rather than pairing it with a bowl of palak paneer, which I have to spoon over my flatbread.

Rather than using the same plating for their thosai, they take small steps to create a difference. Some are left whole, looking like a pizza. Others get cut into slices. Maybe you get one that is halved too.

Masala Thosai is served with a twist, where the ‘thosai’ is cut and rolled up to see the potato filling. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Like their Masala Thosai (RM8). Rather than being served flat with the potato filling inside, they cut, fold it and stack it up. Peek into the layers to see the potato filling and crisp brown layers.

This thosai was a blip on the menu. While the potatoes and thosai were fine, I didn’t enjoy the raw vegetables that add a disparate taste to the whole ensemble.

For those who love ramping up the spiciness levels, there’s a chutney and tomato based sauce that will add a much needed heat.

Pani Puri is an explosion of flavours in the mouth from crispy shells filled with potatoes and mint water. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

The fun starts with their Indian street food items, like the familiar Pani Puri (RM13).

Fill up the crisp, light shells with the mashed potatoes and spoon in the mint water. Pop one in the mouth and wait for the explosion of flavours.

It’s not alien food but Papdi Chaat with thin, crunchy crisps topped with potato cubes, yoghurt and ‘sev’. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

Papdi Chaat (RM15) was something unusual for me. Here they top crisps with a mixture of soft potato cubes, topped with cool yoghurt and sev. Again you get a mix of sweet, sour and creamy with each bite.

Both make fun, happy bites you can use to supplement your thosai.

Gobi Manchurian hits hard with its sweet, sour and spicy flavours. — Picture by Lee Khang Yi

And last but not least is their Gobi Manchurian (RM15). It’s one of my all-time favourites and this place does an excellent version.

Here, the cauliflower florets are chopped and encased in batter, forming circular shapes. What makes it excellent is the sauce that is sweet, sour and not too spicy. I would happily eat this again.

They also add sliced capsicum peppers and onions in the stir fry, giving it a healthier twist.

Finish your meal with a piping hot milky Masala Tea (RM6) with fragrant spices. It’s the best way to end a satisfying meal here.

If you prefer to dine at home or the office, they offer delivery services via FoodPanda.

Thosai Cafe, Lot GZF4, Ground Floor, Opposite Ikea, The Curve,

Jalan PJU7/3, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya

Open daily: 10am to 10.30pm

Tel: 011-51464853

Facebook: @thosaicafe Instagram: @thosaicafe

* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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