On a recent trip to Santa Cruz I was seriously wowed, I mean, on the floor begging for more wowed, when I went out to dinner at Malabar Restaurant. My lil' sis' Maggie took me out for my birthday and she premised the meal with, "it's OK to get your hopes up for this one, it's THAT good."
Wow, which was also gushed frequently throughout the meal, is the least I can say about the food at Malabar. It's a combination of two Santa Cruz gems that recently closed (Asian Rose and Malabar Cafe) and reopened under one roof on Front Street as Malabar Restaurant. The cuisine is Sri Lanken, which I can't say I ever remember trying before but now I believe it to be like Indian food but the sauces are sweeter and less oily. In fact everything we ate was fresh and delicious, attributable to the beautiful ingredients the owners load up on at the Farmer's Market. The menu is entirely vegetarian with many vegan options also, there is no alcohol or dessert served, and the place seems to be absolutely packed every night.
The prices were very reasonable for a fancy, might I add, delicious and filling, dinner. Entrees were around $11, drinks were around $3 and there were many gorgeous sounding salads and appetizers that were all so hard to choose from.
We ordered drinks, partially to buy more time to read the menu a 2nd and 3rd time, but also because we couldn't resist. I love interesting flavor combos and the Rosemary Lime Margarita was calling to me. It was creamy and frothy and an immediate palate cleanser. The rosemary was a strong flavor but not overbearing, I
loved it. One of the owners Raj then brought us a glass of the Persian Nights drink that I had planned on trying next time I'm here. What a treat! Now I don't think I'll be able to try anything else! It is a heavenly blend of banana, pomegranate, almond milk and rose water and somehow, that drink went straight to my pleasure center; serious wow.
Mags and I started with the Banana Blossom Salad, the special of the evening that 3 different servers told us about. It was jicama, asian pear, cucumber, banana blossoms, mint and chopped peanuts with a red wine vinegar dressing. It was to die for and came out served in a dramatic maroon banana flower.
We also shared some crispy-fried lentil cakes with a mild yellow curry dipping sauce and a scoop of coconut paste with fresh herbs. That also was to die for (notice this theme at Malabar).
Maggie ordered the Tempeh Goreng which was little crispy bites of tempeh and fresh veggies served on crisp fried noodles with peanut sauce. A decorative side of pickled red onions was served on the side.I had to read over the menu 3 times before deciding but I came back to the dish that caught my eye the first time, the
Mango Curry with plantains and veggies. It was perfectly sweet and fresh and a nice compliment to the salty Tempeh dish.Our food all arrived artfully assembled on uniquely shaped dishes and platters, including the white rice in it's own little bamboo steam basket. The servings were all well-sized and the salad, small plate and 2 entrees were more than enough food for 2 people.
Malabar Restaurant was filled with lit candles that gave the whole place a warm inviting glow. Each table had it's own tea light on a dish with fresh flowers. It was busy as soon as 6:30 rolled around and while the service was quick and very attentive earlier when we were one of 4 tables, as soon as the 57 capacity was reached we were forgotten about. Now, in Europe this is how dinning out works, you don't get your bill until you ask for it. I hate it when a server leaves the bill on the table while I'm still eating and says"no hurry." Of course I feel hurried. So, honestly I didn't mind that the servers left us alone once we got our food, I just wanted to sit and savour all those wonderful flavors for hours.
This was a wonderful meal and I rate this resaturant A++ for ambiance, flavors and service. Currently I live 9 hours by car, 18+ hours by train, 2 months by foot, or $400 by plane from Malabar Restaurant and I have seriously considered all of those options for next weekend just to dine there again.
