Oottupura

I stumbled upon the Oottupura a few months ago, during an evening out with friends in West London. I have being doing this, on and off, for over 20 years so you’d think I would have found a new form of entertainment, but I am very glad that I did find this place.

Let’s not pull any punches – quite simply it was the best Indian, in this case South Indian, food I have ever tasted, even better than the Minar was in the same street in Hammersmith almost 20 years ago. I certainly wasn’t expecting such amazing food from the unassuming premises, nor was I given a clue by the lack of clientele.

In fact I have been back now 2 or 3 times, just to make sure I wasn’t dreaming – I wasn’t; the food has been consistently excellent every time.

The secret they assure me is that they cook with very little fat, which explains the fresh, light dishes, but which are still unmistakeably Indian.

The menu contains a few of the expected dishes, but most of it will be unfamiliar to the casual curry eater. Being Keralan there is a lot of fish on the menu, and I am normally one of those who avoid fish in a standard curry house, but the fish dishes I have tried, like the Naandan Meen, are superb.

The Dosas, folded pancakes with filling, are a delicious house speciality, but every dish has caused me and my companions to pause for appreciative comment, even something as basic as a Saag Aloo.

The prices are reasonable and your host very friendly, so I urge you to try this hidden gem in Hammersmith.
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Kari Ward
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 8
Sunday, April 30, 2006