Satya South Indian Café
Lauraine Jacobs
$-$$
158A Hobson St
Auckland City
Ph: 09-377 0007
Unlicensed
Open: Lunch Mon-Sat; dinner 7 days
Cuisine rating: Eat: 6 Drink: n/a Look: 5 Care: 7
There’s nothing like a home-cooked meal with all its attendant nurturing flavours. That is exactly what has made Satya such a popular place with those in the know. Owners Swamy and Padmaja Akuthota hail from Hyderabad in south India, and are both dedicated to cooking authentic food from their homeland. They grind their own spices and import some pastes and other ingredients. The dishes are influenced by the Ayurvedic philosophy of the owners and are mainly deliciously light and healthy.
The menu seems quite extensive. In the lighter entrée section several items are not to be missed. The kitchen does a superb job of making idli (a wafer-thin rice and lentil cake), the dahi puri (crisp little squares with a topping of potato, yoghurt, spices and tamarind) and the rava dosa (semolina pancake with carrot, coriander and spices). They are all taste and texture sensations.
Diners can then move on to fresh and flavoursome curries, and vegetarians are well catered for with 11 choices. An impressive number of chicken, prawn and lamb curries are listed, and the staff are pleasant and helpful when assisting diners with their choices.
One of the joys of eating Indian-style is that no meal is complete without the accompaniments: pickles, chutney and raita, and soft flaky breads. The kitchen does an excellent paratha, a layered flat bread, which can be reeking with garlic, flavoured with fresh cheese or spinach and tomato, or just served plain. (I like that, as there are many other wonderful flavours to concentrate on.)
Satya is in a storefront in one of the city’s older buildings: a very humble café with simple decoration. It does not hold a liquor licence but it does offer several traditional drinks, including lassi, masala tea and south Indian coffee in a warm family environment.
Satya’s spicy tasty food is a real treat for any adventurous palate.
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