Restaurant review: Balti House, Larnaca

By Andreas Vou

The Dhekelia road, which used to be home to so many of the Larnaca region’s hotspots a while ago, has been waning over the last decade. Nevertheless, there are a few gems which remain prominent in the area. As the hotter months begin to pass, attention returns to the cozy warm restaurants. Cyprus is not exactly well-known for its Indian options but the Dhekelia road has two of the town’s best known such restaurants almost a stone’s throw away from each other.

Opposite Masalas Indian Restaurant, which is perhaps the town’s most famous Indian eatery, is a slightly more modest establishment by the name of Balti House. In what is a very small and quaint spot, the exterior alone gives a strong indication of its warmth and friendliness. Its vibrant orange walls are matched by the friendly greeting of the staff, who are there are at the door waiting to take you to your seat.

Inside, it is as cozy as the outside suggests; the ceiling is rather low, there is parquet flooring and the walls are draped in traditional Indian attire as well as photo frames and posters of the same culture. The snugness of the place gives the feeling of a small Indian restaurant commonly found in the United Kingdom where space is at a minimum but it makes up for it in quality.
We were guided to our table by the friendly waiter. The rich smell of strong spices fuels a desire to try one of the countless dishes on the menu. Eventually we settled on Vegetable Samosa for starter, with Peshwari Naan bread on the side. For main, between two, we shared a Vegetable Jalfrezi and a standard Vegetable Curry with Pulau Rice.

Samosas can be made in a number of different ways depending on where you go. These had a soft yet crispy texture packed full of spices, soft potatoes, peas and more.
The pick of our choices though was the Jalfrezi: although a rather mild dish it was full of flavour thanks to an array of different spices used including ginger, garlic and pepper. The vegetables used were cooked properly, which blended perfectly with the rich tomato-based sauce. Many Chinese or Indian restaurants these days serve rice that is crispy on the edges, which suggests it is not exactly fresh from the pan – here, however, you could tell it was recently made.

The manager, Deepak, was very courteous and the service was excellent throughout as all meals were brought well spaced enough to know everything was fresh and not to get too hungry as we waited. There was always a feeling of general interest from the two staff that served us in regard to what meal would best suit our unique preferences as well as how the quality was.
Places like these often go unnoticed due to the fact that the area is not brimming with life but some of the best spots in town can lie hidden away from the more commercial places either on Phinikoudes or Mackenzy. The quality of lesser know places in Dhekelia like Balti would certainly surprise a few people.

In terms of value for money, it would be hard to top this place. With all of the food mentioned above as well as a few bottles of beer each, the menu came to a little under €45.

VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALTY: Vegetable Jalfrezi
WHERE: Christoula Beach Gardens, Dhekelia Road, Larnaca
CONTACT: 24 647657
PRICE: €10-15 (starter and main per person)