“I’m pathetic with heat”, my date pouts at our handsome waiter, AJ, puncturing the stylish gloom of Hoppers’ latest Shoreditch outpost. Fortunately, the team knows exactly what they’re doing.
Started by Karan Gokani in 2015, the brand has kept its dedication to authentic Sri Lankan and southern Indian flavours throughout its expansion. Its fourth branch - on the outside face of the 1930s Tea Building in Shoreditch - boasts a tasteful interior: an inlaid roof, patterned walls with images of dancing figures, and wooden benches covered in earthy-toned fabrics.
From our bar stools we gaze around at a buzzing crowd, lips puffed up from the spices, eyes glittering. Jacob, our bartender, is just one of a veritable ship’s crew of beaming and clearly passionate staff. “The best bar in Shoreditch”, he says - a bold claim which, in all honesty, I can’t refute.
Negronis with coconut and pandan leaves are a sweet and naughty after-dinner treat, while a hibiscus no-groni makes for a more sensible alternative. Mystery palate-cleansers are presented in Lilliputian coupes.
Kapi Crema, a frozen chicory brew, churns in the slushie machine, and a custom espresso martini with nutmeg grated theatrically on top is on hand to wake us up.
In the kitchen, the chefs are as expert as the bartenders. Starting off with some short plates, my date and I recalled that sometimes, it is the dishes you might have skipped - had they not been recommended - that make a night magical.
The chilli garlic broccoli is one. Puffed and deep fried, it resembles popcorn chicken more than the divisive vegetable with a salty, spicy glaze that gives a slight whiff of the sea.
Slabs of breaded Kochi chilli chicken chops leave the much-loved Kyiv far behind. Bright red curry leaf crumbs cover the surface of the chop, covering lips and cheeks with powder as we eat.
Bite-sized balls of prawn paniyaram all but pop themselves into your mouth and are a masala flavour bomb, served with an arresting Chettinad rasam dip.
I recommend ordering the chickpea and cucumber salad - which features a delightful coriander and sesame sauce - so you always have something cooling on hand. The sauce behaves almost like a hummus or tahini, soothing those beleaguered palates.
Don’t be afraid to inform your beauteous waiter of your preferred spice level. I prefer almost total palate obliteration, while my date sometimes finds a korma too much. Our food arrives hot but not painful, perfectly balanced so you feel the heat but barely notice your tongue’s slight twitching or the widening of your eyes.
Like the short eats - and everything else - the centrepiece dishes (‘Tawa + Rice’ on the menu) are designed to be shared. The short rib beef biryani comes recommended, but looks astounding and intimidating alongside our other orders.
Instead, we opt for the crab cari omelette, a Madurai-inspired mess served with a peeling parotta, orange podi-coated, with crustacean gravy on the side. A stringy, eggy battle of taste with the crab and parotta wrestling for dominance. Are the least aesthetically-pleasing dishes the best? I think so.
Kerala sizzling fish kari - a South Indian and Sri Lankan curry - spumes in a heated oval dish, the marbling yellows and oranges cooking the salmon to a delicate, almost unimaginable softness without dissolving.
The eponymous hoppers (thin, bowl-shaped savoury pancakes made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk) are described by my friend as “a contact lens made out of dough”, covered with Martian-esque craters, flimsy and easily crumbled with your fist over the assembled dishes.
Lamb benne dosa - served Bangalore-style - is filled with pulled lamb shoulder, more masala and pickled onions, like a thicker empanada or pancake and the perfect dose of soul-stroking warmth.
A rich and layered chocolate mound and a fresh berry trifle are the only dessert options. As good professionals, we try both, and they’re both worth it.
Rocking back, we cradled our food babies - with food this good it is almost impossible not to overorder, overeat and overspend. If you’re everything, expect the cost to climb, as everything is so tempting - but prices still hover within the middle band of London dinners.
Hoppers Shoreditch. Tea Building, 56 Shoreditch High St, London E1 6JJ. Find out more and book here.
