Malabari Kitchen Restaurant

Located near Cedar-Riverside, Malabari Kitchen is a gem of a find. The cuisine focuses on India’s rarely encountered southwestern coastal region of Malabar, a one-time center of the spice trade coveted for its black pepper. There’s a ton to appreciate about this spot, not the slightest of which is the new, made-to-request, quality sustenance, and its sweet-smelling foam.

The chicken biryani was seemingly the best you’ve had in the Twin Cities. A pile of flawlessly cooked rice was enhanced and noticeably tinged with a plenitude of herbs and flavors; pieces of delicate marinated chicken were covered up inside the rice; and the readiness was presented with fixings of mango chutney, hot pepper glue, and new raita—something I hadn’t already been offered with this dish.