Historical version 1 of Rose Vegetarian, NW9 9HH (view current version)
- 0800 583 8905
- 532-534 Kingsbury Road, NW9 9HH (streetmap) (osm) (gmap) (bingmap) (streetview)
- rosevegetarian.co.uk
Vegetarian Indian restaurant in Kingsbury.
Decor is cafe-style, and it's split into two halves, able to seat around a hundred people in total. The floor is covered with cream-coloured tiles, and the walls are painted dark pink with lilac accents.
They also do Indian versions of Chinese food. Dishes on the menu are marked according to their suitability for different diets, e.g. wheat-free, dairy-free, Jain, etc. According to the menu as of July 2013, they do an all-you-can-eat buffet from noon to 3pm on weekdays. The menu also notes that no alcohol is allowed on the premises.
Kake visited on a Sunday lunchtime in July 2013. There were a fair few groups in having lunch, though plenty of spare tables. A large jug of tap water was placed on the table as I sat down.
Pani puri (£4) photo had very fragile shells; half of them already had holes in the bottom before I even picked them up, which is a significant defect given that this dish is eaten by pouring flavoured mint water (pani) into the puri shells before popping them in one's mouth. The pani itself was fine though, with a nice tang, and I liked the addition of chaat masala (sweet/sour/savoury powder) in the puri filling.
Uttappam with tomato and cabbage (£5) photo was OK; the tomato and cabbage were cooked just right, but the uttappam itself was overly hard on the underside. The accompanying coconut chutney was surprisingly mild in flavour; usually this is quite spicy, with plenty of green chilli. The other traditional accompaniment of sambar (a wet vegetable curry) was fine.
Kake's verdict: I was a little disappointed with the quality of the food I ordered, but I've heard good things about this place from people I trust, and would be willing to give it another go if I was in the area.
Accessibility: There are a couple of entrances, all with steps; the step at one entrance is lower than kerb-height, but the doorway is a little narrow. Once you're in, it's step-free. The ladies' toilet doubles as an accessible toilet, with grab bars and a low sink (though the hand drier isn't low).
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