Illam South Indian Kitchen, Harrogate: Top marks from our food reviewer for Yorkshire's latest captivating curry house

The secret is out… a modest-looking restaurant in Harrogate is serving up a feast of Keralan food. Elaine Lemm is captivated by the cooking – and the smiles on the faces of staff and customers.

As Yorkshire continues its meteoric rise in the national consciousness of where to go for some of the best food in Britain, it is easy to be swayed in search of those responsible for this ascent.

For one, I am referring to The Good Food Guide stating that the Howardian Hills in North Yorkshire is the Best Foodie Destination in Britain - in case you forgot.

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So, let’s reflect momentarily on other great food we have here, the curry house and those wonderful restaurants littered throughout the county that represent all that is great about subcontinent cuisine.

Illam Restaurant, Kings Road, Harrogate.Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon HulmeIllam Restaurant, Kings Road, Harrogate.Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon Hulme
Illam Restaurant, Kings Road, Harrogate.Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon Hulme

I love them, and we have some cracking ones here. I have shared my favourites on these pages over the years. Well, sit up; we have another one.

My best friends told me about this place and begged me not to write about it, wanting to keep it to themselves. Too late, said I as I reached for the phone to make a reservation. I had to check this out and how glad I am that I did; I am sure my besties will forgive me at some point.

I may not have got quite as excited had they not uttered the words – they have something to do with Tharavadu.

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I am unashamedly fond of this Keralan restaurant in Leeds, and yes, there is a connection it seems as head chef Abdul Majeed previously worked there.

Vella Kadala Curry Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon HulmeVella Kadala Curry Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon Hulme
Vella Kadala Curry Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon Hulme

I also love Keralan food. The slender coastal strip of southwestern India boasts a cuisine built on rice, fish, spice, meats and all things good. Their spicing is mainly kinder and gentler than some.

Having once tasted the world’s hottest chilli, The Californian Reaper, in a workshop when the teeny, tiniest dusting of chilli nearly blew my ears out – an innocuous Jalapeno register between 4,000 and 8,500 units on the Scoville scale, that beast comes in at 1.64 million - I steer clear of anything that declares itself hot. So, this area suits me perfectly.

So here we go. Illam on Kings Road in Harrogate only opened in October ‘23 but is already making its mark across Harrogate and now further, so booking is essential.

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We managed early doors on a Friday night, and it was quiet when we arrived, but fast forward an hour and it was packed out. Looking at Illam from the outside it seems tiny and understated; it isn’t.

Illam Restaurant, Kings Road, Harrogate. Crispy Butter Dosa Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon HulmeIllam Restaurant, Kings Road, Harrogate. Crispy Butter Dosa Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon Hulme
Illam Restaurant, Kings Road, Harrogate. Crispy Butter Dosa Picture taken by Yorkshire Post Photographer Simon Hulme

The downstairs is small, but the main action takes place upstairs, with large rooms packed out with tables and an abundance of lovely staff on both floors for whom nothing seems to be any trouble despite the thrum and push of a crowded restaurant.

The menu takes you through an abundance of foods. It is scattered with the mention of coconut, lentils, rice, chicken, seafood and fish.

It draws on cultural references of the famous Toddy Shops of Kerala, the small shacks and cafes serving Keralan wine and often, according to the menu, Meen Mulakittathu, a typical Malabar style fish curry sold at Illam too, famous for its perfect balance of spicy and sour flavours.

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We munch on Pappodoms and Achaar while we work everything out. These snacks of murukku, achappam and banana chips with homemade pickles are dangerously moreish.

But not as outrageously good as the crispy butter dosa, which is easily over a foot long – I didn’t have a tape measure, so that is a guess.

The crisp pancake roll is made from a fermented batter of grains and pulses and is filled with potato masala, which has that gentle spicing that I mentioned earlier; you know it’s there without it screaming at you.

Kunji Idli Chat sits alongside and is an excellent foil to the Dosa. Another fermented batter but of lentils and rice, a type of savoury rice cake.

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The crispy idlis are soaked in yoghurt with both a mint and a tamarind chutney, which bring a slight sourness to offset the sweetness and spices, plus there are also little jewels of pomegranate seeds.

There’s so much going on with the sweet/sour/spice texture, but it is not muddled; instead, it is clean and utterly lovely.

After dancing back and forth between the Mangalam Kozhi Biriyani, a long, slow, cooked dish often served at weddings in Kerala, heacross the table he settles for the Illathe Kozhi, marinated chicken breast with special ‘gravy’ which I assure you was not Bisto, but a creamy, gently spiced sauce cut through with yoghurt, flecks of herb, with rice and what at first, I thought to be mushy peas, was, in fact, green, spicy potatoes.

For those who want more order on the plate, this may look a bit messy, but who cares when food tastes this good.

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After eating too much Dosa and Chat, I pulled back on my main, so a Vella Kadala Curry of chickpeas in a thick tomato sauce complete with onions, chillies and fresh coriander was ideal.

The curry may sound simple given what was on offer, but I will say it was perfect for me. However, I failed halfway through as I also ate the best part of an insanely flaky, buttery paratha with it.

No worries, I took it home with me and had it for lunch the next day, and it was even better.

There were no puddings here; if there were, we weren’t offered any, but given what we had just eaten, we wouldn’t have ordered.

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So, with great food and excellent service, what was even more remarkable was that with a couple of Kingfisher beers and a glass of wine, the bill came to just shy of £70.

Okay, I will now admit I, too, almost want to keep this place a secret for fear that there will be a waiting list the next time I want to go. But they deserve recognition for what they are doing.

The food here is thoughtful and imbued with care, and I was captivated by it, as well as the lovely smiles all around from staff and customers.

Illam South Indian Kitchen, 12 Kings Road, Harrogate, HG1 1BT Tel: 01423 553991.Open: Mon - Sat 17:00 - 22:00

Welcome 5/5

Food 5/5

Atmosphere 5/5

Prices 5/5

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