Udaya Kerala Restaurant

"Kerala Prawn Curry Located on a residential corner of East Ham, Udaya Kerala is a small, welcoming spot you’ll return to again and again. As much for the excellent South Indian dishes as the laid-back atmosphere. Fish and seafood dishes should be a priority, in particular the Kerala prawn curry. It’s warming and richly spiced—specked with mustard seeds and dried chillies which impart a subtle heat, and tender prawns which add sweetness. " - rianne shlebak, jake missing

"Located on a residential corner of East Ham, Udaya Kerala is a small, welcoming spot you’ll return to again and again. As much for the excellent South Indian dishes as the laid-back atmosphere. Zone out to calming music, admire the beautiful paintings, and snack on crispy, spiced cubes of fried paneer 65. Plates of lacy, light appam, flaky barotta, fragrant beef fry, and beef roast are some of our favourite things to order here. Richly spiced Kerala prawn or fish curry should also be on your table. Moving with a group is best so you can work your way through all the dishes. Just keep in mind it’s a small space, and walk-in only." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, heidi lauth beasley, daisy meager, sinead cranna

"Udaya has been serving the good people of East Ham homestyle Malabari food for just under 25 years. While the menu is a bit longer than necessary due to the inclusion of popular, if slightly generic, pan-Indian items, the must-order items are as follows: beef fry, netholi fry; kappa (a carb staple made of tapioca and ground coconut), and either a seafood speciality curry or a Kerala style kothu roti. For South Indian holidays like Onam or Vishu, Udaya brings out the sadya: a vegetarian feast served traditionally on a banana leaf." - Maazin Buhari

"Located on a residential corner of East Ham, Udaya Kerala is a small, welcoming spot you’ll return to again and again. As much for the excellent South Indian dishes as the laid-back atmosphere. Zone out to calming music, admire the beautiful paintings, and snack on crispy, spiced cubes of fried paneer 65. Plates of lacy, light appam and flaky barotta are a must-order, as are fragrant beef fry and beef roast. Richly spiced Kerala prawn or fish curry should also be on your table. Although you could come here for a midweek date night, moving with a group is best so you can work your way through all the dishes. Just keep in mind it’s a small space, and walk-in only. photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch" - Daisy Meager

"Located parallel to the main drag of the High Street in East Ham, this Kerala restaurant is superior to even the best South Indian restaurants in the area. It’s a neat, cosy place festooned with ornaments and paintings, including a striking nettipattam: a decorative shield used as an adornment for the trunks of elephants. Chicken 65 (with or without bone, a dish which originated in Chennai) and gobi 65, delicately spiced with cardamom and black pepper, are some of the tastiest versions found in London. Seafood is very much a strong point here, with lively spicing found in crab fry and squid curry. Fresh spices flown in from Kerala perk up a complex black chickpea curry, eaten with mashed cassava root that should be rolled into balls with fingers. Egg roast features whole, shallow-fried boiled eggs in a pool of thick gravy studded with dried red chillies, with crunchy cabbage thoran making an excellent foil. Don’t miss the lacy doilies of appams, spongy in the middle and crisp around the edges — better here than other restaurants in the area." - Sejal Sukhadwala