Descending the stairs into the dining area, one finds the space just as inviting as the exterior would suggest and is cosily rather than claustrophobically subterranean, with liberal application of floral decoration and a mixture of seating styles. Coming onto the menu is where things get really appealing as it draws heavily on Bobby’s Keralan heritage to deliver small plates rooted in Indian traditions that are hearty, comforting and quite remarkable value. It’s initially a touch tricky to get a handle on how many of the dishes to order as one might assume the pricing means they’re fancied up, tiny versions of the promised dish. Bobby promised that this wasn’t the case though so we set about the document and picked seven likely suspects to make up an indulgent meal. Dishes arrive as and when they are ready, further underscoring the casual nature of the occasion, so we relaxed into our Kingfisher and Chai to await the first arrival, which turned out to be mini-poppadoms and chutneys that were the perfect morsel to pick at and came in a broader variety than the usual curry-house standards and with richly spiced dips.

The next tranche of dishes to arrive were spiced calamari, fried chicken, beef and bone marrow curry and chicken kothu porotta. This selection was quickly augmented by basmati rice and a broccoli dosa which had the combined impact of making our table look and smell remarkably appetising. The beef and bone marrow curry was deeply rich with a generous spicing (for my puny tolerance anyway) and a healthy pop of ginger all of which made it a happy vessel for the rice to carry. Calamari was tender with a crispy curry-leaf infused batter and samphire garnish for a minor twist, curry mayo adding another hit of flavour while the Trivandrum fried chicken lived up to the lofty expectations Bobby set for it, by turns crispy on initial bite before yielding softly and dropping a whole bunch of flavour off. Comfortably some of the best fried chicken I’ve eaten and pushed even further upwards in my estimations by the accompanying fried garlic yoghurt. The other chicken dish used layers of flaky bread for a textural point of difference and was again well judged and satisfying which just left the dosa which could have taken a more generous helping of broccoli but did its job in good spirits. Had I been able to restrain myself with mains more effectively I would have tucked into jaggery-accented sticky toffee pudding or cardamom dusted chocolate brownie, both of which seem like reason for a return visit.

The cost attracted by all this food was only £42, which makes Kerala Canteen Leeds a pretty eye-catching bargain for a quality meal for two in attractive surrounds. With drinks at a sensible price too it’s easy to see this as a regular fixture in the social calendar of Leeds residents with hugely tempting balance of quality and value to be had. Bobby is a thoroughly nice chap but sadly that’s not enough to guarantee success in a crowded market going through turbulent times. On the evidence of this trip though, he can rely on the food and atmosphere as much as his personality to win through.

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You can find Tharavadu Leeds just a short stumble down the hill from the train station, adjacent to the similarly esteemed Bundobust. It’s not the most flamboyant frontage but has a welcoming atmosphere as you enter, with the walls embellished by the signatures of esteemed customers such as Kier Starmer! It didn’t take long for our server to furnish us with cold beers and some satisfying crunchy bits to dip in a variety of pickles while we waited for the main event to begin.

The Signature chicken dosa was an obvious place to start and arrived in a show of conical majesty, concealing the spiced filling. These savoury pancake style dishes have deservedly gained traction in the UK over the last ten years or so since I came across one first in Nottingham around 2008 but I can’t think of one that compares to this example. With a delicate crunch to the lightly spiced pancake and a lustrous, rich filling with well judged heat this is an instantly iconic dish that should be mandatory when visiting Tharavadu Leeds.

We’d ordered everything to come as it was ready, so a beef dish came next. Pothu Peralan delivered a generous quantity of the meat which was elevated by pungent curry leaves, onion and coconut with spicing generously advancing forward as you chew. We also picked a Meen Koottan fish curry promising notes of tamarind while proclaiming itself one of the most ordered dishes on the menu, with good reason as it turned out. One rather gets the impression that there isn’t a duff note on the menu but everything we ordered felt like it could have been a highlight. Without exception each dish was best-in-show of its ilk, comforting and generous with huge depths of character making it a challenge to stop mopping up the sauces with the breads we’d ordered. It’s really hard to recommend Tharavadu Leeds enough. I appreciate Mr Rayner’s opinion probably carries more weight than mine, but I also hope you’d put a bit of trust in me too. I’m still thinking about that chicken dosa, and those morsels of beef would be something I’d happily pick over for hours on end. You’ll not regret visiting.

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I didn’t organise the event, but I suggested Coconut Lagoon on the basis of self indulgence (far too long since I’ve visited) and was a bit surprised to hear that it was closed on a Saturday lunchtime. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise as, due to the party size, they were happy to open for us. All boxes ticked!

Thirteen of us with ages measured variously in months or years gathered to an opening offering of a shot of a sweet, lemon-flavoured liquid to cleanse one’s palate. I seem to recall this coming at the end of the meal on my last visit, at which juncture it was rather more effective and less dividing of opinion.

One of the party started with a coffee about which opinion was rather clearer. A tea pot of extremely weak coffee served with a pack of instant coffee didn’t really cut it and was as confusing as it was average.

Moving onto starters, food things improved immediately and dramatically. I’d heard that the “Coli-65” was excellent – cauliflower battered in ‘Mixed herbs and spices’ – and so it proved to be. I have no idea what it contains 65 of but the texture and flavour was right on the money. Crispy at its extremities but moist in the centre, forget any cauliflower prejudice right now.

On the meatier end of the spectrum the beef dry fry was fantastic. Well adjusted to my slightly pathetic tolerance for spice, as with the cauliflower, what came to the fore was the evident expertise of the chef. Crispy beef is so often a tightrope that chefs topple from to fall on a bed of overcooked dry meat but the contrast between the soft centre and crisped edge was right on the money and flavour penetrated the entire dish (rather than clinging to the outside of the meat).

Reports on the other starters were just as effusive. Lassis accompanying starters for a few of us hit the spot. At this point, my high expectations were getting a hefty kick in the teeth and being raised further.

Coconut Lagoon occupies a site that previously saw a couple of other restaurants close before their time, so it’s fantastic to see them still prospering. Under thirty quid a head for a couple of courses and mixture of drinks is fair so, odd coffee and decisive sweet drinks aside, you really need to get here. I’ve done myself a disservice not shouting about it earlier.

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