Indian cuisine is arguably the most diverse with regional specialties, thousands of curry varieties, and endless tandoori dishes. BUT... it can be difficult for a non-native to embrace the strong seasoning and punchy flavor. With the modern rendition on Indian cuisine at Klay, they bring a quirky twist to traditional dishes without sacrificing authenticity by re-modelling Indian cuisine to fine dining. While we have fancy (some might say pretentious) French and Italian restaurants, some cuisines are traditionally underrepresented in a fine-dining setting. In recent years in Shanghai, we can see that this trend is starting to weaken.
Just like Eli-Falafel, the restaurant is a hybrid of modern and traditional. Klay retains the homey and warm feel of a casual restaurant. They integrated Indian mandalas and patterns into each fabric of the restaurant's design. There's no one characteristic display of Indian authenticity. Everything that the restaurant designers wanted to be represented are mixed, matched, and combined with antique ornaments that still strangely feel trendy.
Antique lights at Klay are one of the highlights of their interior design. The artistic merging of hand-woven baskets with orange lights added greatly to the minimalist setting.
Dishes:
Garlic naan - est. 36 rmb
Everyone knows what naan tastes like. But do you really until you've tried it at Klay? It's offered in four flavors: garlic butter, plain, truffle-flavored, and cheese-stuffed. My personal favorite was probably the garlic na'an. The fragrance of butter and garlic!
Salmon Tartare Pani Puri - 78 rmb
Pani Puri is classic - an uncontested top 10 of Indian street food. At Klay, instead of the traditional potato filling, they opt for a salmon tartare filling that adds a zingy freshness. Additionally, the ocean kick of the salmon gives it a light breeze of seafood flavor. Of course, while the edible flowers are for show, you have to give it to them for how its used to elevate the presentation.
Masala Crispy Shrimp - 98 rmb
One of the more hearty dishes at Klay, the masala crispy shrimp is a fun twist on a traditional classic of tandoori shrimp. The shrimp maintains a fiery barbecue flavor, and the tempura-like batter is very much appreciated. As a warning, It is very spicy. But if you're coming to an Indian restaurant, you have to expect some spice.
Tandoori Chicken - 168 rmb
Probably the more underwhelming dish of the bunch, but it still wasn't bad. The chicken was slightly dry and simultaneously a little mushy. However, the seasoning was perfect, especially with the mint sauce. The Indian-inspired cabbage slaw was also a great accompaniment to the dish.
Tandoori Cauliflower - 78 rmb
Ok ok ok. Calm down. 78 rmb for a cauliflower seems like a lot, and it is! The cauliflower dish at Klay, however, does not disappoint. With a creamy and nutty sauce drizzled on top of a whole-grilled cauliflower, seasoned with punchy Indian spices, its definitely worth a try. As one of the few vegetarian options on the menu, it really delivers on texture, juiciness, and meatiness.
Summary
I visited Klay last year as well. Their service was extremely nice and attentive, their food was fabulous, and the interior design was very pleasing. In a slightly detached urban street, away from the bustling main avenues, the location is optimal if you're looking for some place to eat after travelling the city or hanging out with a friend. Unfortunately, it does seem like they've jacked up their prices by a fair bit. One small issue that you might have with the restaurant is that they don't have a lot of variety in their menu options. Overall, still a great spot to visit.
Beautiful photos!