I’ve been looking forward to the Pop Up Dosa pop up take over at The Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath for a number of weeks. Pop up Dosa are vegetarian, and make the most delicious dosas, and the Hare and Hounds is a fabulous pub, one of the best and always a favourite for live music and real ale.
The Hare and Hounds is in ‘foodie Mecca’ Kings Heath, in South Birmingham near Moseley. As I’ve mentioned in my previous #Tastymorsel blog post it has been holding a summer food season of pop ups to launch its new back dining room cum bar, which is a very cool and comfortable space for casual dining.
Up to now they’ve held two pop ups, Pika Pika and Clark and Lee, with one left to go next week-Fingy’s takeover.
Last night it was the turn of veggie Pop Up Dosa to serve their freshly made Dosa from Kerala to the Kings Heath public.
Pop up Dosa are based in Kings Heath and make vegetarian Dosa’s from home, at markets, at cafe’s and at street food markets such as Brum Yum Yum in Kings Heath. They also do a regular monthly pop up at The Ort Cafe in Balsall Heath/Moseley in southBirmingham. See their website or twitter for next dates.
Dosa pronounced ‘Dhoe-sha’ is a nutritious sourdough crepe made from fermented rice and lentil batter. Dosa dates back to the 6th century AD and is believed to have originated in Udipi in Karnataka, India.
It’s a staple street food dish in Southern Indian states and known for its simple goodness.
You eat Dosa’s with your finger tips and dip it into the sambar ( a vegetable stew in a lentil broth) and chutneys and pop it into your mouth. You can use cutlery though:)
As Ruth and I were in the Hare and Hounds we felt we had to start in the main bar. A lovely room, with comfy sofas and mixed tables. It’s very ornate, and has a great character about it that you would expect from a building dating 1907.
Ruth ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and me a pint of Purity Gold. The Hare and Hounds have a good selection of real ales, cocktails and wine and promote the brewery Purity well.
So onto the food:)
The price of the food £12.50 in advance included three courses.
Each single course was served at the same time, so every diner was eating the same dish.
The 1st course was a delicious Kerala street food morsel called Parrippu Vada with slices of banana.
The flavours of ginger and the crunch of the savoury deep fried lentil were superb, and taken together with the banana the correct way to be eaten.
The 2nd course was the dosa served with the Sambar, mint sublime and the gunpowder smoke.
The Sambar was tangy, filled with delicious vegetables, like a broth with the lentils adding another wholesome texture to the stew.
The mint like a raita, with the gentle harmonious flavours of coriander and lime chutney.
The Gun powder smoke: a chutney of ground roasted lentils, smoky spices, and with a drizzling of hot coconut oil over. Superb, and taken with the vegetable filled Dosa a lovely concoction of flavour.
I enjoyed a pint of Purity UBU with my dosa.
Pop up Dosa’s dosas are lavish and enjoyable. Superb,
The third course (dessert) was called Aluva. A little known and much loved dessert from Kerala. It was fragrant, sweet and dense, with the flavours of the coconut milk, cashew nuts, nutmeg, cardamom giving it an almost liquorice type flavour and consistency. It was certainly a grower though, I was not sure at first but by the end the knots of subtle flavours won me over. Something very different to what I’ve eaten before 🙂
Chef Hasseen George, served a superb pop up.
The Pop up Dosa cafe is to be recommended. The flavours were good and the food addictive.
I felt the pop up at the Hare and Hounds was superb.
The takeover idea is a lovely idea that gives street food and new foodie concepts a forum. The atmosphere was good, chatty and enhanced the evening.
Keep an eye open for where Pop up Dosa are planning to serve their delicious food.
I can certainly recommend a night or lunch In their company.
Pop up Dosa
07402 806 439
http://www.popupdosa.blogspot.co.uk
@popupdosa
Hare and Hounds
106 high street
Kings Heath
Birmingham
B14 7JZ
@hareandhounds
http://www.hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk
The final summer food season pop up at The Hare and Hounds is to be held on Thursday 14th August at 7.30. Pre booked tickets only via the Hare and Hounds website.
This is Fingy’s food night with Alan ‘Fingy’ Thomson Peruvian and Latin food.
£15 for three courses, veggie options available. See Hare and Hounds website for menu under events.
Disclaimer: the opinions expressed are my own and honest. We paid for our own food and drinks.
Feel free to comment on my blog post with any thoughts re the post.
If anyone has any suggestions as to where I should visit that is good for veggies, and vegans please let me know either here or via twitter @andydhare
Full contact details on vegiefoodie.com
Thanks for reading:)
veggiefoodie 