Food Review: Why Kappad in High Wycombe is one of the best

Kappad, which has sat at the top of the town’s High Street since October 2017, has gained a reputation as one of the ‘go-to’ places in the area, and it’s not just because of its food.

Kappad is based along High Wycombe's High Street (Image: NQ)

When we visited the establishment at the end of September, we weren’t just given food, but also a history lesson as to why Kappad produces dishes that are not typically seen in other curry houses, as well as learning about India.

So, what is Kappad and what do they do?

The restaurant primarily focuses on dishes that are central to the Kerala community in South India, with its menus having a map of the 21st largest Indian state by area, as well as several paragraphs about the region’s past.

When we entered, we were immediately met by a very smart-looking bar area which has a huge array of drinks, before seeing a relatively spacious seating area.

There are numerous references to Kerala within the establishment, which include paintings, plants, lights, and a monitor showcasing areas of the state.

We visited on a Friday evening, and the restaurant was almost full.

The sound of customer chatter drowned out the low-playing traditional music.

For starters, we had Uzhunnu Vada (breakfast doughnuts), a seafood platter, Adipoli Kozhi (chicken cubes with sautéed onions), and lamb black pepper fry, with of course, a side of papadams.

The mixture of starters were very good (Image: NQ)

The breakfast doughnuts were sweet, savoury, and addictive.

I must warn you that they are deceivingly filling – so if you get them, pace yourself!

The seafood platter was a mix of grilled prawns, fish fillet, mussels, and batter-fried squid.

This was on the menu to give customers a flavour of what those in Kerala might have, as the state sits on the bed of the Indian seafront.

You have to get it right with fish, and the chefs certainly did.

The mains were also excellent. Especially the fish, which came in a banana leaf (Image: NQ)

The mix of flavours swam through the taste buds and didn’t leave you with an overpowering aftertaste.

It was delightful.

Speaking of which, the Adipoli Kozhi (chicken cubes with sautéed onions), were very good.

They were light, had a good mix of flavours and it didn’t make you full before the main course. 

After a brief break, we moved on to the mains and my word, they were brilliant.

We were blessed with a Nadan Beef Peralan which is a beef curry rooted in numerous vegetables, a Kuttanadan Konju Masala which is a prawn curry mixed with onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and thick coconut curry sauce, and Malabar Fish Curry.

The latter, which came in a banana leaf, was a juicy boneless fillet that tantalised the taste buds beyond measure.

It was moist and succulent, and you could taste the rich juices through the numerous vegetables.

Each dish was unique in its way, and one thing I will give the chefs at Kappad, is that they didn’t rush the food being made.

Everything had been cooked with care, hence their popularity within the town.

The dishes were so good that we even took some away with us – we couldn't finish everything on the night!

Finally, to conclude our meal, we opted to have a Gulab Jamun and payasam, which was a perfect way to finish our time at the restaurant, as they were warming and filling desserts.

Some very traditional South Indian deserts (Image: NQ)

Overall, it was a brilliant experience and I would highly recommend visiting.

You can see why they have got an average score of 4.7/5 from 806 Google Reviews.