Tried out Kavita recently for a Valentine's Day dinner with my partner. It's a new upscale Indian place just south of Olympic Village, in the new "Ofiswerks" lofts, tucked in next to a kitchen offering cooking classes. Immediately upon entry we were greeted warmly by the host and shown to our table. The decor in the restaurant is warm and elegant, but quite minimalistic. There are abundant cool tones and earthy accents on the furniture, perhaps to make the point that your focus should remain firmly on the vibrant curries and character cocktails in front of you. The menu is divided into a series of small and large plates taking inspiration from points up and down the west coast of India, accompanied by a decent wine and beer list, and a menu of eight cocktails. We chose four small plates to start, as it was our first time, not wanting to overcommit. For a late-evening seating, this amount of food ended up being perfect. The naan oozed with cheese and a pungent chutney made from garlic scapes that smacks you across the mouth. We followed this with the potato fritters (vada usal). Flavourful, crispy on the exterior, soft and pillowy inside. The fritters were placed on a bean stew that was brimming with warming spices. Next up was the Mangalorean chicken, which I probably could have eaten seven of. The spice level, the freshness of the curry leaves, the creaminess of the coconut sauce, all of it moreish and just spot-on. It was topped by this crispy, bubbly roti that was reminiscent of a parmesan cracker. Crunched up and mixed in the sauce, it was the perfect contrast to the soft texture of the chicken. We finished with the prawn recheado, which we were told was composed of jumbo prawns that are sourced directly from India. These were some of the juiciest prawns I've ever eaten, with a slight briny note under a powerful heat from a bright red curry. The spoonful of bright, lemony kachumbar salad broke up the richness well. The servers were attentive, engaging, and cheerful, not hovering too much, taking the time to explain each dish, making recommendations throughout. The restaurant was full but the acoustics of the room tamped down the volume of conversations. A smash hit for sure; looking forward to coming back for more. read more