By Jade Monaghan and Ali Tejpar
A Sanskrit word for “story”, Kathā’s eight-course tasting menu takes you on a culinary adventure across the Indian subcontinent to savour its rich and diverse flavours. Kathā is truly an experience for all your senses. Enter a trendy restaurant decorated with modern Indian art and plush emerald chaises, ambient lo-fi music, and the soft sizzling of aromatics like cardamom, fennel, and star anise as you’re welcomed into Chef Teegavarapu Sarath Mohan’s open kitchen.
Sothi Fish Curry. Photo: Jade Monaghan
Mohan, Kathā’s owner, head chef, and chief mixologist, is entirely self-taught with no formal culinary training. Mohan came to Canada in 2013 as a software engineering student and worked part-time at a number of local restaurants to support himself. This ignited his passion for cooking, inspiring him to launch NH44 on Lancaster Road – named after India’s national north-to-south highway. Mohan took his experience with NH44 and an interest in fine dining to open Vivaan in the heart of Ottawa’s Little Italy neighbourhood. In September 2023, Mohan rebranded Vivaan as Kathā to offer a tasting menu featuring elevated Indian haute cuisine, honouring both tradition and innovation.
Mohan’s passion for the rich and vast range of India’s flavours brings a refreshing new perspective to Ottawa’s gastronomic scene. “It’s about telling our stories and memories of food that we know back home, and making sure our guests experience the same,” he said.
While Mohan takes inspiration from the renowned Bombay Canteen and Masque restaurants in Mumbai, Kathā’s team of eight, many who trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, are constantly experimenting on new dishes together to share India’s story in Canada’s capital. This collaborative test kitchen has led to an exceptional menu that showcases the remarkable chefs behind it.
Standout plates during our visit included the bhutte ka khees, sothi, laal maas, and bebinca. Bhutte ka khees – a popular street food found across India’s night markets – brings together a harmony of sweet and creamy corn mousse on a crispy rose-shaped cracker, topped with a dash of jeeravan masala from the Madhya Pradesh region. Chef Hari’s exquisite sothi fish curry takes inspiration from his great grandmother’s Tamil Nadu recipe, with its flaky, lightly charred cod beautifully encircled by colourful drops of red chilli, coriander, and curry leaf oil, ensuring each spoonful of this complex dish is different than the last. The sweet, spicy, and tangy laal maas takes you to Rajasthan with its tender lamb chop served with a savoury green mango garlic chimichurri and sweet squash purée to offset the heat.
Bebinca Layer Cake. Photo: Jade Monaghan
Finally, the bebinca layer cake from the former Portuguese colony of Goa is a symphony of flavours topped with a scoop of salted barley ice cream, a glaze of passionfruit gel, and an intricate milk crisp tuile and makrut lime dust. This delicious dessert by perfectionist pastry chef Vaishnavi is made all the more impressive with its meticulous presentation.
Mohan is also the mastermind behind the fastidiously crafted cocktail menu. All syrups are made in-house and offer another way to savour Indian-inspired twists on traditional drinks. Be sure to try Kathā’s take on the negroni, which features local Dunrobin artisanal gin and house-made star anise simple syrup.
Kathā’s Negroni. Photo: Jade Monaghan
Over the coming months, Mohan’s team plans to feature dishes and ingredients from the regions of Mangalore, West Bengal, and Kashmir. Kathā is also planning a number of local collaborations, including with Carben Food + Drink’s former chef de cuisine Khalid Farchoukh.
“Indian cuisine is more than just curry and naan or tikkas or samosas,” Mohan said. “Indian cuisine has a lot to offer, while modern Indian cuisine is surely a way to represent it. We are a small team seeking to push the boundaries in a small city like ours. Rest assured that when you come to Kathā, we will make sure that you have the best experience.”
Photo: Jade Monaghan
Kathā is open Tuesday to Saturday from 5pm to 11pm. The last seating is at 9pm. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free tasting options are available on 48-hours advance request. Eight-course tastings are priced at $130 per person, plus tax. Wine pairings are an additional $70 per person, plus tax. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible and has two gender-neutral washrooms.
