Cafe Malabar
407 Swift St
Victoria, BC

Hours: Weds–Thurs: 12–2:15 p.m., 4–8 p.m.
Fri–Sat: 12–2:15 p.m., 4–8:30 p.m.
Sun: 12–2:15 p.m., 4–8 p.m.

Website: cafemalabar.ca
Phone: (780) 600-0005

DK: Well it took us a while, but we finally touched down (please forgive the aviation pun) at Victoria’s representative in Air Canada’s Best New Restaurants for 2024 list. They’ve also gone back to back belly to belly as Yam Magazine’s Best South or Southeast Asian restaurant in 2024 and 2025. To be specific, the cuisine of Kerala. So naturally there were some expectations going into this one. Would the Kerala Fried Chicken be “something to write home about” as Air Canada “eater-in-chief”

Tara O’Brady said in her review? Or would I be saving the stamp and just clickety-clacking out a few weary witterings to Ed?

ES: This travel weary individual would say yes, while some dishes popped, other did not.