The Kotwals’ fun cookery

A Parsi eatery on Wakelin Road, Beachlands, New Zealand, has earned a rave review from Times Online (May 7, 2009). Diana and Mehernosh Kotwal bought over the former Pohutukawa Café, spruced up the interior and renamed it Zara’s after their daughter.

"Their enthusiastic service extends to hand grinding their own spices, using fresh vegetables, buying their steak from the local butcher and incorporating into the menu many family recipes with their own secret ingredients. In fact, it doesn’t take long to realize that Mehernosh and Diana have the goodwill, and the stomachs, of their customers at heart,” notes the Times article posted on Parsi Khabar by Arzan Sam Wadia.

Mehernosh and Diana Kotwal: materializing a dream

"Both Diana and I are enthusiastic amateur chefs and though we leave most of the cooking to our chef who has come to New Zealand from the Sheraton in Mumbai, we are particular about our menu,” Mehernosh told the Times. Indeed, the Kotwals say that several recipes are vintage family heritage; some have been concocted by Diana.

Foodies themselves, the Kotwals are said to have long cherished a dream to share their culinary fantasies with the public. Their success is reflected in the Times’ endorsement: "The restaurant’s garlic prawns are absolutely divine (among the best I have tasted) and I just loved the saagwala (a mild but delicious spinach and lamb curry).” Zara’s pork vindaloo too earned praise: "I was impressed on two counts — I could really taste the pork, and while this dish had bite it did not leave my mouth on fire. It was very good!”

Zara’s had a special offer for mothers on Mother’s Day: a free drink with their meal and free entry to a lottery to win a $100 Botany Town Centre shopping voucher, states the article.