Tag Archives: Indian

Benares 10th Anniversary Meal

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To celebrate the tenth anniversary of his restaurant, chef Atul Kochkar invited a group of London’s most ravenous foodie bloggers to taste his recent menu at Benares.

We met in the bar, exchanged business cards and slurped down a spicy passionfruit and chilli martini. Taking our seats at the prestigious chef’s table, we chatted about our recent culinary experiences whilst admiring the busy kitchen staff frying, tossing, plating and garnishing with great precision and speed.

A delightful personalised tasting menu awaited our palates, and while the food arrived a knowledgeable sommelier offered glasses of carefully paired wine.

To titillate initially a tiny chicken tikka cone… it was a little odd eating pureed chicken but no-one could deny the wonderfully aromatic taste. Fennel-infused lamb chop was rich and flavoursome, presented with a majestic mustard-marinated king prawn; pan-roasted wild sea bass with vermicelli, coconut and curry leaf sauce was a light and fragrant next course. Roasted rump of cornish lamb with shoulder samosa, potato and broad beans was a delicious mix of British ingredients, Indian spices and innovative Atul Kochkar creativity.

Wines were selected from all over the world to ensure the body and flavour perfectly suited the food.

Just before dessert we had a mouthful of lime sorbet, a moment to pause and reflect before the final sweet course. Rose and raspberry Bhapa Doi with pistachio Burfi was a creamy fruity pudding, a wonderful mix of ingredients which soothed my palate after all the rich spicy savoury food.

Atul never ceases to amaze me with his inspirational Indian cooking, and ten years after opening, Benares is better than ever. In a country where this exotic cuisine is so popular, Atul provides food of the very highest calibre.

More info here: www.benaresrestaurant.com

Read about my first trip to Benares here.

You can also read about my trip to Atul Kochkar’s other restaurant, Indian Essence.

Namaaste Kitchen, Camden

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Namaaste Kitchen is a modern Indian grill and bar in Camden, the younger sibling of renowned Salaam Namaste, the ‘Bloomsbury favourite.’ This Camden eatery deserves recognition… offering a vibrant atmosphere and a comfortable environment for guests to enjoy the best of Indian cuisine.

A few minutes walk from Camden Town Station and near to all the famous rock and jazz venues, this restaurant is ideal for a pre or post show dinner. The lunch offers are also worth checking out, the buffet lunch is very reasonably priced and you certainly won’t leave hungry.

Our waiter was attending to several tables but was by our side whenever assistance was needed. He first brought along a chilled bottle of Pinot Grigio, essential sipping to kick off the gossiping. This mild, refreshing choice was perfect too, to cool the palate after the spicy Indian delicacies.

The selection of starters stunned our taste buds, wowing with the intense marinades and vibrant flavours. Portobello mushrooms stuffed with figs, cashew nuts, raisins, green chilli and homemade cheese with a curry leaf should not be missed. I don’t normally like mushrooms but cannot deny that these little mouthfuls are really, really good: the perfect combination of sweet and salty topped with melted cheese and flavoured carefully with aromatic Indian spices. The other starter I remember fondly is the Peshawari Lamb Chops marinated in raw papaya, herbs and spices before being grilled. We devoured this dish within minutes; the crunchy coating on the tender meat was addictive.

For mains it was lovely to have some of the main course dishes and a pick from the grill section of the menu. The Murgh Makhanwala is a favourite with Namaaste visitors and I can see why. Escalopes of chicken breast are grilled then simmered in a creamy butter and tomato sauce, with ginger and crushed fenugreek. It has little fire so is suitable for Indian food-lovers who can’t take the heat. Tandoori Rubiyan Duck with roasted tiger prawn and a tangy fresh salad was a contrasting dish that felt healthy and summery.

Roast pineapple with unbelievably good homemade coconut ice cream was served for dessert, along with our fresh mint tea. Simple but soothing.

Take advantage of special offers at Namaaste Kitchen, especially the ‘taste card’ half price deal which is available on selected days when you book in advance.

More information here.

www.namaastekitchen.co.uk

Salaam Namaste, Russell Square

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Both Londoners and tourists travel to Russell Square to sample Salaam Namaste’s sensational Indian cuisine. This restaurant offers so much more than your average Indian with traditional and speciality dishes on the menu.

The setting itself is nothing special. A warm and comfortable dining room with gaudy décor – we felt slightly squashed even though we had perhaps the best seats in the house. The restaurant manager was at our beck and call throughout the meal, which lasted a while as the staff struggled to cope with a busy night – every table was filled for the entire evening.

We ate a lot. Too much. But it was just too tasty to leave. After the crispiest, thinnest poppadoms, an array of starters arrived for us to devour. Onion bhajis were fresh and light, chowpatii bhelpoori (a popular street snack in Mumbai) were crunchy and spicy, and the jungle lamb kebabs were wonderfully tender, coated in the most divine marinade.

For mains we selected the recommended Butter Chicken from Delhi, the richest and creamiest curry I have ever eaten. Tandoori Chicken arrived sizzling at the table, highly seasoned and completely delicious. We barely managed the side dishes but I remember the baby aubergine cooked in mildly spiced yoghurt and the aromatic pilau rice particularly fondly. We opted for a bottle of the Pinot Grigio to accompany our meal, refreshing and light, it was very suitable.

Dessert took a long time to arrive and I was disappointed that tandoori pineapple was not available. Instead I opted for the coconut ice cream, which tasted homemade. If you’re after something more traditional, I’d go for Kulfi, Indian ice cream made with reduced milk.

For a really great Indian meal, Salaam Namaste is the place to go and judging by its longstanding reputation, it rarely disappoints.

More information and menus here.

www.salaam-namaste.co.uk