Indian Essence

I have written previously about the background to this restaurant. At this meal we began with popadoms served with a choice of three chutneys: pineapple, tomato and mango. The popadoms were suitably crisp and the chutneys were fine. 

Tangra chilli prawns had a mix of prawns and mixed bell peppers in a chilli sauce, a dish that originated in Calcutta (often applied to chicken rather than prawns). The prawns were quite tender albeit having limited natural sweetness, and the sauce was surprisingly spicy, but in a good way. The sauce had onions, garlic chillies, dark soy and rice vinegar to provide some sharpness (13/20).

Tandoori murgh kali mirch was spring chicken prepared with a marinade of green peppercorns and mace, served on the bone, with a makhni sauce involving onions, tomato, garlic and ginger. There was a generous amount of chicken which was tender, and a particularly good green chutney on the side. The sauce seemed rather little

bland, mostly tomatoes and with limited spice. There was a little side salad also. Although the sauce was rather dull, the chicken was nicely cooked (13/20). Some other diners had lamb biryani, which I was pleased to see had a proper pastry lid, as you see in biryanis in Hyderabad.Garlic naan was good (13/20) while a side dish of mixed vegetables including potatoes and peas had potatoes that could have been firmer (12/20).

Lemon parfait and lemon ice cream, made in the kitchen apparently, was accompanied by a rather superfluous single strawberry, presumably there to add colour. The texture of the parfait was a touch grainy but there was decent lemon flavour (12/20). Service was fine throughout and the bill came to £48 each. Overall this was still a pleasant meal but less good than my previous visit here.

Further reviews: 29th Aug 2024