A Dishoom Feast

There were three reasons for going back to Dishoom, a Bombay café / restaurant in central London:

1. They serve delicious Indian cuisine
2. It was my birthday
3. We had a Dishoom note worth £10

The last time I dined here was last year. In fact, it was only a few weeks ago and we each got a £10 Dishoom note to use. So when it came to my birthday, my fiancé and I tried to decide whether we should go out for dinner or if he would cook a meal for me at home. After much back and forth, we took the easier and more-likely-to-be-successful option of going out. We fancied Indian and so I pulled out my £10 Dishoom note. Such a novelty, but hey, it brought them more business. I'm all for marketing ploys if they save me money and give me good food.

I've been here only a handful of times, but I already have my favourite dishes. So while we waited at the bar for our table, I was quick to put my finger to the menu already. "I want this one, and this one, and this..." We hadn't fully decided by the time we were called to our seats, but we had a game-plan which was dependant on what the house special was.

Well, that plan was quickly put to one side as we saw the tasting menu propped up at our booth. I was happy to sat in a booth. The couple who were seated before us got one of the tables in the middle. Muhahahaha!

Our previous experience of a tasting menu was at Indian Accent in Delhi. We quickly looked at the dishes on the menu, and I pointed again. "I'll have this one, and this one and...". But we could have them all! It included drinks, and the equivalent of what could be seen as starters, a mix of mains and desserts. PLUS chai tea's at the end, and neither of us have had a chai since being in India. Excited? Yes.

The menu

These were the options we chose from the menu, but you could have a vegetable biryani instead of chicken, a different bread, and different flavoured desserts. There is also a vegetarian tasting menu to choose from, but we went for non-veg.

• Mango and Fennel Lassi
• Dishoom Calamari
• Bhel
• Nihari
• Chicken Berry Biryani
• House Black Dahl
• Raita
• Roomali Roti
• Passionfruit Gola Ice and Mango Kulfi
• House Chai

Now, I have to say, this isn't really like a normal tasting menu that I've had before. I would usually expect little dishes of each so that we could 'taste' a variety of foods. I'd say that this is more of a set meal, rather than a tasting menu and it was probably enough for three people to share.

The lowdown

Mango and fennel lassi

I already had a glass of red wine from when we were waiting at the bar. The mango and fennel lassi came out and I was quite unsure if the two would mix well. They didn't. But I only slowly drank half the lassi so no one had to be witness to anything vile. I wasn't too enthusiastic about the lassi either, although it's never been a favourite of mine anyway. It's milkier and not as sweet as the few I've tried before. The rioja was very nice though!

Our small plates came out next. I'd already tried the calamari before, and I wanted to have it again anyway. This is the third time I've had it now and it is different again. I mean, it's clearly the same dish, but they just don't seem to be consistent in making it. This time the calamari pieces were cut differently and the flavour wasn't as vibrant. Nice and crispy though.

The bhel was very new to me. I don't think I have tried it before. The menu states that it is a classic bombay snack and I quite enjoyed it. Bit of crunch from the rice, bit of fresh from the pomegranate mixed with all sorts of other ingredients including tomato, coriander, and onion. Interesting and nice.

Dishoom calamari

Bhel - a classic Bombay snack

Next were our mains which I was really pleased that it consisted of rice, breads, curry and more! I always enjoy a curry with a whole mix of things. I'm not a one-dish-to-myself kind of person when it comes to Indian. I like to have a couple of curries, a bit of rice to mix in with it, and a bit of bread to mop it up. Shared of course. I'm not that greedy. Not always anyway.

I really enjoyed the chicken biryani. I'm told that it takes hours to make one of these usually. I don't think I've come across a takeaway biryani which is quite like the real thing. Or at least what I know to be the real thing. Someone I know once made a biryani at home and brought it into work for us all to try. Boy, was that some decent biryani! I recall he talked about cooking it all separately, then layering up the rice, the sauce, the chicken and the vegetables, then cooking it for longer and mixing it all up. What he brought in was rather yummy. Dishoom's biryani comes very close to it. It is different. The flavours of the berries work quite well in it and I really enjoyed it, but it doesn't quite live up to this one I've had before but I'd certainly have it again. It's served with some raita which adds a fresh and cool dimension to the mix.

Chicken berry biryani

Nihari

The nihari is a new dish for Dishoom, or so I'm told. I've not seen it on the menu before and I did fancy a bit of lamb. It's like a stew and there is quite a lot of sauce which is thinner than the usual curries I've tried before. The flavour it quite rich, and a bit salty but it was good. Definitely nice to mix in with the rice and eat with the roti. 

Ah, the roti! I've not had roti like this anywhere else. Granted, I've only had roti in two places. Once in Rishikesh, India and once at Dishoom. I much prefer Dishoom's version. It's like a stretchy cloth, but is edible and tastes really fresh. You can see it being made in the kitchen. They stretch out the dough and place it over a hot dome to cook.

Roomali roti

House black dahl

Now, I can't say much for the dahl. Having tried various dahl's over the past few years, I have decided that I don't like it. I'm not sure what it is, but it's really not to my taste. The other half enjoyed it though!

Does that sound like a lot of food? Well, it was. We couldn't finish it all. Defeated! We tried, we really did. We paused and tried to eat more, then paused again, and nibbled some more. But we were indeed defeated.

So I'm pleased that the desserts were nothing too heavy. Of course, we waited a little bit before actually delving into our desserts. The mango kulfi is essentially a milk-based ice lolly and the gola ice is pretty much crushed and flavoured ice. Nothing spectacular but I enjoyed it. It was actually a really good dessert for such a heavy meal.

Mango kulfi

Passionfruit gola ice

Oh, we are not finished yet! Then it was the chai. It had been about a month and a half since we had chai's in India and I really did miss it. I remember coming back to the UK and craving a normal cup of English Breakfast tea and then being bitterly disappointed at how bland it was. I wanted a chai tea again. And here it was.

House chai

Good end to the meal. A lovely warming cup of spiced, slightly sweet and milky chai tea. It was the good type too, as we did have a few chai's which were far too sweet in India. They sure do like sweet!

We then got given two more Dishoom notes worth a tenner each. I need to remind myself that eating out this often doesn't actually save any money! Keeps me happy though :) Also, I do want to pop in for a Bombay breakfast or lunch some time!

Links

Website: http://www.dishoom.com/

Twitter: Follow @dishoomlondon

An Indian Accented Food Journey

Featured in the India Daily on 24th Dec 2011.

Our stay in Delhi was short and packed full with a rigid itinerary. Our only free day was the same day we arrived back in Delhi from Rishikesh, and I'd already had my eye on the hotel restaurant. It was partly why I wanted to stay at The Manor New Delhi Hotel. The Chef's Tasting Menu really caught my eye. Both the boy and I love trying new foods and we decided that we would eat once at this restaurant as a treat during our trip. So we would just go straight in for the Chef's tasting menu in order to try a selection of dishes here.

Tasting menu’s

I'd only tried a tasting menu once before, and it was at Fusion 5th Floor in Hong Kong which I visited earlier in the year. I was in heaven sampling the variety of dishes served in front of me. So naturally, I was just too excited for the next tasting menu experience.

There is a vegetarian and non-vegetarian option available at Indian Accent. The other half was straight in for the non-vegetarian having had a meat-free few days in Rishikesh and being the carnivore that he is, but I was tempted for the vegetarian option just so that we could try even more dishes. I didn't mind not having meat, but it was the number of dishes containing cheeses which put me off. I'm not a fan of cheese at all and I find a lot of people think that's kind of weird.

Time to taste

So first up – prior to being served anything from the tasting menu – some appetisers of blue cheese naan and this spoonful of wonders. The naan’s look delicious, but the smell of the stinky blue cheese was making me queezy. I still don't like cheese, but it doesn't mean I won't give it a go. Sorry, not for me but my cheese-lover boyfriend loved them. What delight is in store for us next? Oh, this lovely spoonful of amazing flavours. Oh my goodness. Crispy on the outside, with an explosion of wonderful flavours on the inside.

Mini blue cheese naan’s

Spoonful of yum

Starters

Excited by what we had just experienced, we couldn’t wait for the next mouthful from this tasting menu. The potato thread spheres were our first starter. These were so delicately light and crispy, the fresh flavours against the sweet worked so well. This was getting just a little exciting!

Potato thread spheres, white pea ragda, summer kaldi

I recall having pomelo with a soft shell crab dish in Pho 24, a Vietnamese restaurant I went to in Hong Kong. It's similar to grapefruit but less sour, more sweet. It's very light and fragrant. Why do I not eat this fruit more? Reminder to pop down to the Chinese supermarket and grab me some pomelo! Anyway, this tandoori chicken and pomelo dish was decent. Not my favourite, buy still tasty.

Tandoori chicken chaat, thai pomelo segments, crispy garlic

The waiters are so attentive. Quickly clearing our plates and keeping drinks topped up and explaining what was in each plate for us. At no point was the service intrusive.

Next up is a beautifully cooked piece of salmon with a really fresh and tasty dip. This was one of our favourites. The textures and flavours were just such a good combination. It was such a small dish and it would have been lovely to have had more. But we had to remember that this is a tasting menu and there are more dishes to come!

The foie gras was quite unusual. I haven’t had foie gras many times, but I recall trying this at Fusion 5^th Floor. It was seared and just melted in my mouth with delicate flavours. At Indian Accent, it didn’t have the same effect. Still quite nice, and the chutney was a nice compliment. But I have to compare it with the better version.

Scottish salmon tikka, dill leaves, garlic and mint aioli

Foie gras stuffed galawat, strawberry green shilli chutney

Time for a palette cleanser before being served our mains…

Sorbet

The path of the main’s

This is where the plates get a bit bigger. There were two choices for the main, so of course, I ordered one and my boyfriend had the other.

Served in front of me is a plate of lightly battered fish, some mash and steamed asparagus. I’m told that the fish is John Dory from the Australian Seas. The meat is so succulent and tender. Falling apart with a touch of my knife and coated in a wonderful tomato pepper curry.

In front of the other half, is a dish named Chicken 65. I’ve never heard of this dish before, but it seems it is a popular dish in South India, and the origins of the name seem to be varied and uncertain. The crispy circular accompaniment was a nice addition. It added a bit of crunch to the dish and a dipping or scooping device for the chicken pieces or upma. Upma – what a strange name. To me anyway. Upma is a popular breakfast dish, but the upma served here seems like a more liquid version of the breakfast meal. Some new and unusual, but tasty flavours here. I’m definitely still preferring some of the earlier dishes that tantalised my tastebuds.

Pan seared John Dory, tomato pepper curry, new potato ‘chokha’ mash

Chicken 65, spiced upma, marinated feta

Along with the mains, we have some black dairy dal, with some bacon kulcha. After trying dal a few times this year, I’ve decided that I’m not a massive fan. It’s such a popular dish, but there is something about it that is just not to my liking. I also found the bacon kulcha a bit odd – it was a bit like spiced pizza with dry cured meat. It’s a nice idea to be able to dip the kulcha in the dal, and as an accompaniment to the mains, but it really wasn’t my thing.

Black dairy dal

Apple wood smoked bacon kulcha

Any more?

DESSERTS. Oh my goodness, the desserts! Three little taste sensations on a piece of slate. I can’t say that they are my favourite dishes ever, but they were certainly interesting to try!

Chooran, anar and Cointreau kulfi
Fresh cherries
Baked coconut cheesecake

Let’s start with the spiced pomegranate ice lolly. Had it been simply a pomegranate and Cointreau ice lolly, I probably would have really enjoyed it, but it wouldn’t have made me think, “Ooh, what was that?!” or “Wow, what a combination!”. Kulfi is meant to be a dairy-based Indian ice cream. This really was like an ice lolly. No dairy. Anar is the Persian word for pomegranate. Whether it’s in fashion or something for food names to be presented with Persian words, or if pomegranates are generally known as ‘anar’ in India, I really do not know. But I love pomegranate, so tick that box. Cointreau I like, so another tick. Ok, so far, a pomegranate and Cointreau ice lolly. Sounds yummy. Only, I couldn’t taste the Cointreau and instead some quite strong spices which is the combination which really made me find this dish really interesting. The ‘chooran’ part of the dish eluded me. I wasn’t expecting it, nor did I know what it was at the time. I can see the bits of spce or powder in the kulfi, and I wasn’t sure if I was repulsed or intrigued. I was intrigued so took another bite. You have the freshness of the pomegranate, then a whole sensation of bitter, salty, and a whole manner of other things I don’t think I can quite describe. It was so fresh and then bizarre that I wanted more but really one of these kulfi’s was enough. I really didn’t need two. That became too much for me.

Ok, so then the so called cherries. They are the most grape-tasting cherries I’ve ever tasted. I’m pretty sure they weren’t cherries. They looked like grapes, and tasted like grapes. With some more of the chooran, or other spices of course. Again, interesting, but I’m not wanting anymore of this new and strange spice sensation.

Cheesecake. As I said, I’m not a lover of cheese but I’ll try. I usually despise cheesecakes so of course I’m dubious about this little piece with the whizz of sugar spirals placed on top of it. Wow. I love this cheesecake! Rich in taste and texture, creamy but not too cheesy. Maybe I like cheesecake after all?

Would I go back?

So, we most certainly enjoyed our meal here. Really interesting and wonderful flavours and textures. It wasn’t all to my taste, but I really enjoyed trying it all and we adored the food so much that we dined here on the remaining two nights stay. Yes, it was meant to be a one-night treat. We were on holiday – a few more treats is okay. Maybe.

Recommended dishes

These were my personal favourite dishes, some of which are on the tasting menu and others tried on the other nights we dined at Indian Accent.

Starters
Potato thread spheres, white pea ragda, summer kaldi
Scottish Salmon tikka, dill leaves, garlic mint aioli

Mains
Masala wild mushrooms, water chestnut, paper roast dosai
Peanut butter chicken, kasuri methi crisp, chai glass lachha salad

Dessert
Baked cheesecake

Restaurant and Hotel details

I’d really recommend staying at The Manor Hotel. I was told that 4* star hotels would be more like 3* in the UK, but after searching around and reading reviews on this hotel I really liked it. I’d recommend it to anyone staying in Delhi. The staff are so attentive, the hotel is wonderful, and of course, the restaurant is great. The only thing to watch out for is the location. It’s in South Delhi, so it depends where you want to be based, but it’s away from the hustle and bustle of Delhi. It’s easy to get around on transport, and the hotel staff help to arrange taxi’s for the day if required.

The Manor New Delhi Hotel
Indian Accent Restaurant

A Pure and Spiritual Way of Life

I'm playing blog catch up... bear with me! :) This blog post was featured in the travel section of The Spirituality Daily on the 8th Dec 2011.

I adore an Indian meal. I’m a lover of the spices and aromas tickling and tantalising my taste buds – from scoffing my face with that cheeky weekend takeaway to a more civilised date at a stylish restaurant. I can’t get enough of mopping up a good sauce with a bit of naan, chapatti or roti. I’m getting a bit more familiar with regional dishes, rather than just knowing that a dish comes from the ginormous country that is India. I’m certainly no expert, but I’m learning and excited by it all! I want to try every kind of food this country has to offer.

I visited India for a friend’s wedding earlier this month, in the spiritual town of Rishikesh in the Uttarakhand state. Non-vegetarian foods and alcohol are strictly permitted in this area. I've been brought up to become quite a carnivore, although I've been more mindful of it in recent years for general health reasons. So, in a way, I was looking forward to a few days of vegetarianism and spiritual well-being!

The Sivananda Ashram is home to the Divine Life Society - encouraging one to refresh themselves spiritually through all aspects of life. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in a dining hall – canteen style – for all members of the Ashram and visitors. Everyone at the Ashram dines together and at the same times every day. There is a real sense of community and belonging here.

My first meal here is on the day we arrive. I’m invited up to see my friend and her family and to enjoy some lunch. I’m very used to rich Indian foods; bags of flavour contributing to a big wholesome meal. So to my surprise, the food here is nothing like that. Many of the dishes have a lot of sauce, but they are very light – notably with the flavours of Indian spices, but very mild. Like anything buffet style or new, I like to try a bit of everything. So here you see me trying a bit of everything below.

On my plate:

• A spicy broth with vegetables
• A chapatti, which turned out to be quite greasy
• Some poppadum's – "true poppadum's" as my friend called them – and they were very good!
• Some tomato chutney which was very yummy
• A mix of some other vegetables which seemed to have been boiled with some spices
• A rice, coconut and yogurt mix – I was told that it was very good for you and is very cooling for a warm day. To me, it tasted like feet :/

We were also serviced some fresh naan in a basket, which was more flat than the usual naan’s that I’ve had. But lovely to have freshly made bread with my meal!

I found out that foods in the Ashram are prepared without any ingredients deemed to be an aphrodisiac or known to cause aggressiveness to the mind. So this cuts out some of my most used ingredients at home – garlic and onion.

I also had breakfast here and again, tried a bit of everything.

• In the left bowl, there is some kheerm which I’ve never seen nor tried before. It’s very sweet, not really to my taste but interesting. It’s roasted vermicelli in a sweet milk dessert.
• Some Indian broth which is very similar to what I’d had for lunch on another day. The broth seems to be a popular dish served each day and at each meal. The flavour varies but it is generally quite similar.
• Some white round sponge-like idlis which I am told that I should dip into my broth as it’s not very flavoursome. Apparently, it’s a very common breakfast in South India
• Papaya – yummy! I adore papaya and it’s so lovely to have fresh and ripe papaya so readily available

I was slightly (more like very) disappointed to find that mangoes were not in season. The mangoes we get in supermarkets are just not as sweet and ripe as can be! The mangoes imported from Pakistan that they sometimes have in Chinatown, and ones from Southall or Tooting are always so juicy and full of flavour. I was hoping to try some fresh and ripe from its native country, but it’s not to be.

So my first tastes of Indian food are certainly not what I expected and I didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped but a new experience indeed! I do go on to find amazing food so watch this space!