![]() ![]() Chef Sameer Vasudeva’s cooking turns expectations on their head: a deeply rustic peasant dish of millet roti with stone-ground garlic-red chilli chutney comes on as a masala papad-like crisp, delicate, lacey pancake and jerusalem artichoke crisps bring smokiness and lightness to an otherwise conventional papdi chaat. Set over two floors, this cosy, elegant restaurant in Earl’s Court pays tribute to that era, with Victorian glass and brass, Harris tweed, and a subtle yet notable botanical theme that’s most apparent on the extensive drinks menu. An article explaining the ingredients, flavours, and preparations of each region will be published when the series is concluded.įlora Indica is the name of a book published in the 19th century that catalogued plant species discovered by Scottish botanists during the Victorian era. Check out London’s best North Indian, Western Indian, Eastern Indian, and Southern Indian restaurants, too. This is part four in a six-part series to regional Indian cuisine in London. Note that a few restaurants from this category can also be found in the four regional Indian maps. Whereas once London’s Indian chefs had to battle conservative attitudes in India and honed their creativity in London instead, now India itself is opening more and more Modern Indian places. They have become a playground for recently confident, globalised, wealthy, jet-setting Indians who divide their time between living in Mumbai and Mayfair. Modern Indian restaurants are currently opening at an alarming rate in London with newer, younger chefs and restaurants making the décor and food lighter, brighter and more eclectic. This is what makes the term, coined sometime in the 1990s, hard to pin down. ![]() So what is Modern Indian, as opposed to ‘modern Indian’ or ‘contemporary Indian’? It’s about the look and feel of the place, the thought and skill that goes into the cooking, the creativity and storytelling, the attitude and purpose behind it, how influential it is - and, yes, the money that’s been poured into it. These two visionary women were extraordinarily influential and changed the face of Indian fine dining, yet younger people know little about their restaurants beyond the Masala Zone chain. True, there were a few exceptional contemporary venues (most have since closed), but they weren’t game-changers like Bombay Brasserie, which received global fame and attracted Hollywood A-listers.ĭuring the 1990s and early 2000s, sisters Namita and Camellia Panjabi took over and relaunched Veeraswamy, and opened Chutney Mary and Amaya. Until then, Indian restaurants were largely cheaper ‘curry houses’. Yes, I did say wine.London’s first Modern Indian - though the term was not in use at the time - was Bombay Brasserie, which opened in 1982. I was drinking wine with my Indian and loved it. I mean how many of you have gone to an Indian restaurant and have no clue what beverage to match with your food? How many of us to be on the safe side order a beer? At Amaya, you don’t have to worry, they will base your drink on your meal. What’s more intriguing is they have also created their own signature wines to match the dishes. Signature Wines To Match The FoodĪmaya is a Michelin starred restaurant that has a history of over twenty years to create what I must say has to be the most unique experience when it comes to Indian food. Amaya, situated in the heart of Belgravia, offers a unique contemporary gourmet Indian cuisine prepared in a dramatic show kitchen. But this time I scooted off in the Bentley to Knightsbridge instead. First of all, in London when you mention the word Indian, we all scoot off to Brick Lane. I heard a lot about Amaya restaurant before eating there so I was keen to see what it was all about, and as part of Luxury Week London, I reviewed this restaurant.
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