I love a good tasting menu, and the one experienced at Kahani Indian Restaurant in Chelsea, London was probably in the top five of my most delicious meals of all time. I’m still dreaming about the food, and hope Michelin award winning chef, Peter Joseph, brings out a cookbook so I can attempt to recreate some of the dishes. Or perhaps, another trip to London and Kahani is a better idea!
London is known for its wide range of quality Indian restaurants, but Kahani takes the cuisine to the next level. You will find Kahani tucked away in a terrace house in the gorgeous suburb of Chelsea. As you enter, your coat is taken, and you are whisked downstairs to be seated in the main dining room. The luxurious chairs and crisp, white linen table service make you feel like you need to sit up a little straighter but the staff are quick to put you at ease as the theatre begins.
Dewat Tasting Menu
We chose the Dewat Tasting Menu with 6 Courses for £75 with Wine pairings for £60 per head and it was worth every cent (or pence!) we paid for it. To start, we were served an Amuse Bouche and I really wish I had taken note of what it was as it truly popped in your mouth. To the amusement of the staff, and probably horror of the chef who was watching through the glass-windowed kitchen, I took four bites to eat it instead of one.
Then we were ready for the main event. Starting with Spiced chickpeas with sweetened yoghurt, wild berry and tamarind chutney. It was the perfect balance of sweet and sour, and crunchy and smooth. Paired with a Mort’s Block Dry Riesling from the Clare Valley in Australia, we knew we were in for a treat.
I’m a fan of scallops and with the next course, being Char-grilled Scottish scallop, with a red pepper and sesame blend in a creamy ginger sauce, I was grateful the scallop wasn’t overcooked as can sometimes be the case when the warm sauce hits the flesh of it. Served with a glass of French champagne, Bollinger Special Cuvee made the delicacy even more tasty!
Smoked Malabar prawns marinated with fresh turmeric, coconut and curry leaves was next up, and again the prawns were cooked to perfection. Another South Australian wine paired well, this time a crisp Tapanappa ‘Tiers’ 1.5M Chardonnay from the Piccadilly Valley.
We then moved onto the white meat section of the tasting menu with tender Char-grilled chicken chops with mustard oil, a mix of Rajasthani spices and chickpea raitha was paired well with a glass of 2017 Domaine Chanson, ‘Les Verg’ Pernand-Vergelesses ier Cru, a light French Pinot Noir from the Burgundy region.
A refreshing palate cleanser of divine Raspberry Sorbet followed while we waited for our main course. Despite already making our way through four courses, we were still ready to fit in the main but a good amount of spacing was provided, just in case.
Finally, our main was served and it was a banquet in itself. Delicious Somerset lamb chops with Kashmiri chillies, served with Kadhai vegetables, Dal Maharani, Rice and Naan. Everything was beautifully presented, the lamb cooked to perfection and the accompaniments just right. A fuller bodied, Rhone Valley red wine finished the main meal perfectly.
After a full tasting menu, there was a hardly room to fit in the dessert, a gorgeous Chocolate delight, served with almond brittle served and caramel ice cream, capped with a glass of Portuguese Taylor’s Vintage Port.
The whole menu was exquisite, there was nothing on it that we didn’t like. Everything was well balanced, the wine pairings were perfect and the portions left you wanting more but ready for the next course. Kahani Indian Restaurant is definitely at the top of our next visit to London.
Kahani Indian Restaurant
1 Wilbraham Place
London SW1X 9AE
www.kahanilondon.com
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