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Bombay Brasserie – a taste of India in Kensington

November 20, 2015 by manjirichitnis Leave a Comment

A true blue Bombayite never passes up the opportunity to sample a good Indian meal especially when it happens to be on a cold and grey autumn evening in London in a fine dining Indian restaurant and a part of the Taj Group. The occasion? To experience fine dining Indian with the newly relaunched menu and fabulously refurbished interiors at Bombay Brasserie in the swank Kensington neighbourhood, with the Zomato London folks.

Bombay Brasserie has been around since 1982. Famous for their authentic Indian cuisine they have a menu offering the best of India’s vast and varied food with marked influences of various styles of cooking. The restaurant itself is set in a beautiful red stone building a few metres away from Gloucester Road Tube station in the posh South London neighbourhood. The beautiful Bombay  Bar, the posh dining room and the newly done up conservatory area all have the same trademark elegance one would expect in any old world charming club with a distinct stamp of the British Raj. The huge modern chandeliers in the dining room fit surprisingly well into the decor as do the ceiling fans hanging from tall ceilings.

I was pleasantly surprised as am sure the rest of the guests were when we started off the evening with a tour of the kitchen and a quick session on the basics of marinating meat for kebabs.

Executive Chef Prahlad Hegde was on hand to show us around and while we marvelled the working of a traditional tandoor or clay oven which imparts the unmistakeable smoky flavour to naans and kebabs – grilled meat on skewers. ( there is nothing more that I dream of other than a fabulous kitchen but having an authentic tandoor where I can make mouthwatering kebabs – some day … fingers crossed!)

Executive Chef Prahlad Hegde and  Chef and Director of Operations, Quilon and Bombay Brasserie Sriram Aylur have crafted a new menu and brought back old favourites like the Palak Patta Chaat which we sampled – one bite of that dish and there’s no going back – very moreish these little crispy fried baby spinach fritters are served with a tangy but cooling  yoghurt, date and tamarind chutney.

Mouthwatering kebabs at Bombay Brasserie
                                             Mouthwatering kebabs at Bombay Brasserie

Munching on soft buttery tandoori rotis hot off the tandoor we walked out of the kitchen into the beautiful conservatory. Walls hand painted in intricate designs mimicking a rare typical tribal art and a high glass ceiling heaving with foliage. What struck me most is the period furniture which brings back memories of all the beautiful vintage shops I visited in Pondicherry this January ….sigh…someone fly me back to Indian please? Like now!

Elegantly refurbished Bombay Brasserie
             Elegantly refurbished Bombay Brasserie

The Tulsi chicken tikka and lamb sheesh kebabs arrived first with a selection of chutneys and mini-poppadums. In quick succession then we devoured the Adraki lamb chops and cripsy spinach chaat.

Before the main course arrived we had shots of pumpkin soup seasoned with truffle oil – absolutely amazing. The main course was a massive spread of chicken and lamb dishes with saffron pulao, olive naan and the traditional laccha paratha. I loved the olive naan with pesto – pairs surosingy well with both dal makhani and chicken makhani. The aloo roast – baby potatoes roasted were spicy but ireesistible and I had to set them aside to be able to go back for seconds of the Kasundi Monkfish – a melt in your mouth chargrilled monkfish dish seasoned with mustard and hence the name.

Fine dining Indian style at Bombay Brasserie
                                                  Fine dining Indian style at Bombay Brasserie

Sipping the red wine recommended I think is a great combination with all the spices of the main course.Dessert was a classy affair with artistically presented portions of a mini chocolate samosa, choco raspberry mousse and a ‘to die for’ mango and fig ice cream – definitely one of my favourites from the menu.

Divine desserts at Bombay Brasserie
                                                                     Divine desserts at Bombay Brasserie

On our way out I was on a photo clicking spree – the interiors are an instagrammers dream, it was then that I saw it – the traditional ceiling fan -hanging from a high ceiling on a slender rod lending charm to its painstakingly created rustic ambience.

A peek into the stunning dining room at Bombay Brasserie
     A peek into the stunning dining room at Bombay Brasserie

With a touch of class one would expect from the Taj Group, the Bombay Brassiere does itself proud with a good menu, excellent Indian food and superb refurbishment adding a touch of understated elegance reminiscent of colonial Indian gymkhana’s.

Why dine at Bombay Brassiere: For the ambience –  superbly refurbished elegant interiors set in the swank Kensington area of London famed for its authentic Indian cuisine. The stylish Bombay Bar boasts of Bombay tapas to go with their cocktails and beer selection not to mention the Raj inspired framed photographs, the ceiling fans, plush armchairs  and yes also a gorgeous central fireplace. A menu that is a great combination of traditional Indian classics and superb fusion dishes. And last but not the least to experience Indian hospitality at its very best.

Must- haves from the menu:  Palak Patta Chaat, Kasundi Monkfish, aloo roast, olive naan, mango and fig ice cream. Jaljeera Negroni cocktail – potent and for those like Negroni in the first place.

*With thanks to Zomato UK #ZomatoMeetup and Bombay Brasserie for the invite. Many thanks to Chef Prahlad Hegde, the efficient kitchen team and team members who waited on us. All opinions expressed are as always my own. No monetary compensation was provided for a positive review. 

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: aloo roast, Bombay Brasserie - a taste of India in Kensington, chargrilled monkfish dish, Chef and Director of Operations, choco raspberry mousse, chocolate samosa, crispy fried baby spinach fritters, date and tamarind chutney, Executive Chef Prahlad Hegde, gorgeous central fireplace, Jaljeera Negroni cocktail, Kasundi Monkfish, laccha paratha, lamb sheesh kebabs, mango and fig ice cream, mustard, olive naan, Palak Patta Chaat, plush armchairs, pumpkin soup, Quilon and Bombay Brasserie Sriram Aylur, Raj inspired framed photographs, saffron pulao, tadka dal, Taj Group, the ceiling fans, travels for taste, travels for taste is a food and travel blog based in London, travels for taste restaurant reviews, truffle oil, Tulsi chicken tikka, yoghurt, Zomato Uk

Lunch at Shampan at the Spinning Wheel

September 2, 2015 by manjirichitnis 5 Comments

Set amongst rolling hills of the beautiful Kentish countryside is the plush Indian restaurant Shampan at the Spinning Wheel. I was invited to review their new Indian A la Carte menu which boasts of interesting combinations created using locally sourced where ever possible.

Shampan is located about a  half hour drive away from Bromley South overground station. One gets the relaxing feeling of getting away from the fast-paced rush that one feels while travelling around London. When you first walk into Shampan at the Spinning Wheel the fireplace instantly put you at ease while the sleek modern leather couches create an atmosphere of luxury and comfort. Perfect for pre-lunch or pre-dinner drinks the lounge reflects the owner Sufian vision to recreate the oomph factor you would experience while say walking into a modern 5 star in Mumbai. Highly regarded for its cuisine, it’s carefully crafted menu created by Chef Sadek Miah Shampan at the Spinning Wheel, has won many awards and accolades namely the British Curry awards in 2012 and Newcomer of the Year in 2013. They also have been awarded a certificate of excellence for 2015 by TripAdvisor.

Posh interiors at the Shampan
Posh interiors at the Shampan

It was a warm summer’s day and I choose to cool down with a Virgin Mojito and followed it up with a refreshing ‘Apple Julep’. A large basket of fried poppadums sprinkled with a tangy dry masala powder which had the right hint of green mango was so moreish it was almost impossible to stop at one. A host of chutneys and dips accompanied the poppadums that were constantly replenished by the very smart staff. Since we had a very long wait before lunch as some guests lost their way, I had another mocktail this time it was an Almost Amaretto sour but it was far too sweet for my taste.

Refreshing Mocktails at Shampan
Refreshing Mocktails at Shampan

After a tour of the beautiful premises we were seated and served some delicious starters. I choose the banana wrapped tilapia with coconut and coriander – a fine balance of delicate flavours in perfectly cooked fish. I have tried similar dishes at many Indian fine dining restaurants and ever so often it is not exactly what I look for – either the green chutney is not as pungent as it should be or the fish is not as perfectly cooked – somehow it’s always the seemingly simple dishes that are the most difficult to produce to near perfection. For seafood fans this dish is one you must most definitely try!

Banana wrapped tilapia
Banana wrapped tilapia

A look at some of the other appetisers on our table :

Tempting array of appetisers at Shampan
Tempting array of appetisers at Shampan

I am quite sure I could have had another portion of the tilapia had it not been for the massive portion size of my main – grilled duck breast with goan curry sauce and cumin mashed potatoes. The duck was cooked well and the mashed potatoes were lovely with the grilled potatoes. The sauce was not what I had hoped for though, ideally a Goan sauce should have been spicier and richer but the tomato over powered the other ingredients. I loved the  panner and tadka dal though, which I mopped up with buttery aromatic tandoori naans (with another helping of the yum poppadums!) .

All this while I was eyeing the delicious curry and rice mains the other guests were tucking into – particularly the Punjabi red spiced chicken breast with sauteed vegetables and pilau rice. I also loved the sound of venison smoked and cooked in Jodhpuri spices with crips okra – ummm what a fabulous combination. Another delicious traditional main was the Kerala spiced king prawn with a thick coconut sauce served with a flavoured coconut rice – ultimate comfort food! The grilled mullet was main looked great and I tasted a little but again the tomato like broth surrounding it was not a hit.

Grilled duck breast with goan curry
Grilled duck breast with Goan curry

It was a particularly warm summer afternoon and we were served some fresh fruit smoothie’s – again very generous size serves and quite delicious too.

Fresh Mango and Strawberry Smoothies
Fresh Mango and Strawberry Smoothies

A look at what the other guests enjoyed for their mains.

Tempting array of mains at Shampan
Mouthwatering array of mains at Shampan

This is probably one of the most generous portion sizes of mains I have ever been served. Naturally that left no place for dessert which was an Indian dessert – samosa filled with gajar halwa with a dollop of delicious ice cream. I did not sample the samosa but did have some of the ice cream. The presentation of all the dishes especially the dessert was lovely and the service throughout was very courteous.

Desert selection at Shampan
Desert selection at Shampan

First opened in 2011, this destination restaurant has much more to offer than just great tasting Indian food and swanky interiors. It is the perfect venue for dreamy weddings and has a separate function room too called the Saffron Room with a lounge area called ‘The Mumbai Quarters’ – aptly so because when I first walked into to lounge area it reminded of some of Mumbai’s best loved posh five-star restaurants. The location offers ample parking space again ideal for business lunches or a family get together. The soon to be done up bridal suite promises to be just as lush as the rest of the venue. To book the venue for events or reserve a table you will find all the contact details on their website.

Shampan at the Spinning Wheel
Shampan at the Spinning Wheel

*With thanks to Humayun Hussain and Shampan for an invite. All opinions expressed are as always my own. No monetary compensation was provided for a positive review.

Filed Under: Featured Lifestyle, Lifestyle, Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: Almost Amaretto sour, Apple Julep, banana wrapped tilapia with coconut and coriander, blogger review lunch, British Curry awards in 2012, Bromley South overground station, certificate of excellence for 2015 by TripAdvisor, Chef Sadek Miah Shampan at the Spinning Wheel, fried poppadums, grilled duck breast with goan curry sauce and cumin mashed potatoes, grilled mullet, ice cream, Kerala spiced king prawn with a thick coconut sauce served with a flavoured coconut rice, lifestyle posts on travels for taste, Mumbai Quarters, Newcomer of the Year 2013, owner Sufian, panner, Punjabi red spiced chicken breast with sauteed vegetables and pilau rice, Review, Saffron Room, samosa filled with gajar halwa, Shampan at the Spinning Wheel, tadka dal, travels for taste, travels for taste is a food and travel blog based in London, travels for taste restaurant reviews, Virgin Mojito

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