Haute Indian Fall In London

I went to London. Yes, I had a pint at a pub. I also experienced a swanky rendition of high tea. But, the real culinary treat was the incredible upscale Indian fare.

I was staying in Marylebone, so I did pop into Chiltern Firehouse for a cocktail (or two) before my first gourmet Indian supper. Cocktails were grand. The scene was grander. Yet, I was quite content to wander a few blocks away to the Michelin-starred Trishna. The menu was overwhelming. I decided to go for the tasting to try a range of the offerings. A gorgeous tray of Papads with three Chutneys was first up (pictured above) and considering how I devoured this Indian version of "chips and dips," I knew I'd made the right call.

A dish of Kerala Prawn Curry was a particular favorite of the evening, stewed with tamarind and coconut...

And then Dev Patel walked in.

He was just as striking as the food - maybe more so. OK, definitely more so. The rest of the night is a happy blur.

Clearly, I was going to need to go out for high-end Indian again, before I left London. For my next excursion, I visited Pahli Hill, awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand nod. This time, no Dev Patel. But, the evening was lovely nonetheless. Standout dish? Most definitely the Papati Chat...

...a glorious plate of crispies with yogurt, tomato, tamarind, Delicata squash, mint and pomegranate seeds.

Now, I have had some great Indian food in the States - in NJ in particular - but nothing that has ever reached the stellar heights of haute Indian in London. If you've found somewhere that could compete on that score, please drop me a line! I am so in!

Comments

[Obitsman]

I haven’t been to London in years but it has always had the best Indian food. I think this is because it was essentially invented there.