The younger sister of famed Mayfair restaurant Tamarind, the Tamarind Kitchen has recently opened in Soho, offering small sharing plates that pack a punch. Whilst the restaurant doesn’t have the years or experience of the original, it does not miss a beat when comparing in terms of the quality of everything.
From the interior design to the kebabs, everything is just so – and then some.
We loved the rustic-chic interiors, with sumptuous blues on the wall, quirky spangled tiling on the floors and traditional lights throughout. Whether you’ve been to India or not, entering Tamarind Kitchen will feel as if you’re stepping into the country.
Our first port of call was the bar. The head mixologist made us three fabulous cocktails. The only caveat we would posit is that the cocktails are deceptively lethal! From refreshing to sweet and spicy, there is something for everyone – just name your taste bud inclination!
We migrated towards the private dining area. Dining areas are spacious yet intimate – a crucial component in creating an atmosphere both intimate and restrained. There is the upstairs (ground floor), a secluded private area, and a downstairs – all decorated in the fascinating traditional-yet-modern design that permeates the restaurant.
We started with the Seared Scallops; delicately spiced and lightly pan-seared, the scallops were an ode to perfection in terms of texture, and a subtle inundation into the meal we were about to embark on.
We sampled three types of kebabs: vegetable, fish and prawn. The vegetable kebab consisted of paneer, mushrooms and broccoli grilled with royal cumin and red chilli – a lightly grilled trio with subtle chilli flavours seeping through. The trio of fish – tandoor-grilled hariyali sea bass, sarson ki pollock and zaffrani salmon – was a delicious dish of the sea without overwhelming flavours – one for those with milder taste buds. The prawn kebab was dangerously addictive – butterflied king prawns in a zingy spice mix with pepper chutney tantalise and caress your taste buds, with the butter and spice mingling and interacting resulting in taste sensations few restaurants are able to imitate.
Our main dish, Tiger prawns with sautéed shallots, green chilli, fenugreek and coconut milk was an exercise in culinary excellence. The green chilli was both made mild and enhanced by the milky coconut milk. We couple this dish with the two Dals on offer.
Anyone who has had Dal has likely fallen in love with it. Tamarind Kitchen will reconfirm your commitment to this dish. The Tadka Dal (Tempered yellow lentils with cumin and coriander) was buttery and silky – an indulgent and irresistible combination, especially when consumed with the truffle naan bread on offer. The Dal Makhni (Slow-cooked black lentils) is a slightly more robust dish that still maintains the silky texture but, with stronger spices, opts in favour of presenting a more Indian spice code to adorn your palette.
Our meal was washed down with the 2013 SAUVIGNON GRIS, KADUN VINEYARD, VIÑA LEYDA (LEYDA VALLEY, CHILE 13.5% ABV), a peachy on the nose and palette wine, with a slight minerally finish.
Our meal, as comprehensive, as it was delicious, unfortunately made us too full to even consider dessert, but we’ll wager that it’s as good as the starters and mains, and worth the wait for.
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