Tamarind, London

Catching up with SC, we ended up heading to Tamarind for dinner. I was looking forward to the meal and we both opted for the tasting menu.

A round of various sauces to dip our papadums started us off.

Spiced chickpeas with mint chutney and sweetened yoghurt topped with tamarind chutney

skewered ground lamb kebab with ginger, chilli, cheese, paprika and basil

The chickpeas had a delicate spiciness which was a great contrast to the coolness of mint and yoghurt. The lamb kebab was moist and tasty without a greasy aftertaste.

Tiger prawns marinated with ginger, yoghurt, paprika, dill leaves and ajwain

This wasn't as positively received as the prawn was either frozen, not fresh or overcooked as it had a mushy texture.

After the duo of starters, a tray of various bowls with ladened with our mains arrived.

Monkfish chunks marinated with yoghurt, coriander, mint, mint-leaf, green chilli, roasted gram flour and saffron

Chicken Tikka in sauce of fresh tomatoes, with ginger, red onions, green chillies and crushed fenugreek leaves

Boneless lamb with ginger, browned onions, tomatoes and kashimiri chillies

The Monkfish was cooked well with the aroma and taste of lemongrass sealed in the charred bits. The spices harmonised together with an overall sweetness balance.


I found the chicken tikka to be veering slightly on the sweet side as well.

On the vegetables side, we had

Shiitake mushrooms in pureed spinach, flavoured with cumin and garlic and slow cooked black lentils, a speciality of the Northwest frontier.

All these were mopped up with a choice of braised cumin and saffron rice and date and toasted almond naan.

For desserts, we had a velvety dark chocolate mousse with a hint of cinnamon and orange zest and basmati rice simmered in milk flavoured with cloves.

Petit Fours

At the end of the dinner, I found the meal to be satisfying. The dishes were all made to be friendly and appeal without pushing the boundaries of the palate of the people I didn't get the spicy explosion that usually comes with Indian cuisine but it does hit all the basic elements.

Will I recommend: Yes

Will I come back: Yes

Have I had better: Yes

Tamarind, 20 Queen Street, Mayfair, London W1J 5PR

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Dishoom Chowpatty Beach Bar, Southbank

The day after the riots, the city of London was quiet. Office emails were sent out asking people to go home early. Police went to shops and asked them to shut early. I had a class and a meet up with a friend and after discussing with her, we decided to still meet up.

We ended up heading to Southbank to visit Dishoom Chowpatty Beach. The air had a slight uneasiness vibe but people who were out and about were still going about their business as usual.

We made our orders, waited for our drinks at the bar by which time our food was ready for us.

Calamari £5

We started with fried calamari that was dressed with Lime and Chilli. These babies are GOOD! Crumbly fried bits clinging to chewy pieces of calamari, the more you chew, the more pronounces the flavours of tanginess and touches of sweet and spicy comes at you.

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