insideKENT Magazine Issue 23 - February 2014 | Page 68

FOOD+DRINK

Indian Essence

BY HELEN BYRDE

When TV chef Atul Kochhar – the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star – is involved
in a restaurant, you just know you’re in for a treat. And for me, a night at Indian Essence
meant authentic, stunning, first-class Indian cuisine, perfect for all the family.
I rarely go to a restaurant where I can find no
fault with either some aspect of the food or
service, but I make a grand claim after an evening
at Indian Essence, that they have managed to
get everything right.
From the moment we walked through the
door we were given the warmest of welcomes,
with our coats taken from us and a discreet token
with our ticket number later placed on our table.
The drinks menu offers a substantial wine
and cocktail list. As it was a Sunday night, while
my guest had a beer I thought I would try out a
non-alcoholic cocktail, opting for the rass bhari,
a mixture of raspberry purée, lychee, apple and
mango juices – delicious and refreshing.
While we worked our way through the
varied menu we were brought some poppadoms
and chutneys, and the attention to detail which
we later discovered throughout our meal was
clear straight away. We were presented with a
selection of mini poppadoms with three beautifully
displayed mini jars of different dips, which I was
informed change every week.
If the chutneys were anything to go by, our
meal was going to be a real delight.
The restaurant has a range of menus from
a set lunch, a Sunday lunch, a 7-course tasting
menu for a reasonable £39.95, to the à la carte
menu which we plumped for.
As the name suggests, this is not a curry
house, but an Indian restaurant, giving diners the
chance to experience the essence of the country.
But you don’t need to be a curry lover to dine in
style here as the mains on the à la carte menu
offer items from steak (albeit with an Indian twist)
to wild mushroom kedgeree or spinach dumpings.
After much debating I decided to try the
aloo ki tikki (crisp fried potato cakes with a mint

and tamarind chutney), and my companion went
for the trianga murg which consisted of three
different types of chicken: chicken fillets, mango
pickled chicken kebab and crisp fried chicken
salad.
However, before our appetisers arrived we
were surprised with a delicious little cauliflower
puff amuse bouche from the chef.
Our appetisers were just as stylish as the
amuse bouche. My crisp potato cakes had
perfectly fluffy middles and were accompanied
by two symmetrical circles of mint and tamarind
chutney, sitting majestically on a black plate. My
companion’s trio of chicken was equally beautiful,
the succulent pieces of meat served alongside
a zesty salad.
So what to choose for our main course,
with the myriad of cuisine options with an
adventurous Indian twist tempting us?
I finally chose king prawns in chilli, garlic
and lemongrass marinade while my dinner
companion went traditional with a tandorri chicken
tikka.
We also shared rice, a portion of aloo til
tinka (pan fried baby potatoes tossed with peanuts
and sesame seeds) and a keema naan.
None of it disappointed. My grilled prawns
were giant, plump and juicy and served with a
fresh, crisp salad. The chicken tikka was delicious
and moderately spiced but not too rich. And our
sides complimented our mains with the aloo til
tinka a particular highlight, the crispy potatoes
having a delicious light nutty taste.
Feeling pretty full we simply drooled over
the inventive dessert menu with selections
including chocolate and peanut butter parfait
with sugarcane ice cream, orange scented
Calcutta cheesecake and Indian ice cream.

68

All we could manage was a hot beverage
and I was pleased to see chai tea on the menu,
another nod to the restaurant’s Indian roots.
The attention to detail and flair did not end
with our food orders. We were brought what
looked like small round sweets in a bowl, but
which morphed into traditional hot towels when
our waiter poured over some hot water.
As well as dining, Indian Essence advertises
master classes with chef Atul Kochhar, one of
the men behind the success of the year-old
restaurant.
If Atul can teach me how to cook Indian
food with half as much style and substance as
our Sunday night dinner, please sign me up now!

Indian Essence
176-178 Petts Wood Road
Petts Wood
BR5 1LG
01689 838700
www.indianessence.co.uk
@IndianEssence1