Tamarind Kitchen is the relaxed little sister of London’s Indian stalwart, Tamarind Mayfair. With a Michelin star under its belt we were already dubious as to whether the younger sibling could live up to the overachieving elder, but were grateful to discover that Tamarind Kitchen is possibly one of Soho’s best kept secrets. We began with a Passion & Chilli Martini and a Hendrick’s Cooler, with the former being an interesting concoction involving chilli chutney, however it worked remarkably well and wasn’t overly spicy.
The Food at Tamarind Kitchen Soho
As we took in our surroundings of ornate dark woods and industrial lights hanging low from the ceiling (mind your head!), our mango and avocado salad arrived as a pile of leaves on a plate, with a smattering of mango and avocado hidden among the foliage. Ideally the salad would have been a little more generous with the stars of the show, but alas, we were left trying to pick out the mango and avocado to save getting an entire mouthful of bland greenery.
Thankfully the following courses were much more successful, with the tasty snacks, Tandoori paneer tikka and Aloo tikki chaat, being stand-out choices, and the Tandoori chicken wings holding enough spice without masking the flavours beneath the heat. Chicken rizala was chosen as the main dish, with a side of brown rice and multi-grain roti.
With our bland British palates, a side of plain yoghurt was required half way through to cool down our fiery mouths, but despite the intensity of the spices every dish succeeded in bursting with flavour rather than overpowering the senses with the spice. The multi-grain roti was disappointingly dry, as we much prefer it how it is usually served – dripping in oil. However maybe this is the sign of a truly great Indian restaurant, one that is able to create such food without the huge amounts of oil usually used.
Dessert was a mixed affair, as we decided to choose one typically Indian dish and one typically British dish. For the Indian number we chose the Ginger Malai and Pistachio Kulfi, which is traditional Indian ice-cream. The Ginger Malai was to die for, with an incredibly strong but smooth ginger flavour, however the Pistachio Kulfi tasted slightly bland. Our British dish was the Chocolate Bomb, synonymous with Instagram and that ‘shot’ of hot chocolate sauce being poured over the chocolate sphere to reveal the ice-cream within, and to me it never gets old.
Verdict
Throughout the meal the service was exceptional, the waiting staff were always on-hand to provide their expert advice, and to our eventual delight nudged us out of our comfort zone continuously. Despite a couple of slip-ups, with the salad in particular, overall the meal was really very good, and we have been recommended it to everyone ever since.
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Louise Walker is AGLAIA’s Editor in charge of all content creation and management. She splits her time between London and Miami, and can always be found at a swanky hotel bar sipping on a Negroni. Contact her for any questions or if you would like to become an AGLAIA Contributor: hello@aglaiamagazine.com
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