Brick lane and Southall have been the classic curry capitals within the Capital city. From the post Second World War and partition of India, leading to predominantly Punjabi settlers from both India and Pakistan to Southall. Followed by the 1970s where majority Bengali settlers came to east London’s Brick Lane. By comparison, the West End has had a mix of traditional and more modern iterations of the beloved UK curry restaurants.
But out of this is coming some interesting modern takes on Indian cooking, and a good example of the contemporary take on the food of the Indian subcontinent is Farzi Cafe which is situated on that difficult-to-pinhole street Haymarket.
It was founded by Zorawar Kalra, the son of the legendary Jiggs Kalra, one of India’s most influential food columnists and restaurateurs, who was lovingly known as the czar of Indian cuisine (no pressure to achieve in the restaurant business then) …. As the founder and managing director of Massive Restaurants, Zorawar oversees 37 Asian restaurants across the world, this business is inextricably in his blood.
Creating a modern-day Indian restaurant was the vision for Farzi which uses British ingredients and modern techniques, along with a selection of predominantly northern Indian dishes. Led by talented head chef Nikhil Mahale along with his Sous Chef of ten years Santosh, the offering is a mix of classic curries and reimagined street food dishes.
The menu reads wonderfully, and I spent a week reading and re-reading it in anticipation-there may have been a slight hunger driven dribble a-la-Homer Simpson- I couldn’t help it!
The entrance to the restaurant draws the eye straight to the bar (a smart move for getting guests to have aperitifs), which has a great selection of spirits and cocktails. A bugbear of mine, I is that some great Asian restaurants, (and quite a few fine dining venues as well) completely discard the drinks aspect of their offering.
That is thankfully not the case at Farzi. The illustrated menu has a mix of world spirits with at least one Asian flavour-a taste of things to come.
We had the Kokum Margarita; a Mangosteen Berry take on the classic with a Pink Pepper Salt rim. The agave and tart mangosteen berry worked very well together, with a little hint of spice in the background, it really got the gastric justices flowing.
We also had a Mango Cosmo, which was sensational! -Confession here, I am a sucker for a great cosmopolitan. Desi Daru Alphonso Mango Vodka and Coconut, twisted the favourite drink of Carrie Bradshaw and took it to another dimension.
After the cocktails we moved to the restaurant, a dark green and gold interior with banquette seating and very, very comfy chairs give a view of the open kitchen. Allowing you to see your dishes being prepared if that’s your thing, if it’s not, the chefs are a hard working-but quiet bunch, so you can focus on the experience.
And what an experience it was….
To start the Papad (poppadom) Basket accompanied by masala chaat dust, mango & mint chutney. The mango chutney (like the Mango Vodka) was a showstopper, the mint chutney was not as big a revelation; but good nonetheless.
Then a non-stop procession of dish after dish arrived which were suggested by Sonny who looked after us royally.
Grilled Padron Peppers that are always tingling the tongue are a must. They have a Masala Churma, spiced gram flour crumb, garlic-a lot of garlic, and lemon salt. Instead of wondering which pepper would delight you, they all did-maybe one to avoid on date night though…
Gupta Ji’s Dahi Bhalla Tokri Chaat this is a take on a beloved dish from the iconic Gupta Ji stall in Old Delhi- fried savoury lentil balls, soaked in sweet yoghurt, served inside a crispy tortilla basket, with tamarind chutney, chaat masala & delhi mix. A triumph of a chaat. There’s crunchy and soft textures, sweet and spiced elements har all come together wonderfully.
Spinach & Kale Chaat-baby spinach & kale fritters, saffron yoghurt & tamarind-this was nice, but not needed if you are having the Gupta Ji chaat, it’s a bit overshadowed by the first dish due to more ingredients, apart from that they were similar in texture and flavours overall.
Butter Chicken Bao – This should be renamed Butter Chicken WOW. Perfect Punjabi butter chicken in home made bao which makes all the difference served with a green chilli mayo. The deep butter chicken flavour and soft fluffy bao bun lingers for an age, which allows you to enjoy it long after it has gone. In theatre land one needs a super star-this is it without question.
Cornish Crab & Red Prawn Shammi Kebab – Lentil, crab claw meat & red Mediterranean prawns are mixed and grilled, topped with a crab mousse, serviced on a bed of delicious kimchi slaw. Bloody sensational is what I wrote once I tasted it, and that’s about as fitting a description as I can give. A big hit of spice, followed by a fruity hit and then the fresh crabmeat and prawn. Whilst the Bao is a super star, this is a bona-fide A-Lister.
Hyderbadi Chicken Dum Biryani – This was a solid Biryani with the delicate spice of saffron and an edible Pathara crust.
Peepli Lamb Paarcha Kebab – Fennel and long black pepper marinated sliced rump, smoked with fresh rose petals & cooked on an iron skillet comes smoking under a glass cloche, theatre at its best with the substance in the dish to warrant the over-the-top service of the dish. Juicy and tender whilst also smoky is a combination one wants from a grilled dish and this delivers in droves.
Halibut Machar Jhol – 2 perfectly cooked halibut fillets are covered in a Kolkata style spicy curry of pickled mustard & tomatoes
I’d love to go through the desserts which all sounded fantastic, but we were so well fed-I put on a kilo or two from this feast, that neither myself, nor my guest had space for the final act. It’s a very, very good reason to revisit which I certainly shall do.
In conclusion, I can’t think of too many dishes that have delighted me more than the butter chicken Bao and the crab kebab here-both are firmly in my top dishes I’ve ever had.
Whether you are hitting the theatre, having a luxurious lunch, or a dinner that you want to be a memorable one, make sure that you visit Farzi London, you will not be disappointed.
FARZI LONDON – 8 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4BP
Opening hours:
| Monday | 16:00 – 22:30 |
| Tuesday | 12:00 – 14:45 and 16:30 – 22:30 |
| Wednesday | 12:00 – 14:45 and 16:30 – 22:30 |
| Thursday | 12:00 – 14:45 and16:30 – 22:30 |
| Friday | 12:00 – 23:00 |
| Saturday | 12:00 – 23:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00 – 21:30 |