The other night I went to a very special place. I don’t think I’ve said those words since my gap year, though in an entirely different context and it probably wouldn’t be all that appropriate to discuss that right now… This was special in a very different way and, indeed, in a number of them.
We’ll begin with the circumstances; dinner at one of the only five Indian restaurants in the UK to hold a coveted Michelin star, Rasoi in Chelsea, cooked by the most illustrious of hands, those of Chef Vineet Bhatia. Chef Vineet owns 11 restaurants around the world, the Geneva one of which also holds a star, and is the only Indian chef to ever hold 2. Indian food is most commonly known in its inelegant form; big helpings of steaming, spicy curry, split-splattered over acid yellow rice, towering with naans and crisp poppadoms. Nor is this incorrect. Traditionally it is a rustic food; big, warm flavours, tastes and smells of the street, unrefined and moreish. The Indian food served today is an rich amalgamation of hundreds and thousands of years of cultural evolution, influenced by a 5000 year old history of interaction with other societies. The Gupta Dynasty, sometimes called the Golden Age of India, brought in an influx of travellers and trade bringing in new cooking methods and ingredients such as tea and spices. Later invasions from Central Asia brought bloodshed and its own flavours, including saffron. Portugal brought potatoes and chilli pepper, Afghans the naan bread. Each region has its own variance, shaped by the history that lives today on everyday plates of food. Plates similar only in their apparent lack of typical Michelin poise or presentation.
Vineet has changed all this with his spiced empire of Indian cuisine. Fine does not even begin to describe Rasoi’s food. Effortlessly fine (in essence, if not in reality, I hasten to add as I imagine the incredulity of Rasoi’s undoubtedly hard-toiling chefs if reading this). Plated spectacularly, even delicately; Indian food as you have never seen it. All complimented by the elegance of the venue itself – a converted 100 year old Chelsea townhouse where one is admitted into only by chiming doorbell and the walls nod with intricate Indian carvings, heavy with hangings and silks. Service, impeccable; probably the best I’ve had in London. A confident and lush establishment.
We’ll begin with the circumstances; dinner at one of the only five Indian restaurants in the UK to hold a coveted Michelin star, Rasoi in Chelsea, cooked by the most illustrious of hands, those of Chef Vineet Bhatia. Chef Vineet owns 11 restaurants around the world, the Geneva one of which also holds a star, and is the only Indian chef to ever hold 2. Indian food is most commonly known in its inelegant form; big helpings of steaming, spicy curry, split-splattered over acid yellow rice, towering with naans and crisp poppadoms. Nor is this incorrect. Traditionally it is a rustic food; big, warm flavours, tastes and smells of the street, unrefined and moreish. The Indian food served today is an rich amalgamation of hundreds and thousands of years of cultural evolution, influenced by a 5000 year old history of interaction with other societies. The Gupta Dynasty, sometimes called the Golden Age of India, brought in an influx of travellers and trade bringing in new cooking methods and ingredients such as tea and spices. Later invasions from Central Asia brought bloodshed and its own flavours, including saffron. Portugal brought potatoes and chilli pepper, Afghans the naan bread. Each region has its own variance, shaped by the history that lives today on everyday plates of food. Plates similar only in their apparent lack of typical Michelin poise or presentation.
Vineet has changed all this with his spiced empire of Indian cuisine. Fine does not even begin to describe Rasoi’s food. Effortlessly fine (in essence, if not in reality, I hasten to add as I imagine the incredulity of Rasoi’s undoubtedly hard-toiling chefs if reading this). Plated spectacularly, even delicately; Indian food as you have never seen it. All complimented by the elegance of the venue itself – a converted 100 year old Chelsea townhouse where one is admitted into only by chiming doorbell and the walls nod with intricate Indian carvings, heavy with hangings and silks. Service, impeccable; probably the best I’ve had in London. A confident and lush establishment.
Next, the man himself. On this occasion I had the pleasure of dining with Chef Vineet and his lovely wife, Rashima. I was beyond touched to hear that this was the first time he had ever in his career sat down and eaten with his guests. And although, I appreciate this is not something that will be an everyday occurrence for diners at Rasoi; his journey is one that everyone can still involve themselves with through his excellent books, Indian TV show ‘Twist of Taste’ or simply through following his media. He talks quite wonderfully and is intrinsically passionate about everything he serves – frankly, a joy to hear.
We’ll continue with the food; continuously special. Bespoke, artful plates studded with delicate starter morsels of rice fritters, moist with paneer and spicing, a vivid cumin-pea soup and a diamond sliver of herbed naan.
We’ll continue with the food; continuously special. Bespoke, artful plates studded with delicate starter morsels of rice fritters, moist with paneer and spicing, a vivid cumin-pea soup and a diamond sliver of herbed naan.
| Mango-Tellicherry pepper chicken tikka, blue cheese seekh and saffron upma, a polenta textured savoury semolina dish from South India. Even a truffled naan. A truffled naan! I’ll keep repeating it until it sinks in. Vineet Bhatia cooked me a truffle naan; things don’t get better than that.  left to right – seekh & tikka |  Starter Platter  TRUFFLE NAAN |
Kaiffir lime prawns, monstrously large (excellent) and perched on the most delicious coconut curry sauce, together with coriander-coconut khichdi and a crispy prawn. Rashima tells me they sometimes eat it alone as soup!
 Pre-dessert | Sweetly, sweetly ending with a caramelised banana roll (akin to a dense parfait) and Madras coffee cheese cake with chicory coffee fluid that was almost marmite-esque in its strength. It has been a few weeks and I still remember several of these dishes vividly. For someone who eats out almost every night, this in itself is special, though not as special as those dishes themselves. |
Madras Coffee Cake, Caramelised Banana
Petit Fours
Food creates memories, the merit of these determined by their longevity and the emotions they evoke. I remember Vineet’s food, and though I don’t remember what it tasted like beyond superficiality, I remember fiercely what I felt when I ate it and what I feel now remembering it. For me, when food has this ability to arouse emotion, memory, then it becomes something special, something to be prized.
‘This is not for the novice cook, but somebody who is passionate’ were the words Vineet left me with, taken from his book, New Indian Kitchen, and I feel they perfectly encapsulate what he has tried, and succeeded, to do with Rasoi. Here, he creates memories for the diner. Memories formed by excellent and cleverly crafted Indian food, served seamlessly and in a most refined setting. Please go, I promise you’ll remember it.
www.rasoi-uk.com/
10 Lincoln St, London, SW3 2TS
020 7225 1881
‘This is not for the novice cook, but somebody who is passionate’ were the words Vineet left me with, taken from his book, New Indian Kitchen, and I feel they perfectly encapsulate what he has tried, and succeeded, to do with Rasoi. Here, he creates memories for the diner. Memories formed by excellent and cleverly crafted Indian food, served seamlessly and in a most refined setting. Please go, I promise you’ll remember it.
www.rasoi-uk.com/
10 Lincoln St, London, SW3 2TS
020 7225 1881
Thank very much for helping me.