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India is a country as diverse and varied as its spices. From the rich, buttery cuisine of the Punjab region, to the banana leaf plates and lentils of Tamil food, it’s as different as French is to German. I have a particular penchant for the food of the South, of Goa and Kerala, lighter than the North, flavoured with tamarind, coconut and seafood.
Unfortunately, these subtleties are too often lost on the UK Indian restaurant market. Indian dishes have sprung up that are pure invention, designed to suite the UK palate and to be easily churned out during service. Chicken Tikka Masala, for example; the nation’s favourite and unheard of completely in India.
When I heard before Christmas therefore that Indian restaurant Salaam Namaste in Bloomsbury was cut from a different cloth and took pains to feature regional Indian menus throughout the year, recently including a Goan themed menu, I was excited to go down and try it their food.
The restaurant itself looks like your typical Indian – wooden tables, no clothes, leather-ish booths. The location is good, just round the corner from Russell Square.
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I ordered a selection of dishes from the menu , starting with a trio of scallops, seared perfectly and served with three different sauces: coconut, coriander and lime and tomato. Really nice and priced considerately for scallops at £6.95.
I loved their Mangalorean soft shell crab too – it came crisp on the utside and melting soft on the in, exactly as a good soft shell crab should be. The sauce on the side packed a punch; sweet date, sour tamarind and some slight chilli in the back to give it a zing.
Mains brought me a seafood ‘moilee’ of king prawn, scallops and seabass in a coconut and mustard sauce. Like a good South Indian curry should be, it was light yet creamy, thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but loose enough to be gluggable by the pint. The spicing was on point: subtle and endlessly fragrant. It’s probably one of the best of this style curries I’ve had in the UK.
Salaam’s Palak Paneer (spinach curry with paneer) was also pleasing – iron rich, if lacking a little salt – and the team can clearly work a tandoor from the taste of their grilled tikka lamb.
To finish, Indian desserts; never a huge hit with me. We tried their Gajar ka Halwa, grated carrot stewed in milk and sugar, with coconut ice-cream, and it wasn’t entirely horrid. On the contrary, the carrot took on a oozing, rich sort of texture, almost like a blondie brownie and the sweet carrot, laced with cinnamon had good flavour. Their tandoori pineapple was darkly roasted, sweet and bitter with deep caramel, and the pistachio kulfi was nice, if not exceptional.
As Indian restaurants go, Salaam Namaste is a solid choice. I enjoyed their emphasis on regional Indian cooking and thought it was executed well. The price point is correct too; you can eat for circa. £25 including drinks, and they have a
3 course for £15.95 if you’re counting the pennies. If you’re in the area, check it out
7/10
http://www.salaam-namaste.co.uk/
68 Millman Street, Bloomsbury, Russell Square, London WC1N 3EF
