Opening Remarks:
-One Michelin Star
-Located in London's adorable Marylebone Village
-Trishna in London is the sister restaurant of Trishna in Mumbai
-The Executive Chef is Karam Sethi
Ambiance:
-The restaurant holds 80 people including a 12 person private dining room and space for a few tables outside in food weather
-The room is adorned with calming light blue walls, beautiful soft brick and clean lines- it's breathable and comfortable.
-The demographic is mixed the day we visited- a few young couples, a large Indian family, and an older wealthy looking gentlemen on his own- all were assumingly locals.
Service:
-Very friendly and professional - our server did a fabulous job explaining each dish in detail and ensured that cutlery, plates and water was always replenished in accordance with the course of the meal. I was also quite pleased that we never felt fussed over or hovered above. Yes, this is a Michelin star, but it's also a casual lunch- Trishna let us have both.
-The meal also was very efficient and moved at our preferred pace- we were in and out within an hour while never feeling rushed.
Drink:
-Trishna offers a substantial International wine list with bottles ranging from ₤25-135 and a few half bottles available.
-They have an intriguing cocktail menu that features Indian inspired ingredients like tamarind, cumin, Indian lemon juice, saffron Tequila, coriander, chillis and more
-Available as part of the lunch bite menu is a wine flight trio of 100 ml glasses that follow a theme (grape, country or vintage) and ranges in price from ₤35-50 per person
-For the end of a boozy meal, they also have a Tea Library filled with an impressive collection of artisan teas from boutique family run tea gardens.
-For us, however, it was a house brewed non-boozy iced tea. We were saving our livers for that evening at the Fat Duck.
Food Menu:
-The cuisine is South West Indian and most dishes are designed with the concept of sharing in mind.
-The emphasis is on simple presentation and preparation largely over a charcoal sigri, tandoor and iron tawa.
-They offer an a la carte menu, a tasting menu, and a lunch bite menu, which allows you to decide how many dishes to order and whether or not you'd like a wine flight pairing
-We knew we had a heafty meal ahead that night so opted to order lightly with two "bites" each. Warning- I hope you have a big mouth because these are not small bites.
Papadums with Mango Chutney and Spicy Tomato Shrimp Chutney
De-lish. Both chutneys had a good bit of heat but could not have been more different. The former was sweet and tangy while the latter was loaded with savoury flavour.
Potato Chat- Masala Chickpeas, Papri, Tamarind, Sweet Yogurt, Sev
I fell in love with this dish. The combination of sweet tangy tamarind, creamy yogurt, with the crispy papri (the crisp type bits) and sev (fried vermicelli) was absolutely addictive.
Tawa Vegetable Salad - Beetroot, Heritage Carrots, Tenderstem Broccoli, Cashews, Kasundi Dressing
I wasn't as big a fan of this starter. While the vegetables were beautiful in their own right, there was something flat and unsavoury about the dressing.
Tandoori Chicken - Kashmiri Chili, Ginger, Garlic, Leg Chat, Coriander Chutney
Lovely tender chicken packed with flavour from the tandoor. My favourite bit however was the crazy addictive leg meat chat. Essentially it was little bits of moist dark meat mixed with an abundance of crispy fried vermicelli and shallots. Indian crack, it was.
Paneer Tikka - Fenugreek Leaf, Corn Chat
I loved the corn chat but found the paneer itself a bit dry and bland.
Hyderabadi Dal, Spinach Corn, Basmati Rice
The dal was a little bland for my taste but the spinach corn was truly magnificent. It was creamy, herbaceous and sweet all at once. I could eat a whole bowl and feel wonderful about it.
Fennugreek and Coriander Flatbread
Fabulous flatbreads and perfect for loading up with dal and spinach.
Dark Chocolate and Puffed Rice with Crushed Pistachios
A nice end to the meal with the bill albeit maybe a touch stale tasting.
Closing Remarks:
-Lunch bites for two including a pop and homemade iced tea was ₤55 ($90) - fairly pricey considering we didn't drink anything or have dessert but one must remember this is London and a Michelin star.
-I am not an Indian expert, but I found the flavours on some dishes unexciting, so I expected a bit more from a Michelin star Indian restaurant
-Having said that, I love the Marylebone Village and found the space itself calming and inviting, so if I were to return one day I would want to try for the full tasting menu and really get a sense of the chef's work. read more