The downstairs communal tables are in a nice relaxed space. For a winter Thursday evening up until 7.15pm we didn't have anyone sitting next to us, which I thought was unusual. The drink Dark Matter (spiced rum, mango, agave, red peppercorn, chilli) £9 was an excellent drink complete with fruity feels and a pepper taste and a chilli heat aftertaste.
- Samphire pakoras, date & tamarind chutney, chilli garlic mayonnaise £6 - little seaweed type things albeit fried so the sea flavour wasn't evident with a nice tamarind finish and some optional mayo;
- Bhel puri, raw mango, tamarind, sev, yoghurt £5.5 - a delicious concoction of puffed rice and other dry bits bound together with sauces. Reminiscent of the ones I had in India, just more refined;
- Jerusalem artichoke & pea samosa £6 for 2 - piping hot insides with a slightly chunky texture and an excellent tamarind chutney to swathe it through. Expensive at £3 each but really enjoyed it;
- Masala kulcha bread £3.5 - a puffy soft and gelatinous bread with a little ghee and spice. Lovely;
- Cockle thoran, coconut & curry leaf £7 - strong creamy seafood taste with some coconut and curry coming through;
- Karnathan mussels £10 - small shells but they were full of mussel in a quite spicy tomato-based curry sauce;
- Keralan fried chicken, curry leaf mayonnaise, pickle mouli £8.5 - very salty and tender pieces of chicken;
- Green chilli, garlic, Berkswell kulcha bread £4 - although more interesting sounding than the masala kulcha, I didn't like it as much. The chilli wasn't discernible and the cheese on top I didn't feel added much;
- Goose vindaloo, brussel sprout thoran £13 - they substituted duck for the goose without telling us. The goose itself was the main factor for ordering it as it isn't a common thing I find being offered. The duck itself was perfectly pink and delicious, a little (too) chewy, and a small bit of fat. The vindaloo had a mild flavour and much less spiciness than is typical. But the flavour still had clear noted to vindaloo and so I suppose it's an interpretation...
Overall the bill for 4 was £92 which included £12 of service and £15 for drinks. That's pretty damn good for anywhere in London. I'll happily be back here. I'd hope there would be goose available and would also want to try the garlic crab and venison keema.