INDIAN CUISINE AN ART FORM
Ismat J. Amin
The Tagore.
If music be the food of love play on so Shakespeare wrote and in fact both music and food is the language of love if you want a romantic night out. You will get both these at The Tagore .
Couples won't be disappointed by their choice of restaurant as the decor is authentic without being plush with pleated sari wall-hangings and a beautiful canopied ceiling (Shamiana) reminiscent of a moghul's tent.
That's the whole idea since the The Tagore specialises in Paktoon dishes which originated in the North West Frontier province of India.
If the place doesn't impress you, the food certainly will, as it has already won two coveted Michelin stars in the former restaurant in Montparnasse, Paris. And well deserved too, as I found the starter Kashmiri Lamb Tikka delicately spiced without being overpowering.
The chef's speciality Kadai Ghost Massala was wonderfully cooked with a rich sauce that you will remember for a long time. It complemented the Pillau rice topped with fried onions superbly. The mixed vegetable was a dish to savour with just the right amount of spices.
The dessert was equally as good as the starter and the main course a lovely chocolate chip and nut Kulfi with rosewater syrup a blend of eastern and western promise. As an added bonus the prices were very affordable, considering the high quality.
The owner Nur Monie, an Economics graduate turned to the restaurant business to transform Indian cuisine into an art format. He has succeeded in this as chefs as famous as Joel Robouchon frequented his restaurant in Paris. He wants to repeat that success in England, starting in Welling as a testing ground then move to more exclusive areas. The secret of his success in France lay, he says is in hispassion for food .
He wants to keep the restaurant small, it seats 40, emphasizing quality of food rather quantity. His restaurant is favoured by international critics, in this country, America and India. He wants to put Indian food on a different level and he certainly has done that with help of his Bombay chef, Rajendra Balmik, Nur Monie has put Indian cuisine amongst the finest in the world!
The Tagore has moved to 4 Neville St., Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Apparently it is as popular as ever so it will be worth your while to make the visit.
Tel:01892 615 100
Reservations are recommended and can be made on the following numbers:
Tel: 0171 629 3561 ,
Fax: 0171 499 5034
E-Mail: Tamarind.Restaurant@Virgin.Net
Award winning (best in Britain 1999) restaurant based in the heart of Central London.
Food Critics have said the following:
"An exceptional meal, the best I have had...Aficionados of Indian food should make a beeline to Tamarind"
Fay Maschler (Evening Standard)
"The tandoori gear is seriously good.....I was impressed...."
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Telegraph)
"The most serious indian restaurant .. sophisticated food in a stylish atmosphere...
The Wine Spectator - New York
The Tamarind Restaurant is highly sophisticated, serving the finest foods and having a large selection of fine wines. Mumtaz
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