In Sanskrit, the word “kutir” refers to a small cottage in the middle of nowhere. Tucked away on Lincoln Street in Chelsea, we ring the doorbell and are welcomed in to Chef Rohit Ghai and business partner Abhishake Sangwan’s newest venture. Set within a lovely townhouse, the atmosphere is bright, chic and hospitable. We’re taken to our table and I happily take in the appetising aromas coming from the dining room. Marble tables, colourful walls, and parquet floors all add to the tasteful restaurant décor.
Our server Luca is amazing. He’s passionate, knows the menu to a T, and keeps a watchful but unintrusive eye on us throughout our meal. The traditional mango lassi I ordered, though delightful, was overshadowed by my fiancé’s mango and ginger drink which was incredibly refreshing and went beautifully with the dishes we ordered.
We start our lunch off with some poppadoms and a selection of chutneys and dips. Each condiment provided a burst of different flavours and we ended up taking our time so that we could enjoy them all throughout our meal. I had heard good things about the quail naan with truffle which included a Masala scrambled egg. Luca prepared it for us tableside whilst telling us a bit more about how the dish was made. “This is what I think of when I imagine the perfect breakfast,” he says. After tasting the fresh truffles that complemented the soft and flavourful spiced eggs, we could only agree!
Another dish that I had been hearing about was the Tandoori lamb chops with black cumin, sprouts, onion, and yoghurt. The chops were extremely juicy and tender with the yoghurt and spices creating a fantastic blend. Luca suggested we add the Masala prawns to our order and we’re so glad we listened. The pink prawns came in a coconut, sesame, and roscoff onion mix. They were fiery, spicy and had a lot of character.
For our mains, we decided on the Gressingham duck korma in a cashew sauce with pickled swede and the Kutir version of chicken tikka Masala with fenugreek, tomato, and Kashmiri chilli. The cashew sauce in the korma was intriguing and different from other Indian dishes I had tried. The chicken tikka Masala was once that we thought we could pass on, but Luca insisted we try Kutir’s home recipe. Once again, he was right, and it was an absolutely delicious and hearty bowl.
Though we thought we had no more room for dessert, the Kutir staff insisted we give their kulfi selection a try. The traditional Indian ice cream was served in three flavours: paan (betel leaf with areca nut), rabri (condensed milk), and pistachio. Along with the assortment of fruits and berries, it was a light and refreshing way to end our meal.
Many question the idea of modern or high-end Indian dining. Kutir, however, absolutely delivers on its promise of paying homage to India’s rich heritage and wildlife. Kutir’s service, welcoming atmosphere and menu welcome diners to explore unearthed corners of Indian cuisine. We can’t wait to come back and try their expedition tasting menus!
Address: 10 Lincoln St, Chelsea, London SW3 2TS, UK
Phone: 020 7581 1144
Website: kutir.co.uk
