Veeraswamy restaurant review, London – our anniversary meal

Of course, with any fancy Indian restaurant, presentation is key, and this starter of Raj Katchori, a fancy twist on Indian street snack Chaat Poori, didn’t disappoint. A deep fried crisp poori (made from rice flour) as big as a gala melon, was filled with potatoes, chickpeas and other delights, and drizzled in sauces such as green chutney,  tamarind and yoghurt. The thing is a work of art. I’ve had pooris before which come out of the frying pan as a round ball before slowly deflating. How this stayed intact is beyond me.

My only complaint is that it wasn’t as full of spicy goodness as I’d like. In fact the ball was fairly empty, with a few pieces of potato and chickpeas lacing the bottom. But it was delicious.

The other starter hubby and shared was a kofte, which is a round meat kebab. Except this was a little fancier than most as it had a quail egg inside. The kofte was small but perfectly formed.  I’d happily order both starters again.

The main dish of Kerala king prawn was just divine. The sauce was the most delicate, creamy and delicious I’ve experienced.

I asked the head waiter how they made the sauce which was thick and free of any texture, and he enlightened me on the painstaking process of cooking onions with the shell of prawns and spices, before blending and then sieving through a Muslin cloth.

A lot of work, but a dish I’d like to recreate myself.

The other main we shared was less exciting. Braised lamb in a very similar creamy sauce (minus the prawn shells, I assume), only the big cut of lamb didn’t have much flavour. The sauce was delicious, and if you’re a fan of Sunday roasts you’ll love it, but this desi girl prefers some more spice on her meat.

Another misfire was the pineapple curry.  Hubby ordered it outof intrigue, but the creamy spicy pineapple was random and weird, so I wouldn’t order this again. Ever.

Before dessert we were given a little surprise, as hubby informed the restaurant that it was our anniversary, we were presented with a dark chocolate and vanilla ice cream dessert topped with a candle. A cute and nice touch.

Dessert

But dessert itself was the real deal. We ordered gulab jaman, an Indian sweet made of syrup and not much else, was served with beautifully presented vanilla ice cream which was wrapped in a leaf.    

The second dessert, kulfi, a more icy and solid version of ice cream was served in two delicious blocks with maple syrup drops.

As with our previous dining experiences, we were stuffed beyond measure. The bill came up to around £90, which isn’t cheap, but totally worth it for a special occasion. I’d definitely visit Veeraswamy again for a special occasion.

 Veeraswamy restaurant review in a nutshell

Price – starters cost up to £16, mains are between £16 to £25.

Halal – the chicken and lamb is halal.

Great if… You’re celebrating a special occasion or want to impress.

Not so great if… You want a standard budgetary curry house. Rest assured, I’ve reviewed many budget Indian restaurants too.  Check a couple out here and here.