Cuisine: Indian
Cost:
Rating:
Where?: 64, parkway, Camden, London. NW1 7AH.
Closest station(s): Camden Road, Mornington Crescent, King’s Cross.
Telephone: 0207 485 5977
Website: www.namaastekitchen.co.uk
Walking up to the entrance to this new venture on Parkway I thought for a minute that I might have the wrong place, looking through the glass front I could have sworn I was looking at a new Soho bar rather than an Indian restaurant. Despite my confusion I ventured inside and was taken to a table at the back of the restaurant opposite the two grills where much of the restaurant’s food is cooked.
Namaaste Kitchen is certainly comes within the smart, trendy and upmarket categories; rather than trying to be your local curry house. This is a place where bottles of champagne are strewn around the bar.
My Kadhai spiced pan seared scallops were beautifully presented on a slate; as were my (vegetarian) dining partner’s Tandoori Portobello mushroom. The taste lived up to the presentation; to my mind making a Portobello mushroom the centre piece of a starter and packing it with flavour is a great achievement in itself. My scallops were not over-powered by the seasoning and delicately cooked.
The question then was whether the mains could live up to the starters. The red wine with which we had decided to wash it all down was good and certainly not too expensive. I have never had a rack of lamb in an Indian restaurant and all I can say is that I wish everywhere served it – it was mind-blowingly good. Cutting into the charred outer flesh I was greeted by moist and perfectly pink meat. The spices only added to rather than masking the flavour of the meat and the fat on the outside was the thing of dreams. The side dishes were also excellent, the stars of the show being sesame baby aubergine with mustard and curry leaf sauce and the black lentil dhall.
The service was also extremely good, if anything it was a little over attentive. Namaaste Kitchen is an excellent restaurant, it is not however cheap – you are looking at easily reaching £100 with wine for 2 people. The food is not your run of the mill high street Indian takeaway though, it is much more. I will certainly be returning for that horrendously good lamb.