Having opened the new Lotus Modern Indian Cuisine on 26th October owners Kesh & Badri and the team raised £1001 for local charity Sue Ryder. Now nearly a month in, they are doing well so we came to test out their lunch menu.
Kesh said they are offering ‘something completely different’ with a small Indian/Nepalese menu which is going to change with the seasons covering a variety of meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan options. They are looking at serving up what other Asian restaurants don’t do; like Samphire Pakora (coastal samphire fritters), Delica Pumpkin Makhani (roasted pumpkin in a buttery sauce), Venison Keema Pao (venison cooked and warming spices), Cod Loin Malai (grilled cod with coconut, tamarin and creamy sauce), Duck Breast (pan seared with an orange & jaggery glaze), even PanFried Seabass.
We came to try out a sampling of their menu and were served with the traditional poppadoms with a yoghurt with mint, mango but instead of their hot third dish, we were given a bright red BEETROOT dip – Lovely for me as all non-spicy.
Our starter tasters were the Vel Puri – you may not like the look of it but dive into this interesting dish of puffed rice with a delicious mix of cold yoghurt and raw green mango. The taste is definitely new. Also, never eaten before, and you won’t get this anywhere else, is their Samphire Pakora – these are squiggles of a seaweed type food – deliciously crispy in a chickpea batter with a drizzle on top. The Lotus Special Fried Chicken was in the same light batter with a mayo dip on the side and finally a dish of Pan-Seared Scallops in a gorgeous creamy Malai sauce.
We then shared their lunchtime special dish which was the Lotus Thali. It looks fabulous – A unique Indian platter served as would be traditionally on a tray of basmati rice with naan bread. Some great authentic flavours, which for us, featured a slow cooked Dal, Chef’s special curry (we had a chicken tikka Marsala), seasonal vegetables, collinf raita, spiced papad, pickle, and a traditional Indian donut dessert. Filling for one, but also great to share, like we did, with extra dishes.
Kesh & Badri have brought their experiences together to create The Lotus. They are both genuinely excited and want to impress. Kesh has worked in other restaurants across the city, eg Gurkha Lounge at Hampton. Badri brings his chef experience from working at the Cricket in Soho and the Tamarind in Green Park, London in fact it’s where Badri created the Mishti Doi dessert.
I was given this amazing dessert to try – it was like a lemon mousse topped with saffron – soft tasting, very fresh with bursts of saffron.
The other dessert which I’m sure you’ll love is the Gulab Jamun Cheesecake – an English cheesecake with an Indian twist… biscuit base and a donut level to it too.
The interior of the restaurant hasn’t changed layout, just a few colour changes to dark green, dark blue and some beautiful coloured wallpapers with silver and gold reflections, royal blue tigers and dodos as well as gems on a peacock’s tail! Of course there are some blossom trees and dishes of lotus flowers too.
The restaurant seats up to 120 people on both floors. It has a lovely warm atmosphere and is great for private parties using their upstairs seating. They have a set menu ready for the festive season called ‘The Lotus Feast’ which actually includes some Christmas pudding with Brandy sauce!!
The food was very good, the restaurant had several tables of other people enjoying the Thali (that looks the favourite) – we will be back for more. (p.s. kids portions available too)
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