Kahani London review: A revolutionary take on Indian cuisine

The question differed slightly from the usual ‘is everything okay with your meal?’ or a simple ‘how is the food?’ but it was particularly apt on this occasion.

That’s because Kahani, an Indian restaurant a stone’s throw from Sloane Square, is all about flavour.   

The curry house is the brainchild of Michelin-starred chef Peter Joseph, whose aim is to revolutionise Indian cuisine by banishing ‘weighty, oppressive sauces’ and embracing light dishes of meats, fish and vegetables straight from Kahani’s robata grill and tandoor.

He also wants to create dishes so delicious that diners will be compelled to share them.

Inside Kahani (Image: Kahani)

Now typically when I taste something delicious the last thing I want to do is share it, but my two friends and I decided to embrace the philosophy and try as many courses as possible.

This in itself is no easy task as there is a near endless number of options to choose from. As well as the a la carte menu, which we opted to sample, we were very tempted by going for the tasting menu, of which there is a vegetarian alternative.

Kahani also has a vegan menu, a pre-theatre menu, weekend roast menu, a dessert menu, as well as offering bottomless brunch.

Plates of pani puri, scallops and crab (Image: Param Singh)

We decided to share three small plates, three chargrilled dishes and two curries, along with rice and naan bread.

It was a nice touch when we attempted to order peshwari naan, without noticing that it wasn’t in fact on the menu. No bother, said the waiter, who requested the chef make some up specially for us.

Our small plates of grilled scallops, crunchy soft-shell crab and pani puri set the tone for the meal.

All were packed with flavour but, as a man known to sweat profusely from the nose at the mere suggestion of spice, I was glad that none were too fiery to prevent me from enjoying them.  

The highlight of the three was the pani puri – crunchy little balls filled with sweet potato and chickpea which we poured tangy spiced water into before knocking back in one go.

Chargrilled monkfish, paneer tikka and lamb seekh kebabs (Image: Param Singh)

Onto the chargrilled dishes and we tucked into lamb seekh kebabs, monkfish, which fell apart with the smallest amount of encouragement to expose the flaky white flesh within, and paneer tikka.

This was the first time I had tried paneer and I was slightly sceptical about the combination of cheese and spices, but it did not disappoint, and I will be seeking it out at Indian restaurants in the future.

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Finally, the main event – our curries. We went for the chicken makhani and the lobster tail. The makhani had the kind of indulgent, creamy sauce that should only be consumed by being scooped up and conveyed to your mouth with a high-quality naan bread, so we really appreciated our bespoke peshwari at this point.

Chicken Makhani, lobster tail, rice and naan breads (Image: Param Singh)

The lobster meanwhile was something you will rarely see in your average Indian restaurant. Staying true to Peter Joseph’s ideals, the sauce did not overwhelm the tender meat, instead it complemented it, allowing the sweet flavour of the lobster to shine through.  

Kahani promised revolutionised Indian food, and as I can certainly say I had never had a meal like this in an Indian restaurant before, it has probably gone some way to achieving that.

I am keen to go back to try out some more of the flavours on offer.