Bibi
Mayfair, London
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The capital's Indian restaurant scene is booming, with openings across the spectrum from street food to high-end cuisine, yet this venture from the JKS group (Sabor, Lyle’s, Hoppers, Gymkhana, Bao etc) is one of the most exciting to date. A short distance from Selfridges, and fronted by an outdoor heated terrace, it’s a bijou space, long, narrow, dimly lit and dominated by an open-plan kitchen. Most seats are at the counter overlooking the chefs at work, though there are some black-leather booths along the opposite wall; the vibe is sociable, aided by a lively soundtrack and a highly charged service team. It’s a great platform for chef Chetan Sharma, who has L’Enclume and Moor Hall in his culinary DNA. He doesn't disappoint, experimenting with ingredients and techniques while fusing different culinary influences into his own individualistic style – although everything is rooted in traditional Indian cooking. The result is an innovative, contemporary menu (two tasters and a carte) based around small plates, chaat (street food) and grilled dishes. Layers of flavour are built up gradually: a raw scallop is provocatively paired with blood orange and Indian lemonade ('a beautiful marriage between the soft, sweet mollusc and the citrusy pop’); tender grilled Lahori chicken comes with a cashew and yoghurt whey. Elsewhere, okra is given a lift with peanuts, sesame and fermented chilli, while 'sides' such as roomali roti or pilau rice cooked in a little chicken broth and topped with deep-fried onions merit a central role. The ‘addictive’ sweet-spicy notes of puffy sweetcorn nuggets served with Kashmiri yellow chilli and corn-husk mayonnaise make a brilliant opening salvo; saffron and white chocolate kulfi 'in the shape of a Magnum ice cream' provides the perfect finale. Wines have been thoughtfully assembled with the food in mind, although prices aren't cheap.
