Kachori
Elephant and Castle, London
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In an area of south London crying out for decent places to eat, we have high hopes that this 'really good', all-day Indian newcomer will succeed. Kachori certainly sticks out from the local competition. Found on the ground floor of a new development by Elephant and Castle tube station, it exudes coolness; the room is big and glossy, scoring highly with its slick bar, black-and-white chequered flooring, dark wood furnishings, oval cut-glass lights and muslin canopies over gold-coloured banquettes. You might think you are in W1 but, even with the growing gentrification of this area, it's unlike anywhere else in SE17. The kitchen is headed by Brinder Narula (ex-Gymkhana, Benares), who has developed a menu inspired by the cooking of northern India – so expect small plates, burgers with an Anglo-Indian twist, biryanis, tandooris and grills, as well as enticing larger plates. We started with the restaurant’s namesake, a huge ball of truffle-infused green-pea kachori (a deep-fried sticky snack), as well as melt-in-your-mouth spice-infused guinea fowl tikka served with 'tempered curd rice'. Spot-on spicing was also a feature of bigger dishes, from shelled jumbo prawns cooked in the tandoor and teamed with avocado raita to a richly favoured goat bhuna with cumin, cloves, pickled ginger and turmeric, while a vegetarian stir-fry of soft portobello mushroom was neatly contrasted by the crunchiness of pak choi. To finish, do make room for the masala chai brûlée. Other plus points include friendly service, a fairly priced set lunch, a dozen cocktails and a short wine list, with bottles from £25.
