Grouper in a pandan leaf (£12.50) was cooked with, mustard chilli and peanuts, and although pleasant I think it would have been better with a higher quality fish such as John Dory (a good 12/20). Grilled lamb chop (£20) was excellent, cooked with ginger, lime and coriander (14/20). Tandoori organic broccoli (£8.50) was a bit of a let-down for what seems to be somewhat of a signature dish, and I gather from a regular diner that it can be better than this (12/20).īoned tandoori quail (£10.25) was again very tender, having a sweetness from the apricots it was cooked with, but with the spices meaning that it avoided being cloying (14/20). Biriani was excellent, served in an iron pot and sealed with pastry as it should be, the rice fragrant and the meat retaining moistness, so often the Achilles heel of a biriani (14/20). Breads were very good, with nice soft texture (13/20). Jumbo prawns from Madagascar with chilli herbs and lime (£18.50) were quite tender given their large size (the piece I had was a fraction overcooked, but only a fraction), again with a well judged marinade (13/20). It is over three years since I first visiteld Amaya. My memory was of good tandoori cooking and a smart room, but with a few inconsistencies and a bill that was just too high to justify the level of food. Tonight was a much better experience, still with high prices but with food that generally justified them. There are no popadoms here, and a menu that involves a number of smaller dishes being brought in quick succession, ending with a biriani.īlack pepper chicken tikka (£9.15) was a revelation though not mentioned on the menu, this was the malai style where there is a marinade involving cheese, resulting in the chicken being particularly soft. In this case the spices were very well balanced, and indeed the only version of this dish I can recall that was better was at the Leela Palace in Goa (15/20). The overall effect was very good indeed (easily 14/20). Here the rice was light and fluffy, suffused with spices, and the chicken (thigh meat) was marinated before being cooked, and had retained a pleasing moistness (it is easy for the meat in a biriani to dry out). Personally I prefer the theatre of being able to cut open the seal and enjoy the aromas of the dish, but it is more important that the cooking itself is good. The chicken, rice and sauce are part-cooked separately first, then combined in a pot which is sealed with dough, and then finished off in the oven the seal is removed before serving. Naan bread was reasonable (13/20).īelow are brief notes from a lunch in October 2009.Ĭhicken biriani was very well made indeed. ![]() Fish tikka had a lively marinade (13/20), and the chicken biriani was as fragrant as ever (15/20). A diver scallop in its shell was nicely cooked though as a minor point the flesh not properly trimmed (13/20). Tandoori quail was conveniently off the bone (14/20). Black pepper chicken tikka is essentially malai tikka, and was very tender indeed (15/20). Notes from some of these meals now follow. I have had several meals here over the years, and it is one of the best Indian restaurants in London, albeit rather expensive. There are also some unusual dishes, such as lightly spiced grilled foie gras. ![]() Amaya has an unusual menu for an Indian restaurant, offering just grilled or tandoori food, followed by biriani, with not a curry in sight, no popadoms and just a couple of bread options. There is a small, attractive bar area in a corner of the main dining room. The kitchen, or at least some of it, is laid out along one wall, so customers can see the tandoors in action, salads being tossed etc. Amaya is sister to Chutney Mary and the venerable Veerswamy (which MW Eat acquired in 1997), and also to the Masala Zone chain.Īmaya has very smart décor, with the inevitable stripped wood flooring, but also sophisticated lighting. Amaya opened in 2005 it is owned by a company called MW Eat, founded by a lady called Deborah Jeffs in 1988.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |