COLONEL SAAB: A TRUE CULINARY JOURNEY

WORDS EMILIE LOUIZIDES

Stepping into Colonel Saab begins the culinary journey that restauranteur Roop Partap Choudary's newest luxury Indian dining concept promises at the top of its new tasting menu. Initially greeted by an exceptionally warm host, given the option of where to sit with one table more beautiful than the next, and left in the hands of the most knowledgable, earnest waitstaff, it's abundantly clear that Colonel Saab is a well-oiled machine. Adorned with artwork from his parents' travels across India, Roop Partap Choudary has created an atmosphere as wholesome, rich, and thoughtful as his food.

Immediately comfortable while simultaneously experiencing the most thrilling sensory overload, the restaurant's new tasting menu began with Rasam, a south Indian tomato and lentil broth served with mini idli (a savoury rice cake) and puffed pastry bites. Paired with a cocktail of gin and popping pineapple boba, encouraged to be taken like a shot, the first course provides a warm, spicy kick, perhaps intentionally designed to propel the diner into the experience.

Continuing with Marwad's Raj Kachori, a dish bursting with flavour and colour, so beautiful that it could be an art piece, but much too inviting not to eat, this texture sensation of spiced chick peas and potato, trio sauce, pomegranate seed boondi, savoury crisp, herbal jam, and black lime chaat masala, is served alongside a second cocktail of the evening that could be the love child of an old fashioned and negroni, goes down smoothly, and pairs perfectly with the food.

The third starter of the evening, Khandari Paneer Tikka, a seasoned cottage cheese stuffed with prunes and pomegranate in tomato, garlic mustard salsa brought the tasting menu to a new realm. Simple but nuanced with unbeatable flavor and a satisfying bite, this could very well be London's best paneer. As the food got better with each course, the drinks did too; a gin-forward highball mixed with a kale infusion and dehydrated apple slice balanced the decadence of the cheese and acted almost as a palette cleanser until a perfect scoop of totally delicious Alphonso Mango Sorbet arrived, providing a refresh before the main course. It was in this window that Executive Chef Sohan Bhandari paid a visit to the table, and chatted through the regional details woven together to create a particularly unique Indian fusion.

The time and care Choudhary spent over the course of a year retracing his parents' footsteps across India by train, bus and car to curate contemporary twists on dishes passed down through generations all becomes clear within the menu's main course, Nadan Fish Curry with beans poriyal, dal makhani, steamed rice, and malabar paratha. Each component of this dish is lovingly held in small silver bowls. Eating the curry represents the summary of Choudhary's travels to discover the culinary history of his family, wider India and all its regions. A mango cocktail joins this dish, somehow creating an exquisite pairing with each of the foods that make up the curry meal.

Completely decadent and all done with the greatest intention, the meal concludes with Mishti Doi Cheesecake, a Bengali dessert of sweetened and flavoured yoghurt cake with Bengal lime and jaggery syrup, and Raspberry, Pistachio and Coconut Tart, complete with passionfruit pearls, berries, and pistachio sprinkle.

Dining at Colonel Saab is a multi-sensory experience that will make the most ordinary day extraordinary or put a memorable stamp on a special occasion. There's something incredibly poignant about loved ones dining at a restaurant built on the stories, travels, recipes, artwork, and flavours of a family generous enough to invite us in for dinner.