Kasturi

Using the Pakhtoon cooking style of India’s north-west frontier which makes use of meat & vegetable juices instead of ghee is a revelation, for Kasturi’s take on Indian food is as light & healthy as it is well-executed & tasty. Things start off well: the pickles & chutneys which accompany the poppadoms are made on site & burst with fresh, zingy & complex flavours. The menu sounds familiar with its tandoor & biriyani dishes, but there are more distinctive choices too: badal jam – aubergines dressed in coriander-flavoured yoghurt – to start, with chicken keshari nazaqut – chicken cooked in a rich cashew gravy with saffron & cream – to follow. Veggies have plenty of choices while desserts include an excellent mango kulfi & the short, affordable wine list has a notable Blue Slate Riesling Mosel Dr Loosen 2003 but, surprisingly, no Gewurztraminer. Surroundings are smart & contemporary, & service is efficient & charming.