Last Updated on April 27, 2025
A story on the table – Peter Joseph’s cooking never fails to be a best seller.
Do you have a favourite Indian restaurant in London? One that’s tucked away and perhaps not as well known as it should be? For me, that’s Kahani – back for the third time, I realised that I have never dined from the a la carte menu because Peter produces such fabulous set menus and tasting menus that I always end up indulging in his own planned story (the word Kahani means story and Peter’s tasting menus always lead you through an amazing culinary tale).
This time though, we braved the a la carte (in fairness, nicely divided up into sections and, fitting onto two A4 sheets of paper, not so long that you can’t work out what to eat).
We did overorder, at least for lightweight ladies, two small plates, two grills, two curries, rice, naan and dal – not to mention dessert, which is probably at least 4 dishes too many. But, the food at Kahani, while filling and generously portioned is also fundamentally healthy and lower in fat than many Indian restaurants. You leave feeling full but never get that ‘overindulged to the point of not being able to move’ sensation. And, you wake up the next morning feeling refreshed. It’s skilful Indian cooking where the use of spices also helps with your digestion…or at least that’s how it seems.
Our evening started with a glass of Bollinger each and a basketful of crispy poppadums with homemade chutneys – tomato with garlic, beetroot and pineapple. For small plates, we ordered a not-small-at-all but ever-so-delicious berry papdi chaat – spiced chickpeas with sweetened yoghurt and a delicious wild berry and tamarind chutney. Piquant and indulgent with a rich yoghurt sauce laced with coriander mint and the wild berry and tamarind chutney, it was hard to resist.
Soft shell crunchy crab with Chetinaad spices, kachumber and spicy yellow tomato chutney was a truly delicious starter and a good option if you plan on eating the recommended four courses. I loved the kachumber, red onion and tomato topping and the handful of micro herbs was beautifully refreshing while the crab itself had just the right balance of crunch and soft crabmeat
What we should have ordered from the chargrilled section was on the left-hand side of the menu – tandoori broccoli, red pumpkin chunks or even smoked Malabar brawns. What we actually picked was Tandoor lamb chops with Kashmiri chillies and Nagercoil clove for my companion and Venison keema with shallots, fenegreek leaves and truffle naan for me. A keema is traditionally made with mince but here I’d suggest the texture of the keema was finely ground, meltingly tender and delicately spiced. Presented as the centrepiece on a truffled naan, it was the kind of dish where you really wanted to pick the naan up and dip it into the soft meat mixture
My companion, meanwhile, was enjoying the lamb chops. Tender, well spiced meat with a fabulous char makes for a toothsome dish that everyone should try at least once.
My eye-catching main course was lobster tail. The meat from the lobster had been carefully removed and cooked with shallots, browned garlic, star anise and tomatoes before being presented back in the shell – a kind of Indian version of Lobster Thermidor but oh so much tastier
My companion enjoyed the intense flavours of her Kerala Chicken. She’s a regular traveller to Southern India and I think she was rather impressed that the spicing hadn’t been watered down too much for Western palates. Peter Joseph uses a mix of green chilli, fennel, tamarind and poppy seed to create a flavour-packed sauce for the tenderest pieces of chicken.
A special mention here from me for the Kahani duo dal. I love dal, but it’s a meal in itself usually – and I find it difficult to choose between Dal Makhani and yellow lentil Moong Dal. I always want both. At Kahani, the side dish is two perfect portions of dal so you don’t overindulge.
For dessert, I opted for the kulfi trio, while my companion picked the rose and raspberry cardamom cheesecake. Both nicely balanced and not over sweet we somehow managed to clear our plates.
Kahani is one of those places where I’m always happy to go back. Despite the unlikely setting of a basement, there’s a whole range of different seating options. One of my favourite spots is tucked away by the fire, but there are also comfy booths for four people and even a little snug area which would be the perfect setting for a date. I urge you to visit and try Peter’s exemplary cooking (he’s almost always there in person) and the seamless service.
1 Wilbraham Place
London,
SW1X 9A
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