Review: Salt'n Pepper
Going out for an Asian normally conjures up images of bright red concoctions claiming to be tikka masala, served in those little silver dishes on warming plates. The décor is more often than not a tad garish, and I'm my case, despite enjoying it, I do feel a bit guilty for the indulgence afterward, a bit like a drunken kebab on the way home. A great idea at the time, but one you pay for after.
Pakistan's culinary dynasty, Salt'n Pepper, has opened its first restaurant in London's theatre district. Serving traditional Pakistani cuisine in a contemporary setting, it is a far cry from the brightly coloured chicken tikka masala I'm usually used to.
They aim to re-educate diners about what authentic Pakistani food truly is. The Salt'n Pepper Group was established over 30 years ago, so they are well-placed to do so.
From the outside you would never guess it was an Asian restaurant. The modern, chic, décor sets it apart from other establishments. The food on offer is traditional cuisine with influences from the Punjab, Sindh, Turkish, and Persian regions, and quite frankly, I couldn't wait to dig in.
To start, obviously we had the usual poppadums. It would have just felt wrong not to. But instead of my usual onion bhaji and sag aloo, we opted for the Fried butterfly prawns in breadcrumbs, BBQ lamb chops and fried crumb paneer.
The restaurant's speciality is its BBQ, and the lamb chops did not disappoint, in fact my guest and I had to squabble over the last chop (she won sadly.) The highlight of the starter for me was the paneer. I had tried it before but it is not always on offer at other restaurants so was delighted to see it on the menu. If you've never had it before, you must try! In my opinion it has the texture of tofu and is incredibly light.
For the main, again we went for the BBQ, opting for a BBQ selection which included chicken tikka, lamb seekh kebab (not too dissimilar from kofta), Chicken Malai Boti and lamb chops. We also tried the achari chicken with a side of pulao rice and garlic and cheese naans.
Served on a hot skillet, the BBQ selection was fantastic and it's not hard to see why it has become the group's signature dish. The lamb seekh kebab was full of flavour and moist. Enjoyed with the yogurt sauce was incredible.
Desserts normally aren't something to rave about when it comes to Asian food (lemon sorbet in an actual lemon anyone?), however the mango kulfi (mango ice-cream essentially) was refreshing and the perfect dish to finish with. And best of all you get to keep the quaint little pot it comes in.
If you're looking for traditional Asian cuisine, at a very reasonable price, you really need look no further.
Pakistan's culinary dynasty, Salt'n Pepper, has opened its first restaurant in London's theatre district. Serving traditional Pakistani cuisine in a contemporary setting, it is a far cry from the brightly coloured chicken tikka masala I'm usually used to.
They aim to re-educate diners about what authentic Pakistani food truly is. The Salt'n Pepper Group was established over 30 years ago, so they are well-placed to do so.
From the outside you would never guess it was an Asian restaurant. The modern, chic, décor sets it apart from other establishments. The food on offer is traditional cuisine with influences from the Punjab, Sindh, Turkish, and Persian regions, and quite frankly, I couldn't wait to dig in.
To start, obviously we had the usual poppadums. It would have just felt wrong not to. But instead of my usual onion bhaji and sag aloo, we opted for the Fried butterfly prawns in breadcrumbs, BBQ lamb chops and fried crumb paneer.
The restaurant's speciality is its BBQ, and the lamb chops did not disappoint, in fact my guest and I had to squabble over the last chop (she won sadly.) The highlight of the starter for me was the paneer. I had tried it before but it is not always on offer at other restaurants so was delighted to see it on the menu. If you've never had it before, you must try! In my opinion it has the texture of tofu and is incredibly light.
For the main, again we went for the BBQ, opting for a BBQ selection which included chicken tikka, lamb seekh kebab (not too dissimilar from kofta), Chicken Malai Boti and lamb chops. We also tried the achari chicken with a side of pulao rice and garlic and cheese naans.
Served on a hot skillet, the BBQ selection was fantastic and it's not hard to see why it has become the group's signature dish. The lamb seekh kebab was full of flavour and moist. Enjoyed with the yogurt sauce was incredible.
Desserts normally aren't something to rave about when it comes to Asian food (lemon sorbet in an actual lemon anyone?), however the mango kulfi (mango ice-cream essentially) was refreshing and the perfect dish to finish with. And best of all you get to keep the quaint little pot it comes in.
If you're looking for traditional Asian cuisine, at a very reasonable price, you really need look no further.