23rd April 2018
Peter Joseph, the chef behind the world’s first Michelin-starred Indian restaurant, is to launch a venue in Chelsea. Joseph, who was until recently head chef of Mayfair’s Tamarind, which won its star in 2001, will open Kahani opposite Cadogan Hall in the summer.
The restaurant will take inspiration from the chef’s native Tamil Nadu in southern India, with diners encouraged to forgo the formalities of fine dining by using their fingers for the first course. Seasonal British ingredients will be cooked on a central Robata grill and in an Indian tandoor oven.
The menu will feature grills and salad, with just three or four ingredients used per dish and only two curries. Dishes will include masala-grilled avocado and tandoori calamari along with build-your-own skewers with rabbit, venison, langoustine and blue crab. Non-traditional desserts will include a chilli chocolate mousse “bomb” and melt-in-the-middle rose and pistachio cheesecake.
The restaurant, due to open in July, will make use of brightly coloured Indian-style fabrics for decoration, while a bar will offer spice-infused cocktails. Joseph said: “Kahani means ‘story’ in Urdu and I want to keep innovating and pushing boundaries with my food to ensure people keep following my story and coming back for more.”