Chelsea Gets Another Indian Restaurant Ripe for Michelin Stars

Another high-end Indian restaurant with Michelin stars in its sights has arrived in Chelsea. Kahani, by ex-Tamarind head chef, Peter Joseph, opened today (Tuesday 18 September 2018) on Wilbraham Place, near Sloane Square. It is Joseph’s first solo restaurant and comes a week after ex-Jamavar chef Rohit Ghai announced his own solo debut, which will open in November, also in Chelsea.

Located opposite the iconic Cadogan Hall in Chelsea, Joseph’s new 90-cover restaurant is said to be inspired by the chef’s upbringing in Tamil Nadu, India’s southernmost state. Kahani means ‘story’ in Hindi, and the restaurant will be based on Joseph’s philosophy of “community eating to celebrate, bring people together, break boundaries and share tales.”

Kahani [Official Photo]

“I am thrilled to be embarking on this new chapter in my life. Love for food and a pursuit of excellence in all that I commit to has taken me on a fascinating journey and I want to keep innovating and pushing boundaries with my food to ensure that people keep following my story and coming back for more,” Joseph said in a statement.

• Kahani’s starters will be served as “finger food” and will include the likes of octopus and tandoori calamari served with kasoondi mustard and aloo pomelo chaat; plus a samosa platter with Punjabi aloo; Kolhapuri chicken; and Chettinad venison. Starters are priced around the £10 mark.
• A “classics” section offer dishes cooked using either a tandoor or robata grill: Smoked Malabar prawns with fresh turmeric, coconut and curry leaves; Gressingham duck breast with coriander, pokharaya chutney and a Jaitooni naan; and tandoori broccoli marinated in honey, nigella seeds and wheat crisps. Prices range from £12 to £25.
• The two curries Joseph will serve: The ‘Kahani’ butter chicken; and a Nalli Gosht; plus the Thalassery Biryani. £20 to £25.

Joseph will join a host of new and established high-end Indian restaurants in the west of the capital. At the beginning of the year, “world-class” Indian Accent opened on Albermarle Street in Mayfair; would-be game-changer Chokhi Dhani launched in Battersea; and Farzi Cafe brought its experimental brand of fine dining to Haymarket, off Piccadilly. Those restaurants joined an already competitive field in the category: Jamavar, Gymkhana, and to a decreasing extent, Benares, have for the past decade enjoyed a huge amount of success — including Michelin recognition — for their individual expressions of south Asian fine dining.

Michelin will be monitoring.

More soon.