Oh My, Amaya
Any critical review requires a balanced blend of objectivity with subjectivity. So here’s the objective part.
Tucked away in Knightsbridge, this Michelin-starred restaurant is about as far as you can get from the Indian street food stalls from which it takes its inspiration. Using a core of seafood, poultry, lamb and game cooked using either clay ovens, griddling on iron plates or over flame, its dishes are served as a cross between kebabs and tapas. Meat and fish dishes are complemented from a wide range of vegetarian options. Keeping in with the theme of street cooking, the dishes are prepared in a open plan kitchen at the rear of the restaurant which adds a vibrant atmosphere to the stylish interior, filled during our visit by a mixture of up-market local clientele and tourists, no doubt attracted by the rave reviews and awards it has received since its opening in 2004.
As a party of seven, our table opted for the £37.50 tasting menu, which promised a series of representative dishes from the a la carte menu. Dinner started encouragingly with a delicious chicken salad wrapped in thin strips of fresh apple, which was followed by a selection of naan breads with accompanying chutneys which included rather bland tomato option, ground peanuts, and a very interesting crushed rose petal mix which assailed your taste and smell senses simultaneously. The breads where welcomed as portion sizes are as small as a 2010 RBS bonus - literally two bites at most - designed presumably for those who have exhausted themselves with a day at the spa rather than a day's hard graft.
The full bodied flavors of the house shiraz did not disappoint, and proved the ideal accompaniment to the next two meat courses - spiced minced lamb and venison rolls stuffed with tomato chutney - served with two vegetarian offerings, a delicious but simple dish of fried sweet potatoes, and grilled broccoli florets in a yogurt dressing.
I would love to tell you about the next course, however this is where the review becomes subjective. I expected a visit to Amaya would be an encounter of light delicate grills in an exclusive and charming ambiance - very much unlike my normal visit to the local tandoori. What I didn’t expect is that after discussing with the general manager my allergy to nuts and receiving a promise that he would "personally supervise the cooking of any dishes that may come into contact with nuts", I would be presented with - unannounced - a course of spotted grouper, seasoned with chili and peanut. (Presented, it has to be said, rather nicely inside pandan leaves.)
For this to happen in a restaurant that trades on its awards and Michelin star is quite frankly inexcusable. I’ll spare you the consequences, but suffice to say one very small taster-menu-sized bite brought a very abrupt end to my meal and spoilt the experience of the fellow diners. The general manager's subsequent concern and apology for "a terrible mistake on their part" were no doubt genuine, but when the final course arrived - that Indian street vendor classic dessert of Crème Brulee topped with a rather magnificent almond - I was left to wonder if his concern was about my experience, or simply minimizing the effect on the surrounding tables.
On the subjective side, I think in the future I’ll stick to my local tandoori who consistently feeds me without incident. But being objective, the dishes at Amaya are innovative and certainly provide a memorable dining experience. I can’t be more balanced than that.
As a party of seven, our table opted for the £37.50 tasting menu, which promised a series of representative dishes from the a la carte menu. Dinner started encouragingly with a delicious chicken salad wrapped in thin strips of fresh apple, which was followed by a selection of naan breads with accompanying chutneys which included rather bland tomato option, ground peanuts, and a very interesting crushed rose petal mix which assailed your taste and smell senses simultaneously. The breads where welcomed as portion sizes are as small as a 2010 RBS bonus - literally two bites at most - designed presumably for those who have exhausted themselves with a day at the spa rather than a day's hard graft.
The full bodied flavors of the house shiraz did not disappoint, and proved the ideal accompaniment to the next two meat courses - spiced minced lamb and venison rolls stuffed with tomato chutney - served with two vegetarian offerings, a delicious but simple dish of fried sweet potatoes, and grilled broccoli florets in a yogurt dressing.
I would love to tell you about the next course, however this is where the review becomes subjective. I expected a visit to Amaya would be an encounter of light delicate grills in an exclusive and charming ambiance - very much unlike my normal visit to the local tandoori. What I didn’t expect is that after discussing with the general manager my allergy to nuts and receiving a promise that he would "personally supervise the cooking of any dishes that may come into contact with nuts", I would be presented with - unannounced - a course of spotted grouper, seasoned with chili and peanut. (Presented, it has to be said, rather nicely inside pandan leaves.)
For this to happen in a restaurant that trades on its awards and Michelin star is quite frankly inexcusable. I’ll spare you the consequences, but suffice to say one very small taster-menu-sized bite brought a very abrupt end to my meal and spoilt the experience of the fellow diners. The general manager's subsequent concern and apology for "a terrible mistake on their part" were no doubt genuine, but when the final course arrived - that Indian street vendor classic dessert of Crème Brulee topped with a rather magnificent almond - I was left to wonder if his concern was about my experience, or simply minimizing the effect on the surrounding tables.
On the subjective side, I think in the future I’ll stick to my local tandoori who consistently feeds me without incident. But being objective, the dishes at Amaya are innovative and certainly provide a memorable dining experience. I can’t be more balanced than that.
Here Is The Writer : Martin Gallagher
Martin Gallagher has never played for West Ham or England, nor had a number one hit single, but he has worked in the City for many years (for what that's worth). A life-long Londoner, he made the migration from east to west a few years back and is still trying to get used to the absence of fried chicken takeaways and the over abdundance of coffee shops. Martin is married, has two daughters, and is also interested in travelling, football and writing. He hopes to publish his first novel 'sometime in the future'.
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