It might be one of the most popular curries in the country, but the tikka masala has given Indian cuisine a bad name, the chef behind Britain’s “restaurant of the year” has suggested.
Karam Sethi, whose Mayfair restaurant Gymkhana has become the first Indian eatery to be named national restaurant of the year, said his success proves that such cuisine is not “simply about tikka masala and a pint”.
Mr Sethi, who grew up in Finchley, north London, said the key to quality Punjabi food of the sort served at Gymkhana, which opened in September 2013, was producing fresh dishes that his mother would have served at home.
“Indian restaurants in the UK have traditionally cooked in bulk, adding extra oil or citrus to preserve the food, or half-cooking it well in advance,” he told Flavour First, a food website.
“I feel strongly about cooking to order. My food won’t arrive on the table within two minutes of ordering it – it’s all made fresh.”
Mr Sethi, who has also drawn inspiration from his mother-in-law’s cooking, has insisted that Indian restaurants should find a balance between the “tikka masala and a pint” approach and “Frenchified” high-end food which features “terrines, foams and jellies.”
Gymkhana has drawn inspiration from Colonial Indian gymkhana clubs, set up by the British Raj, where members of high society came to socialise, dine, drink and play sport.
The interior includes ceiling fans hanging from from the dark-lacquered oak ceiling, cut glass wall lamps from Jaipur, hunting trophies from the Maharaja of Jodhpur and a barometer which was owned by Mr Sethi’s grandmother.
Shortly after Gymkhana opened last year the Telegraph’s restaurant reviewer Zoe Williams described it as “a stunning addition, not just to the posh-curry fraternity, but to the entire restaurant landscape.”
Mr Sethi previously set up Trishna in Marylebone, west London, with backing from his elder brother, Jyotin, who is also a director of Gymkhana. Their sister Sunaina is sommelier at both restaurants.
Gymkhana beat competition including the Hand and Flowers pub in Buckinghamshire and the Ledbury, in Notting Hill, west London, in the National Restaurant Awards, which are run by Restaurant Magazine.
Stefan Chomka, editor of Restaurant Magazine, said: “It is testament to the quality of Gymkhana as well as the true diversity of the UK’s eating out scene that an Indian restaurant has been named the best place to eat out in the UK.
“Chef Karam Sethi’s no-punches-pulled cooking is gutsy and imaginative, with the ability to surprise and delight. Gymkhana is a much deserving winner of this year’s award.”
