Take-Off time for Sabbir’s Namaste chain
Sabbir Karim combines his job as a British Airways purser with his love of Indian food, resulting in two Goan restaurants in London.
Visiting Salaam Namaste, the experience is a bit like sitting in British Airways first class from Goa’s Dabolim Airport to London – superb Southern Indian ingredients expertly cooked, and close personal service.
In 2005 Sabbir opened Bloomsbury’s Salaam Namaste – named after a famous Bollywood movie. It was followed in 2010 by his Camden site Namaste Kitchen, funded through the profits of the first business.
And yet he is STILL as a purser with British Airways’ cabin crew, giving him the opportunity to travel the world and try global cuisine, the best of which he then adapts with an Indian twist for his restaurants.
It’s this culinary adventure that has helped him to pick up numerous awards as a chef, including Best Innovative Chef 2013, at the Asian and Oriental Chef of the Year Awards 2013.
How it stands out
Karim believes that the appeal of the restaurants stems from his willingness to change and tweak the menus, continually developing the restaurants while retaining what the customers like about them.
”The general message we get from customers is that we are committed, we continuously evolve and develop our product – there is always something enticing on our menu.”
Tandoori Ratan
Dhaba Gosht
In 2013, spurred on by his award win in 2012, Karim refurbished Salaam Namaste. ”Winning at the Asian Curry Awards in 2012 was motivating, and it brought a lot more responsibility and expectation from customers as well. So we came up with the idea to refurbish Salaam Namaste,” he says.
The menu also changed, and is now based on the most popular recipes from his travels and a food festival that he ran in 2012.
Karim says: ”It was not majorly expensive because we kept it simple. Salaam Namaste is a neighbourhood restaurant and we have to keep the neighbours happy.”
Taste of Goa from Namaaste Kitchen and Salaam Namaste
After the success of the Rajasthani and Gujurat menus throughout spring and summer, Camden’s Namaaste Kitchen and Bloomsbury’s Salaam Namaste, the award winning Indian restaurants from Chef Patron Sabbir Karim welcome the Goan inspired menu throughout October.
The Goan menus for Salaam Namaste and Namaaste Kitchen will stay true to the regions reputation of being heavily influenced by coconut, chilli and vinegar. The starters all priced at £6.50, include Scallops Ambot Tik, seared scallops served with a hot and spicy marinade, Softshell Crab Caldin, crab served with a roasted coconut and mustard sauce and Machli Reichard which is pan seared sea bass fillet in a rich and tangy recheado sauce.
The main dishes from the Goan menu include a popular local Portuguese inspired delicacy called Lamb Sorpotel, diced lamb meat is cooked in a vinegary gravy with red chilli, black pepper, cloves, vinegar and cumin seeds – £11.95. The Goan Beef Xacuti is a curry of beef roasted in coconut and exotic spices – £12.95. The final dish available from the main courses is the Konkan Duck, this consists of pot roasted duck breasts with star anise and onion chutney – £12.95.
The Goan menu will be available in Salaam Namaste and Naamaste Kitchen throughout October and will be the finale of the regional menus from the sister restaurants before the Christmas menu takes its place.
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