Climb Aboard The Chook Chook Express in Putney
New restaurant offers an elegant gastro adventure across the Indian subcontinent
The Chook Chook Indian Railway Kitchen arrived on the Lower Richmond Road and is a welcome addition to the area. With the highly polished wood and brass, think elegant Orient Express and romantic images of the days of the Rajah and not the chaotic overloaded trains shown on modern media!
Not:
My vegetarian companion was in heaven as there were so many options for non meat eaters, including vegan options. His starter was Sprouted Moong Dal Chaat (£5.50), which he said was delicious, spicy tangy and yet rather smugly a nutritious dish.
I also went vegetarian for my starter, Palak and Crispy Kale Chaat (£6) which was a delicious blend of crispy spinach and kale leaves sitting atop of potatoes and chickpeas drizzled with yoghurt, tamarind and mint chutney - the blending of the flavours was refreshing and hard to define as it combined; sweet/salty/tangy/crispy all in one!
The restaurant was buzzing despite being a wet Thursday evening, and many people were coming in to collect their take-outs.
On to
the main courses, I felt I had to order the name sake; Railway Chicken Curry (£10.25) a delicately blended rich sauce with tender chicken pieces and new potatoes accompanied the lightest of steamed rice (£3.75) - but be warned a generous portion, you only need one between two! Both served in the highly polished copper pots.
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Over the table the menu continued vegetarian with Baingan Bharta (£8.50)
a smokey roasted eggplant mash with Indian spices. Best accompanied with with hot rotis or paratha.
Not usually one to have a pudding we were persuaded by the owner Sahil to try the Chocolate Samosas (£4.50)
Three innocent looking pastry samosas sharing the plate with the richest of vanilla ice-cream, mango jus and sliced strawberries - well I'm claiming it as one of my five a day - the samosas were brimming with rich melting chocolate when you bit in ...... heaven on a plate and that is saying something as a non dessert eater!
The owner Sahil is a charming, and rightly takes great pride in both the food served and the environment he has created - it is certainly no basic 'curry house'. Even the WC has an elegant feel!
