Carom, Soho – Review

You can find Carom, an exciting and vibrant Indian restaurant, just off the buzzing Wardouf Street. Opened in 2011, this restaurant aims to deliver top class Indian fair, all under the gaze of acclaimed head chef Balaji Balachander.To celebrate summer, they have recently transformed the restaurant`s atrium into a tropical paradise, with colourful drapes, cushions, lanterns and flower garlands – making for a very different and fun place to have a cheeky cocktail. This was a great way to begin the evening and we enjoyed the fun, summer vibe.

Talking of cocktails, we found Carom`s to be brilliant. Firstly, the Kiwi and Lemongrass sling – the drink has a Tanqueray gin base, on which kiwi, lemongrass, lemon and sugar syrup. This was fabulously refreshing and the lemongrass gave a very satisfying undertone. We also tried the Mango Lassi and this was one of the best Lassi`s we have tasted.

Food at Carom is designed to share, so we embarked on a banquet of all they had to offer. Some of the food was gorgeous and we particularly enjoyed the Chilli Squid to start – a handful of deep fried squid was fantastically accompanied by a warming chilli dip. My favourite was the Kebab Sizzler; a selection of chicken, fish and beautiful lamb. The whole dish has a wonderful smokey flavour and a really subtle flavour. All of the elements were well cooked and perfectly tender. The chicken tikka masala was very tender, but we found that it lacked a little oomph in the taste department.

Great sides, with generous portions! We tried the black lentils with garlic and baby potatoes with mint. Both were expertly seasoned and added another dimension to the main dishes. Be careful mind, as the dishes are large sharing dishes and don`t be tempted to have too many, or you may just burst.

Although the service was attentive, we did find it a little over attentive and it was a little claustrophobic at times; therefore, we felt a little mollycoddled and a bit claustrophobic. Some of the staff also seemed to lack knowledge of the menu and we found this a little surprising. Secondly, there seemed to be a constant stream of staff passing through the restaurant and this gave the atmosphere a slightly hectic feel. Each member of staff seemed to be on overdrive and yet we couldn`t quite work out where they were going – they looked a little lost.

On the whole, we had a really love meal on Saturday evening and we would recommend this to anyone looking for a quirky dinner. To book your dinner, please click here: http://www.meza-soho.co.uk/