The Seasoning Restaurant and Lounge, London – Review

I`ve recently discovered one of Fulham best kept new secrets: The Seasoning Restaurant and Lounge.

The latest venture from expert caterers Nitin Munglani and Salil Bhatiafitzrovia (responsible for the infamous Gaylord in Fitzrovia), it boasts a new culinary phenomena: Indo – Chinese. The menu mixes a diverse range of authentic Indian cooking with Chinese inspired delicacies and far eastern ingredients. Their reasoning behind this? Just as Indian food has become hugely popular in the UK, so has Chinese food in northern India and The Seasoning intends to be the first to bring this to our attention.

Once inside the restaurant it`s apparent not only the food differs from a traditional curry house. The décor is cool, classy and contemporary from the funky Perspex chairs to the soft leather sofas. A purpose built glass wall displays rows of wine and canvases of modern art hang from bright white walls. Yet there is not a sniff of pretension about the place, the business is family run and from the moment you arrive the staff create a warm and inviting atmosphere for their guests.

Deciding what to order is tricky, there is so much on offer: curries, biriyanis, kebabs, breads, meat, fish, vegetarian- there is really something for everyone. Dishes are not over priced either, so you really can go to town- or ask for help! With our waiters advice my companion and I chose one traditional and one oriental starter. There was a delicious Aloo Tikki – a lightly spiced minced potato patty stuffed with gram peas along with Chinese style battered mushrooms stuffed with vegetables and peppers. A surprisingly complimentary combination. We also sampled the restaurants most popular dish: succulent lamb chops flavoured with mint and cumin – absolutely wonderful.

I wanted to discover more about north Indian cuisine during the main course and went with the highly recommended vegetarian dish: Baingan Bharta, a traditional side dish made with smoked aubergines, tomatoes and ginger. I can see why it is a favourite! We also picked out a couple of chicken dishes, the Murg Saag, mildly spiced and booked in spinach and the ajlfrezi, cooked in green pepper, tomatoe and onion (I recommend the spinach dish in particular.) Finally we tried a richer black lentil dish called Daal Makhani, and were similarly impressed.

To clean our palettes I tasted some Kulfi – an aromatic Indian ice cream made with milk, less sweet than or western versions and wonderfully cooling on the tongue.

Drink wise there is plenty on offer- Spirits, wine, beer and even Bollywood mocktails. We kept to chilled white wine and plenty of water to really taste the meals various spices and seasonings. The Seasoning is a gem of a restaurant: good value, fabulous food, fantastic staff and attractive interior. Highly recommended!