We went to Quilon for our 4th wedding anniversary. We prefaced this with a couple of Martinis at Dukes Bar, St James’s Place. This was like having a drink in someone’s very posh, very comfortable front room. The Martini was poured at our table, in frozen glasses, garnished with a sliver of lemon peel (what, no olive?). There were snacks – olives and cashews. The background buzz of chatter was enjoyable, though I feel that the place needed some background music. But otherwise, perfect.
We walked through St James’s Park to Quilon, on Buckingham Gate. It’s a Michelin starred Indan restaurant, specialising in South Indian cuisine. Far from being the bland, corporate room we were expecting from a couple of reviews, it’s a cosy, carpeted room, softly lit.
We had timed our hunger just right, and were not famished but were eager to get stuck in. While we waited we were given a row of tiny poppadoms, plus two dishes of richly evocative, savoury chutneys – one made with coconut, chillies and mustard seeds, the other one onion and tamarind based. I ordered Kerala Seafood Broth and Kate ordered Crab Cakes. The broth was thin and red, but deeply flavoured, full of spice and citrus and dozens of other flavours. The chunks of fish in it were soft and creamy. The crab cakes weren’t as good, being a little on the bland side. The curry leaves and ginger flavours didn’t come through strongly enough.
A glassful of hot rasam came before the main course. For the main course I ordered Baked Black Cod, and Kate had Manglorean Chicken. The cod was as tender as soft butter, each thick flake perfectly cooked and coated in sweet, crispy black marinade. The chicken was thickly coated in a creamy sauce, and perfectly spiced, but perhaps not as concisely flavoured as it could have been.
On the side we had Cottage Cheese and Coloured Pepper, Spinach Poriyal and Chickpea Masala, plus a moreish lemon rice and a paratha, which unfortunately was crisper than it was fluffy. The cottage cheese was sadly not as good as the light, zingy version served at our local, Maloncho. Instead it was an uninspiring stew. The other sides were good but overall, apart from the rice, not particularly good value for money at £9 each.
Desert of breadfruit and strawberry coulis was a bit watery and wintry. The bottle of Indian white wine – Grover Sauvignon Blanc, Nandi Hills, 2005 – was buttery, smooth and rounded, perfectly chilled and great value at around £24.
The staff were knowledgable and friendly, and while not every dish was an outright classic they were all extremely satisfying. I recommend Quilon for a special occasion, or you could always go for lunch which, with much the same menu at lower prices, would appear to be an absolute bargain.