"Authentic Indian fine dining"

Added Tue 14 Oct 2008 by Leila

Located in the luxurious Crowne Plaza St James Hotel near Buckingham Palace, Quilon looked rather quaint from the outside, yet modern and graceful from the inside. Taking its name from a region in the Southern part of India, the restaurant specializes in food from this area, as evidenced by the exotic fusion of ingredients on the menu.

Before our meal we were encouraged to try something from the cocktail menu, which had classic cocktails but given a Quilon twist. My Coconut Martini had been made with the juice of a very young coconut, still clear in colour with very subtle flavouring. My companion’s Qojito was essentially a Mojito with chili and spices, a perfect aperitif and taster of things to come.

So much of the menu was appealing that we had to take our time deciding. We pondered over the quirkiness of having Sake on the wine list of an Indian restaurant, and over exciting combinations such as scallops with raw mango and almonds. Our starters did not disappoint. The Seared Scallops were cooked to perfection, a delicate nutty and sweet flavour with a hint of coriander; Spiced Stir-Fried Oysters were cooked in coconut paste and served in a sea shell; and the Masala Dosa, a thin pancake made of rice and lentils and filled with seasoned potato cubes. As an accompaniment our waiter selected a Bourgogne Pinot Noir from 2006, which while not impressive to begin with made sense when our main courses arrived, the lightness of the wine was perfect in order to aid our degustation.

We ordered two curries, the vegetarian Mango Curry which had pieces of uncooked mango, yoghurt, coconut and chilies; and the Pistachio Lamb Curry, which contained pieces of some of the best cooked lamb I have ever tasted. Slow cooked, it was tender and had absorbed some of the nuttiness of the pistachio. The Grilled Squash and Soya Bean was another delight, the squash cut into cubes and mixed with raw banana, tomato and roasted poppy seeds. The Roasted Fish in Plantain Leaf was disappointingly a little plain in comparison to the other dishes, however one could hardly complain at this point.

For pudding we had Jackfruit which had been soaked in syrup, with a spongy texture and a divine taste, a popular desert in Southern India. My companion was served a dish of vanilla ice cream and jaggery, a type of treacle made from the date palm tree which had been given a mousse-like consistency, absolutely exquisite. We finished off our meal with two espresso martinis, a perfect pick me up to get us in the mood for the rest of our soiree.

To add to this restaurants’ many charms the many different waiters that served us throughout were extremely helpful and happy to explain the contents of each dish when badgered with questions. Quilon’s food remains authentic as well as elaborate, a rare feat in fine dining. At around £160 for a meal for two (albeit including cocktails, wine and digestifs) it is at the pricier end of the restaurant spectrum, its recently awarded Michelin star a testament to its quality.