ForkTalk: Gymkhana

24 August 2014

Gymkhana

Attention to detail. That's probably the most accurate way I can describe Karam Sethi's outstanding Indian restaurant in Mayfair. Gymkhana commands high prices in a relatively informal setting, but boy is it worth it!

I'd heard rave reviews from family and friends and after repeated but failed attempts to get a reservation, my fellow diner and I finally nabbed a table at 5.30pm on a Monday evening. Luckily for us, the restaurant serves a very reasonable set menu between 5.30pm and 6pm (!). Check out the menu here. We started off with some poppadums with a mango chutney and tomato and shrimp dip.

Apologies in advance for the quality of these pictures. My not-so trusty camera decided to run out of battery. So I had to resort to my iPhone...

My friend ordered the set menu and I went for a couple of dishes from the a la carte; the highly recommended Lasooni Wild Tiger Prawns in Red Pepper Chutney...and the Lamb Nalli Barra with Pickled Onion, Turmeric & Ginger.

I couldn't fault the food at all. It is extremely spicy but the powerful flavours outdo all of the other Indian restaurants that I have visited in London. Everyone must try these two dishes!

My fellow diner picked the vegetarian options from the set menu which included:

Potato Chat with Chickpeas, Tamarind and Soy...

Paneer Tikka with Cashew Nut and Corn Chat...

Mustard Potatoes and Dal Maharani (black lentil curry)...

and Asparagus Pilau...

The set menu also included a dessert and my friend opted for the Banana Kheer (Banana Rice Pudding)...

Unfortunately, he wasn't too impressed with the vegetarian set menu but Gymkhana really does focus on meat, seafood and more specifically, game. If you're looking for better vegetarian options, check out Trishna, Gymkhana's Michelin starred sister restaurant in Marylebone.

The service was the best I had experienced in a long while and our waiter (Jeetu) was careful to ensure that our plates were changed regularly and that we received piping hot naan breads whenever the previous set had turned cold. We stayed well beyond the usual two hour slot and this didn't pose a problem in the slightest.

We eventually moved to the bar for a couple of cocktails and the waiter suggested that we try the Quinine Sour (Tanqueray Gin, Tonic Syrup, Ginger, Fresh Curry Leaf, Lemon & Egg White). The bartender also whipped up a custom made raspberry flavoured cocktail for us.

We also watched the bartender concocting various drinks such as Nimbu Paani (Indian Lemonade)...

The stand out feature at Gymkhana is the attention to detail. You are catapulted into the era of the British Raj in India and the décor is exceptional. The walls are adorned with black and white photographs of sports clubs, there are mahogany surroundings and old fashioned ceiling fans...