84d-86 Lillie Road,
Fulham,
London,
SW6 1TL
(020) 7386 0303
The ViewLondon Review
The Indian food at Seasoning is so exquisite it’s worth travelling great distances to sample it.
The Venue
The beauty of eating in the capital means that you will find unbelievable food from all over the world in the unlikeliest of locations. If you’ve ever eaten at the likes of Tayyabs on an unassuming back street in Whitechapel, or Hot Stuff on a crumbling road in Vauxhall, you’ll know the score. Seasoning manages to both surprise and delight from its position near the junction of North End Road and Lillie Road in Fulham. It comes as a surprise as it sits on an otherwise unremarkable street that feels a million miles away from the bright lights and sheen of nearby Fulham Broadway. The venue is clean, modern, airy and stylish and they also serve up food that will be somewhat of a revelation to anyone who appreciates the subtle nuances of great Indian cooking.
The first impression as you enter the restaurant is how fresh everything is. Whitewashed walls, bright cotton table cloths and ghost chairs, in the style of Philippe Starck, complete the swish look. Downstairs, there’s another large basement space that’s suitable for private functions and parties.
The Atmosphere
The fact that Seasoning hasn’t got people queuing out of the door to sample their food is a travesty, but it also makes you feel like you’ve discovered somewhere before the rest of the world has cottoned on. As it is relatively new, the venue may still be trying to win the affection of the local residents. Either that or people don’t realise what an absolute corker of a restaurant they have on their doorstep. Despite the meagre turnout, the restaurant has been getting plenty of business from private functions and it’s getting involved in local community events to win the hearts (and stomachs) of locals. A telling sign of their quality is that, as a company, they are also in demand to do outside catering, something that’s taken them as far afield as Lisbon and Morocco.
The Food
Not only is the food phenomenally good at Seasoning, it’s cheap too. Starters cost about £2.95 to £3.95, and you can get a vegetarian main dish for a startlingly low £3.95. Most meat and fish mains are £5.95, with the exception of the king prawn dishes. Rice and naans cost extra, but this is still great value. You will also, rather bizarrely, find Chinese-inspired dishes on the menu. This is billed as Indo-Chinese fusion and, yes, purists might run a mile at the mere mention of this, but it is produced to the exact standards of the rest of the food, and offers something different to the norm.
Many people swear by the lamb chops at the Whitechapel institution Tayyabs. Whilst they are an undoubtedly a benchmark, the ones served up at Seasoning are on another level altogether. For £6.75 (you can order these as a starter to share or as a main) you receive six strapping chops that are, crucially, cooked medium-rare. This allows the lamb to fall off the bone; they taste like they’ve been slow cooked for an eternity. The heat and flavouring the spices give the meat, and the more-ishly crispy, charred bits will have you savouring every last piece.
From the starter menu the aloo tikki (£2.95) and the machli tikka (£3.95) are two memorable dishes. The former is mashed potato, which is given a hot kick by the garam masala and refreshed with a drizzle of mint sauce. There’s a satisfying contrast of textures and sensations in this dish: smooth and crunchy, spicy and cool. The white tilapia (machli) segments come simply roasted with a dry coating of spices and these are, again, great with some mint yoghurt.
There are as many vegetarian dishes as fish and meat ones on the main courses, and these shouldn’t be considered superfluous sides as they show some seriously astute cooking going on in the kitchen. The baigan bhartha (£3.95) is undoubtedly a standout dish. The aubergine is delicately spiced and minced with fresh tomatoes and onions to create a dish that will educate even the most hardcore of meat-eaters about the delights of vegetarian Indian food.
Sparks really start to fly with the lamb rogan josh and murg saag (both £5.95). Whilst curry connoisseurs may still be scrutinising the menu for more unique options, you should not rule out these two recipes on the basis that they’re ordinary. The rogan josh has huge hunks of lamb that are beautifully soft and the quality of the meat is excellent too. It is the sauce that really blows you away with this dish, however. The hot, thick and slightly sour tomato-based sauce has a lingering aftertaste. There’s a definite aniseed flavour in the mix, rather like that from star anise, and every mouthful is sublime. The chicken in spinach (murg saag) is equally good, the flavour of the spinach is fresh, alive and sweet, and it is perfectly complimented by the big chunks of chicken breast. Throw in a couple of rotis (£1.50 each) and pilau rice (£2.95) and you have a meal that will register as one of the best you’ve had in a long time.
Whilst desserts are not always an Indian restaurant’s strong point, Seasoning continues its excellent culinary standards across the board. The ras malai, a treat that will take some customers right back to their youth, is a sweet cottage cheese served warm in a milk and cream-based sauce, whereas the kulfi falooda (£3.25) is reminiscent of a raspberry ripple ice cream. Both are equally satisfying.
The Drink
Bottles of house wine start at £13.50, with finer varieties peaking at around £40. White is a good foil to many of the flavours in this type of cooking and, at £15 a bottle, the Terres d’Azur Sauvignon Blanc is a cracking, zesty number that has an abundance of tropical fruit flavours. Cobra pours from the taps at £3.50 a pint, and there’s a comprehensive list of spirits and liqueurs.
The Last Word
If you have a list of your favourite places to enjoy a curry in London, one visit to Seasoning will make you rip it up and start again. Food this good is a rare thing indeed.
Seasoning Restaurant has been reviewed by 8 users