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| Chef Asharaf Valappil at the Strand Palace Hotel |
I took a stroll down the Strand to meet Asharaf
Valappil, the talented chef at Strand Palace Hotel’s recently launched
restaurant, Daawat. Asharaf offers authentic Indian
flavours with a British touch, and an exotic version of afternoon tea …
There
are few buildings more steeped in British nostalgia than London’s Strand Palace Hotel. Built in 1909, the
original plans described a “grand” hotel in the heart of the capital boasting modern
architecture and stunning art deco features. Swiftly established
as a famous social venue in the twenties, more turbulent times followed. World War II saw Londoners seeking refuge in the hotel's basement as bombs ravaged
the city, and ration coupons were exchanged for meals.
Nowadays,
following a £2.5m makeover, boasting 785 stylish rooms, the Strand Palace Hotel offers a historic and quintessentially English atmosphere at the centre of one
of the most vibrant cities in the world.
But
the concept of ‘Englishness’ has changed. Today, thanks to an energising invasion
of cultures and cuisines, ‘being British’ includes many different elements. The
most pervasive is the UK’s relatively new found passion for spicy food; hence, nestling alongside Strand Palace’s
typically British carvery and grill, Nook Bar, and Gin Palace, there’s also a very British Indian restaurant.
Daawat
has been spicing up the Asian dining scene ever since its impressive launch
party in October 2015. Following the path blazed by Asian chefs including Atul
Kochhar of Benares, and Vineet Bhatia of
Zaika, Daawat’s culinary team is currently taking authentic Indian food into
the realm of high-end dining … and beyond.
Entering
the hotel, the reception area bustles with a stream of guests skilfully steered
on and off the premises by genial, top-hatted doorman. A short walk up the
steps to the right takes us to Daawat’s restfully elegant, cool interior. It’s
a lesson in tasteful design and decoration: white tablecloths, restrained colour
schemes and comfortable seats are the order of the day whilst subcontinental
kitsch is definitely off the menu.
Asharaf
Valappil, the Daawat’s 37-year-old sous chef, is brimming over with enthusiasm and
passion for the food of his native India. Working closely with the Strand Palace’s
head chef, Martin Lynch, Asharaf says his aim is to cook Indian food
with an authentic touch.
“Everywhere
you go in London, Indian restaurants have a
similar menu with Jalfrezis, Dupiazas
or even dishes which you don’t even find in India” he explains. “Here, we decided
to offer something different – dishes similar to those found in my homeland, whilst still catering for the more delicate British palate.
Asharaf
has a simple rule for sourcing recipes: “I’m a great believer in real, authentic cuisine so I promised myself that I would stick to my roots and keep my food traditional," he says. "I’ve always found the best way to eat
food in India
is to enjoy the home cooking wherever possible.The home-style
food is the same authentic taste I want to bring to the restaurant.”
‘Home’
for Asharaf is on the Malabar coast of Kerala in south-western India, known as
the ‘Land of Spices’, abundant in coconut trees, rivers, plains and spice plantations,
where environmental factors and humid climate have combined to create a
culinary heritage of richly spiced food. Kerala is India’s largest rice producer so,
unsurprisingly, the grain is used as the base from which most meals are made. Coconut,
another common ingredient is often used to thicken sauces. Seafood and river fish
dishes are plentiful, flavoured with pungent spices such as tamarind, fragrant cardamom,
pepper and asafoetida. Inland, there’s a strong vegetarian tradition inland whilst
fiery meat and poultry dishes are common in the north, often served on a banana
leaf.
Growing
up surrounded by this wealth of foods and flavours, Asharaf explains that his
training began at home in the family kitchen. “My father always used to cook
for us when we were young,” he remembers. “His meals were always simple but
tasty! When I was at school I took it upon myself to experiment with food for
the family, so, slowly, slowly, I learned to cook as well – my interest
developed from there. I always knew cooking was going to be a big part of my
life.”
He
went on to study at the Consult Inn Institute of Hotel Management in Kerala, carrying
out his vocational training at the Taj group of hotels. After graduation he
worked for the prestigious Oberoi Hotel Group at a string of top establishments
in Delhi,
Shimla and Mumbai, even on a cruise line, gaining experience in Thai, Indian
and Asian cuisine. He also trained in
Italian cooking, a popular cuisine on the subcontinent, and learned how to
create perfect pasta from an Italian-born chef.
Moving
to Europe in 2007, Asharaf joined the team at the famous Moti Mahal in Covent
Garden where he stayed for seven years before he was head-hunted to take the
post of sous chef at Strand
Palace in 2014.
Now,
with his wife and three-year-old also living in London, he oversees five chefs at Daawat alongside
a team of 18 chefs who work in the busy kitchens of the hotel. Head chef,
Martin Lynch had good reason to believe in his new chef’s ability being familiar
with his cooking style and his strengths. Together they worked out several balanced
menus based on the regional Indian recipes and ingredients, exploding with
aromatic spices and flavours.
Asharaf
explains: “When I came to London
I went to many restaurants to research and I realised that British people love
Indian food. But we decided to make it authentic. Now, all our menus contain
elements from different parts of the Indian subcontinent including the Malabar
coast, Goa, Kashmir, or the Punjab. Our
achievement here makes me proud because I am doing what is in my heart.”
Authentic
and fresh ingredients are sourced in Southall, a reliable source for Indian
products. Asharaf has plans to add some Bengali dishes to the menu but not at
the expense of authenticity. “I’d love to offer a traditional Bengal
fish curry, but unfortunately, I can’t source the proper mustard used for the
dish, even in Brick Lane,”
he explains.
Indian
street-foods also feature at the restaurant and Asharaf intends to build on
these offerings using Masala Dhosas, kebabs and curries as the bait to entice
the lunchtime crowd.
More
than one dish at Daawat has been influenced by the curry dishes of the UK. In fact,
Asharaf comments that the British-born dish of Chicken Tikka Masala, albeit
with the chef’s unique stamp of a smoky blend of spices, is the most popular item
on the menu.
“I
also love British food,” admits the chef, who has a particular penchant for Cumberland sausages,
especially when Kashmiri chilli paste and lemon juice are added before serving
in a warm croissant.
With
an à la carte lunch and dinner menu, and a Thali lunch menu for £9.95, there’s
not much at Daawat (apart from the world famous CTM and biryani) to resemble dishes
found in the average British/Indian diner.
It
was evening so we had an excellent excuse to select from the à la carte dinner
menu. From an economical but elegant choice of eight, starters preceded by
tasty poppadoms and chutneys, included seared scallops encased in a crisp coriander
crust with curried cauliflower, and a refreshing Tandoori Salmon with dill,
ginger and yoghurt served with grape chutney. Balla Papri Chat: delicious fried
lentil dumplings with Indian papri pastry, mint, ginger chutney and yoghurt
provided contrasting textures with sharp and sweet tastes. The Tirange kebab, a
colourful trio of chicken tikka with cheese and cardamom, smoked chilli, fenugreek
and coriander leaves, was full of the flavours of southern India.
Main
courses ranged from £7.95 for a Nizami Handi vegetable curry to £19.95 for the
sea bass. Asharaf’s Grandma Kodi Kura, a version of the dish cooked by many
grandmothers in Andhra Pradesh. It comprised Andhra chicken with black pepper
corns and shallots cooked in a simple but spicy gravy. Other dishes are
informed by the seasonings and flavours of Kerala such as the sea bass,
marinated with spices and subtle flavours of coconut milk. The Biryani was
cooked dum punkt style, the
comforting flavours of spiced, meltingly tender lamb sealed in by the pastry
lid, with the firm bite of aged basmati rice.
Goan
Sungta Balichow of Tiger Prawns was consumed in a dark, fiery and tangy sauce
with red chillies, shrimp paste and tomato. We learned that the coastal folk of
India
have an interesting way of preserving prawns – as the fishermen are unable to
fish until September because of the rainy season, they conserve the fish in
paste made from Kashmiri red chillies, stored in jars. Influenced by these
traditions, the heat of the chillies in Asharaf’s dish packs a punch - enough
to warm the cockles of the heart.
With
nan breads of many varieties freshly cooked in the tandoor, sides included
Bagan Ka Salan: small aubergines cooked in peanut and sesame, tamarind and
jaggary paste. A range of ice-creams, sorbets and traditional desserts were
perfectly sized after eating such hearty mains: delicate mini Rasamalai – mild
dumplings flavoured with rose and fresh raspberries, or mini gulab jamon. But
for us it was a no-brainer - we had to go for another of Asharaf’s signatures -
delicious chocolate samosas stuffed with coconut milk chocolate, mango sorbet
and strawberries marinated in ginger.
The
Anglo-Indian fusion at Daawat is such that Asharaf even offers an exotic
version of afternoon tea, otherwise known as High Chai. Forget musty tea rooms
and stuffy drawing rooms. For £24.95 a head, partakers are transported to the
glamorous world of colonial India,
green tea plantations and airy hill stations. Sipping on refreshing herbal or Masala
chai, they can feast on spicy savoury delicacies, and traditional Indian cakes
such as Rasmalai and Pistachio Burfi, along with less traditional chocolate
samosas drizzled with mango puree. Ultimately, they are returned to a more
English world with warm scones and clotted cream – the blend of culture and
cuisine at Daawat is complete.
Daawat, Strand
Palace Hotel, 372 Strand, London
WC2R 0JJ Tel: ++44 207 836 8080 Reservations:
+44 207 379 4737
