Daawat Indian Restaurant on the Strand

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

reservations@strandpalacehotel.co.uk www.strandpalacehotel.co.uk