Words + Photography by Rikesh Chauhan, using Sony Alpha's A7IV.
A stone's throw away from Oxford Circus is Maddox Street, home to a favourite Savile Row watering hole, The Masons Arms, The Maddox Gallery and one of the best Indian fine-dining establishments in the city. Kanishka, named after Kaniṣka The Great—a Kuśāṇa Emperor famed for his notable achievements and governing of a vast empire which, according to John Zubrzycki, stretched from Kashgar to the Gangetic Basin—opened in 2019 by Michelin star chef, Atul Kochhar.
The moment you step into Kanishka, you're immediately taken away from the dizzying lights and noise that envelops this particular part of the city. The subtleness of fragrant incense, spices from the kitchen and spritzes from the bar evoke one of many senses, setting you off on a culinary cuisine that will have you literally rolling home. The fact that we had a light lunch at 11.30am, and nothing else before our 7pm Tasting Menu reservation, it's something we can certainly attest to.
As the barman—primed and ready to roll out his repertoire of cocktails for the guests—frequented the top shelf of fine Indian whiskys which included Indri and Rampur, we were handed the Tasting Menu to peruse. With the stunning Zara Muse portraits overlooking our every decision, Kavya and I opted for a vegetarian and non-vegetarian selection, because we're all about equality here.
After the initial Nashta got the ball rolling, we received the Nadru ki Chaat and Devon Crab Bonda. The latter was served with a chickpea sundal, a South Indian dish I tried for the first time at my in-laws. It's always fun to see how restaurants take on very 'homely' dishes and elevate them. The combination of the sundal with crab, tomato chutney and fresh tomatoes certainly helped in this case. Now, if you're a fan of a good pastry ratio, there are a couple dishes in this tasting menu you need to try. First, the Telugu Paneer Tikka, which sits atop a light and fluffy pastry crust. It's small and yet mighty, with a great balance of flavour. The other is a house speciality: the Chicken Tikka Pie. It's served with a punchy spring berry chutney which, if you have a lot of, definitely overpowers the otherwise surprisingly delicate dish, so take note.
With the heavy hitters now out of the way (and by this point we were concerned we may have literally bitten off more than we could chew), it was time for the mains. The choice was between the Kathal Kofta with Korma Sauce, Turbot Alleppey, Purani Dilli ka Butter Chicken, or Do Tarike ka Gosht. We opted for the first two, as Kavya is vegetarian and I have a thing about always ordering fish at a restaurant. I just think it's a good marker of a quality restaurant and chef. What we somehow overlooked was that the mains come served with black daal (which, funnily enough, ended up being one of the standout dishes), aloo and mutter, naan and rice. I lapped up the rich, beautifully-cooked Turbot Alleppey, which was named after Alappuzha, the Keralan town known for its backwaters and fishing. For years, I've been told by my wife that I would love visiting this part of India, and if this was a small taste of what to expect, the trip may have to be bumped higher up on the travel list.
Now well and truly done, it was time for the final courses: a palate-cleansing yoghurt which we agreed we could both eat a whole plate of, and the desserts: a selection of Pistachio Kulfi and Chocolate Mousse, or a Cardamom Chai Crème Brûlêe. The latter dish certainly had us wishing we had more room, as the flavours were delectable as you'd expect. The Pistachio Kulfi and Chocolate Mousse, however, I felt worked better as two separate dishes, such was the immense clash of flavours. That being said, all of the individual elements on the dish were great, and for full disclosure I'm not in fact a food critic (although one can dream), so take whatever I say with a pinch of salt.
All in all, it was quite the evening. The Tasting Menu, at £105 per person with an additional wine pairing of £75, is definitely one for a special occasion, but if you're looking for an elevated dining experience that's considerably more affordable than most, you needn't look any further.
Our extended thanks to Nipun and the Kanishka team, and to BellCo for this press invite.
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