'An innovative yet seriously scrumptious meal that never put innovation before flavour'

Flora Indica

 

Monday–Sunday midday–1am

The blurb

‘Flora Indica is a celebration of Indian culture, flavours and hospitality. Immerse yourself in a sensory spice experience and awaken your tastebuds with our modern Indian menu, showcasing the very best of India’s exotic flavours. We believe that the best form of hospitality is that found in the home, and it is our aim to bring that welcoming, relaxed environment to our guests at Flora Indica. Our food is inspired by traditional Indian dishes, served with a modern twist, and we pride ourselves on using the freshest, most seasonal produce.

‘Let us transport you back to a time when Scottish Botanists travelled through India on a journey of discovery. Thousands of exotic Indian plants, previously unknown in Britain, were discovered and catalogued and as a result the book titled Flora Indica was published in London in 1855. To this book and the botanists we pay tribute with our modern Indian menu and extensive selection of botanical gins, in which we use so many of the discovered plants and spices. All of our stunning décor, everything from the antique Distillery piping that adorns the walls to the Harris Tweed on our luxurious dining chairs, gives a subtle nod to those who brought us the many flavours and spices we know and love in today’s Indian cooking.’

The style

As you enter Flora Indica, the buzzing atmosphere and quirky, imaginative décor quickly compensate for its slightly unprepossessing location at the grotty end of Old Brompton Road—more Earl’s Court than South Ken, darling. A couple of walls are lined with Victorian copper pipes and gauges, pith helmets, a shooting stick, all manner of Colonial paraphernalia. An old royal blue Hertzian (long distance) phone box stands sentinel in one corner. Teal leather banquettes and mid-century circular chairs upholstered in brown leather and lime green tweed (an unlovely sounding combination) are attractive and comfortable. A steady stream of staff ferries trays of fabulous cocktails from the silvery-backed and impressively stocked bar at the back of the room.

Service is sweet and informal. Our experienced and chatty Polish waitress crouched down to engage and encouraged us to order widely, saying that since Flora Indica opened six weeks ago she hasn’t a single complaint about the food—something of a rarity in all her years dealing with picky, demanding Londoners. Her words (and the amazing smells wafting from the kitchen) whetted our appetites.

The crowd

More South Ken than Earl’s Court. Two soignée blonde French women and a man in stern architect’s glasses at an adjacent table prompt mild ménage a trois speculations; another French couple—très BCBG, likely to have children at the Lycée—in earnest conversation; some proper foodies behind us discussing the merits of French v Italian cuisine; a smattering of Indians. Conclusion: probably a discerning bunch.

The food

An intriguing cocktail-accompanying appetiser of banana chips with a smoked yoghurt dip set the scene for an innovative yet seriously scrumptious meal that never put innovation before flavour. Heeding our helpful waitress’s advice, we greedily shared four starters. God, they were good. ‘Till Wali Yellow Fin Tuna with Baby Leek, Chilli Caviar and Compressed Kalonji Cucumber’ was sublime, the sushi-grade fish delicately seared and encrusted with black sesame seeds, chilli caviar a clever bit of molecular gastronomy whereby finely chopped red chillis had been given a globular fish egg texture, lingering in the mouth and leaving a wonderful afterburn.

‘Pickled Octopus with Chilli Tempura Samphire and Squid Ink Doi Maach Sauce’ was another fantastic fusion of flavours, the octopus tentacles meltingly tender, samphire in the lightest of batters retaining its pleasing, saline crunch, the accompanying pool of deep black sauce rich and sumptuous. The ‘Amritsari Softshell Crab with Tadka Mayonnaise and Tamarind King Edward Potato’ was a really knockout dish, the crab amusingly presented with legs aloft, anemone-like, little dice of beautifully spiced potato perfectly complementing its sweet, delicate flesh. ‘Spiced Pulled Duck Cheela with Coconut Chutney and Red Amaranth’ was utterly delicious, the rich strands of meat densely packed and layered with Indian spiced pancake and sweet nutty chutney. Here I should say that portions are small, so the intense variety of flavours and textures never threaten to overwhelm.

For mains we decided to see how the kitchen handled old school Indian restaurant classics: chicken tikka masala (‘Corn-Fed Bergamot Lemon Chicken Tikka with Makhani Sauce’) and lamb rogan josh (‘Slow Braised Suffolk Lamb Shoulder with Rogan Josh’). The answer: very well indeed, with a lightness of touch and steady hand on the spice grinder. Again, both dishes were beautifully presented in ornate little dishes, with not quite enough fluffy basmati rice (‘Kaffir Lime Leaf Flavoured First Grade Basmati Rice and Pistachio’, a mini masterpiece in its own right) to mop up the fabulous sauces—although the fresh chilli and garlic naan we’d also ordered helped on that count. For me, the chicken tikka masala was perhaps a little too creamy, but that’s a minor gripe, and probably more to do with my palate as other reviewers have been rhapsodic about its unctuousness.

Indian puddings never really take my breath away, but ‘Shahi Brioche Tukda with Tandoori Pineapple, Pistachio Crumb and Saffron Milk Cream’ was as good as you can get, the caramelised grilled fruit juices sinking into delicate flaky pastry, mingling with rich, aromatic yellow cream, the nutty crunch of pistachios adding a pleasing textural contrast.

The drink

Our pre-prandial cocktails were things of beauty. We both chose from the ‘Signature Cocktail’ list, though we could easily have gone for one (or several) of the ‘Flora Indica Classics’—not so much the ‘Mocktails and Lassi’ (but that’s just us). My ‘Orchard Garden’ (Hendricks Gin, St Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Vermouth, Bay Leaf Syrup, Lemon Juice, Egg White) was smooth, almost creamy, from the egg white emulsion, the delicate fusion of flavours belying its potent alcoholic heft. It was gorgeous to look at too, decorated with velvety scarlet and creamy white rose petals. Andy deemed his ‘Bombay Blossom’ (Tanqueray Rangpur Gin, Rhubarb Liqueur, Lychee, Apple Juice, Earl Grey Syrup, Rose Water) ‘zesty and refreshing’. It seemed to slip down quickly.

There are 17 gins to choose from (including Bathtub Ampleforth, Saffron and Elephant) and almost as many whiskies, but being creatures of habit we stuck to the wine list, which is even more extensive. If you were pushing the boat out the 2013 Chablis Premier Cru, Moulin de Patis, Burgundy, France (£63) would do nicely to accompany the starters, but we went for the 2013 2015 QL Vinho Verde, Loureiro/Trajadura, Portugal (£27) and very welcome it was too—light and slightly petillant, nothing too challenging to compete with the food.

We’d finished it by the time the lamb rogan josh was served, so another glass each of full-bodied Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon (£6.50 for a large glass) was in order. A couple of honeyed Tokajis (£10) with our grilled pineapple brought the meal to an extremely satisfactory conclusion. We staggered out into the night with happy tummies and buzzing minds, before being brought right back down to earth by Earls Court tube station.

The details:

Flora Indica, 242 Old Brompton Road, London, SW5 0DE; www.flora-indica.com/flora03reservations@flora-indica.com; 020 7370 4450

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