It does exist: Michelin-quality Indian cuisine in the suburbs. Look no further than Surbiton’s Koyal. Chef Nand Kishor Semwal and his team have pedigree. If you can earn recognition at Trishna and Gymkhana, then running your own restaurant is the next logical step. Koyal makes it seem easy. Diners love it too, with every table occupied on a recent visit.
The key to Koyal’s success is the quality of its ingredients. As our server (and later the chef himself) were only too keen to explain, everything begins with meticulous sourcing. Take the chickens Koyal uses. They are reared in France, where they live almost entirely outdoors. The birds are fed on maize grown at the farm and milk is then added to their diet for the animals’ final five weeks. This approach, we learned, produces particularly succulent yet firm muscle texture, packed with a depth of flavour. Call it ‘Wagyu for chicken.’
The proof lay in the cooking. Diners in the know (including our local host for the evening) must pre-order the ‘special’ chicken. It does not feature on the menu. When it arrives – as pictured – it is a sight to behold. All three variations are prepared over a special Japanese oak charcoal that burns hotter and cleaner than standard fuel. As a result, the ingredients are truly allowed to speak for themselves. It was hard to know whether cardamom-infused lollipops bested the chicken marinaded in cashew and cream. Then there was the mixed chilli and yoghurt option…
To suggest that Koyal is just about its chicken, however, is to miss the point. There is attention to detail and genuine curry-love shown towards each dish. Read the restaurant’s website and it will contain information about the sourcing of some of its spices. Regional diversity is embraced, with dishes influenced from places as far flung as the Himalayas and Goa. The latter was the source for a stand-out wild boar main, which had been slow-cooked for around three hours in an enticing sauce of palm vinegar, cloves, black pepper, chilli, cinnamon, cumin and coriander. Vegetarians and vegans are also well catered for across both starters and mains.
If this were not praise enough (and Surbiton is only 20 minutes from Waterloo – just saying), then consider that Koyal has a very generous bring-your-own policy. Our group benefited from a wonderful range of wines we had sourced for the occasion. The venue’s drinks list covers a wide range of options too. For many, a pint of beer suffices amply with curry. A fitting finale from Koyal was a gratis ‘liquid tiramisu.’ This showed everything that was great about the venue: playful innovation around an Italian classic that served as a perfect palate cleanser after the earlier spice sensations.