5* Delhi Street Food at Hankies
Sitting within the 5-star Montcalm Hotel in Marble Arch in London, the Hankies restaurant breathes the same air of luxury and sophistication.
Hankies is one of three London’s restaurants by chef Anirudh Aurora, who grew up in Delhi and whose mission is “making authentic and delicious Delhi street food accessible and enjoyable in a beautiful and curated London setting.”
Anirudh grew up in Delhi and from the first moment he stepped into a catering college, he knew it was his calling. After his graduation he was headhunted by Oberoi Hotels where he spent five years and was the “youngest Indian chef in that huge empire”.
Seeking new opportunities, he arrived in London in 2003 and together with Oberoi Hotels alumni Atul Kochhar, opened Benares, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Mayfair. After a couple of years he then moved to Moti Mahal and about 10 years later, he opened his three London restaurants, including Hankies Marble Arch.
We arrived for an early dinner on a chilly November evening; the interior was glossy yet the atmosphere at Hankies was very relaxed and welcoming from the start; stylish and glamorous, yet friendly and warm.
We arrived and were amongst the first guests, but the restaurant quickly filled to its full capacity – with friends, dates and large groups celebrating. The vibe was family-like, chatting and laughter over good food in a comfortable and beautiful dining space. Hankies is a place where the sharing of food is encouraged and don’t worry if you don’t want to use cutlery, the tradition of eating with your hands here is not frowned upon.
All dishes are meant for sharing in a very relaxed manner, with the average price of £4 – £6 per dish, and most dishes on the menu are under £10. And they are plentiful!
Hankies is known for the roomali roti, which is made in the restaurant in the view of the diners, a process to be admired. The chef makes the thin wheat-based flatbread by hand, the dough is so thin you can see through it, and it is then cooked on the burning tawa. The cooked bread is then folded into ‘hankies’ – delicious accompaniments for all the dishes.
We were offered an amuse-bouche – a deliciously creamy mushroom soup served in a small glass and clearly prepared with love.
We then feasted on a selection of delightful dishes, most of which we shared.
We had the Crispy ‘Gold’ Cod with turmeric, amritsari spices and spicy sour mango dip; Yellow Chilli Garlic Prawn with chive, garlic, shiso’n’ cumin drizzle; Mutter ‘Choley’ a dish of braised peas, spices and mango powder, dressed with chillies, red onions and lemon juice with a side of rice; Chilli Lamb Chop which was marinated in kashmirichillies, paprika and mustard oil; Butter Chicken – classic Delhi style, Pulled roasted chicken, buttery tomato sauce, fenugreek and garammasala.
There was also a Diwali Festive Specials menu from which we had the Crab Cakes with red pepper chutney, curry leaf and cumin and Dhabba Chicken Masala in coriander and spiced curry sauce.
All the dishes we tried were full of flavour, spice and character, and utterly delicious.
We finished with Chocolate Gola served with tutti frutti ice cream, walnut brownie, caramel sauce and Cocoa Panacotta Cake with vanilla bean ice cream, which was gluten, dairy and sugar free.
We were looked after by Elena who was excellent, very knowledgeable, very attentive, helpful and always smiling. The menus don’t have any dietary specifications so when I told Elena I wasn’t eating dairy, she took the menu to the kitchen and asked the chef to mark all the dishes I could have, which was very thoughtful.
A wonderful experience overall, delicious food in beautiful surroundings. With great staff, a lovely atmosphere and a dash of tradition.
- Hankies Marble Arch, 61 Upper Berkeley Street, London W1H 7PP; Nearest tube station Marble Arch
- Belle visited as a guest for a complimentary meal. All opinions ae a genuine reflection of our experience.
- More information and bookings at http://hankies.london/hankies-marble-arch/
