The Indian Restaurant Vegans Should Know About
What: An Indian restaurant serving vegetarian food isn’t particularly ground-breaking but one with its own vegan menu is a small but important leap that caught my attention enough to get me down there.
First Impression: A short walk from the main high street, the restaurant was much smaller than I expected with only around 7 tables, once you walked through the door you were in the middle of the room. Our table was by the entrance to the bar so not the best view, with a constant stream of waiting staff bustling by, but the better window tables were occupied.
On The Menu: The vegan menu isn’t extensive but there are a decent amount of options for a non-vegan restaurant, the most exciting dish being the Avocado Ke Gole; a crispy outer shell filled with a tangy avocado, onion and date compote. Other dishes include roasted cumin topped asparagus, coated in a white herb paste and Assam tea infused chickpeas cooked with channa masala and tomatoes.
What We Ate: Originally going there to try their vegan dishes I fell off the wagon slightly as their vegetarian options were too tempting, namely their Curry Patta Burrata that caught my eye as I’d never seen burrata given the curry treatment and the insanely creamy black dal cooked overnight on the clay oven. One of my downfalls is courgette fritti so I knew I’d be in trouble with Indian version; Rajasthani styled okra sprinkled with dry mango powder and roasted carom seeds.
Go With: Vegans are the obvious choice but their vegetarian food is delicious too, from what I experienced I imagine their full menu is all enjoyable, except if you’re in a big group although they do have another dining area which might have enough space.
Where: 33C Holland Street, Kensington, W8 4LX www.chakra.restaurant
Final Word: The Avocado Ke Gole was the stand out dish, partly because it was quite unique but partly because it was just delicious so make sure you try this if nothing else. It’s always a sign of a good restaurant when they cater to different dietary requirements and it’s a sign of a great restaurant when they manage to do it well like Chakra Kensington has.
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