For A Taste Of The Indian Coast In London, Trishna Triumphs
When I first moved to London, and I was asked what I liked most about it, the quality of Indian food invariably was near the top. I headed for the traditional curry houses – Tayyabs, Sheba, and Diwani Bhel Poori – which still have a special place in my heart, but have admittedly been left behind when I pick the best in the city these days. And no, although I am also a big fan, I’m also not talking about Dishoom. I now look to the wave of new, upscale and authentic spots that have almost invisibly filled a hole London didn’t know it had. I’m talking about places like Trishna.
What sets it apart
Trishna is the OG (that’s the ‘original’ for those playing at home). The star that kicked off the boom of bougie Indian restaurants that now populate the city. In fact, it’s the same group – JKS, you’ve heard us mention them before – as Gymkhana, Brigadiers, and Ambassadors Clubhouse. But Trishna was here first, and unlike the deliberately coveted air of exclusivity of the follow-ups, with its private membership aesthetic and months-long waiting list, Trishna still feels like a neighbourhood restaurant, the type you come back to regularly – albeit a posh one, in Marylebone, with a Michelin star.
It also has the advantage of being centred around my preferred area of Indian cuisine – the Keralan south, all idyllic beaches, mangrove-filled backwaters, fiery, vibrant curries, and creative seafood dishes.
Trishna still feels like a neighbourhood restaurant, the type you come back to regularly – albeit a posh one.
Our experience
For all the talk of JKS as a group, make no mistake, the restaurants are independent. Trishna is completely unique on its own. It does, however, have a few of the defining markers of a JKS joint, namely a complete lack of interest in catering to Western tastes and sensibilities – you enter this restaurant under the knowledge you are being transported. It also feels, 15 years after opening and 12 years after garnering its star, about as far from weariness and staleness as possible. Maybe they are emboldened by being joined by their distant cousins, driven to prove why they were first.
What we ordered
The starters are as good an example of this as anything. A partridge pepper fry, little birds smothered in a gloriously spiced sauce of curry leaf and peppers, the perfect spice level for an opening course that awakens your tastebuds and prepares them for the inevitable step change coming with the mains. Alongside this, the soft-shell crab. If Trishna has a signature dish, this is it. Whole crab fried in a masala coating, paired with a striking tomato chutney that bears no resemblance to what you would expect, and, because why not, more of the white meat of the crab. There is a slight hesitance at first – do I just, eat it whole? – but once you start digging in what at first seems slightly wrong soon feels oh so right.
Soft-shell crab – if Trishna has a signature dish, this is it.
If the starters were dishes we hadn’t seen before, the mains were elevated versions of more familiar sights – just as difficult a skill as introducing something new to someone. The visually striking Hariyali bream came coated in a coriander sauce that clings to the fish, infusing each bite with a knock-out punch of flavour. From there, a signature curry is mandatory – we went for Chemeen Muringa Theeyal, populated with Vannamei prawns, baby shallots, kodampuli, possessing a delicious snap of chilli, and a perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
It’s tempting to recommend following our order – thanks to the guidance, we ordered well – but we did look wistfully at the coconut and curry leaf scallops and gongura lamb as we had to overlook them. For Diwali, they are doing a special menu over six courses, which wasn’t yet available when we went, but would be a great option.
Verdict
On price – for what you’re getting, it’s actually quite reasonable. The main courses will set you back somewhere between £22 at the low end and £40 at the very high end, while starters are more on the relatively expensive side ranging from £15 to £18. It certainly isn’t cheap, but it’s also perfectly possible to get out of there feeling stuffed and tipsy for under £100 between two – for a Michelin star in Marylebone, that’s good going.
Amid the surge in high-end Indian restaurants, Trishna feels like the perfect middle-ground with absolutely no loss in quality, the absolutely opposite of style over substance. Go once, and you’ve found your new favourite Indian in London.
where: 15-17 Blandford St, London W1U 3DG
website: www.trishnalondon.com
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