insideKENT Magazine Issue 89 - August 2019 | Page 147

Next stop Baluchi At The Great Hall for a dining experience not to be missed. Set in the Grade II listed Assembly Hall, it’s decorated with oak beams and wood cladding on the lower level alongside blue walls and ceiling to create the ultimate venue. Combining the finest of traditional Indian cooking with culinary concepts from all over the subcontinent, the vibrant menu takes inspiration from the major food regions of India and uses the finest organic ingredients. say executive chef, Santosh Shan, definitely passed term 1’s culinary skill with distinction! The menu is set into school terms with starters being ‘term 1’. From the packed menu I went for the show- stopping hand dived Orkney scallops with oyster leaf pakoda, buckthorn puree, gin foam and pickled grapes. The plate arrived at the table with a glass dome lid full of wood burnt smoke, which lifted into the air as the lid was taken off. All the ingredients sit beautifully within the scallop shell and the flavour combination was delicious. A garlic naan and a super-seeded version along with palak paneer – a healthy spinach dish made with paneer, garlic and garam masala – were the perfect sides to our midterms. My guest’s equally delicious looking plate of Indian fare came in the form of tandoori octopus and colocasia terrine with clay-oven-roasted baby potatoes, labneh and coriander chutney. It’s fair to Midterm saw the arrival of my tandoori lobster with a delicious masala shrimp khichdi, wild mushroom, a zesty lime pickle and sabudana papad. As soon as the plate hit the table and the smells infused the air, I happily tucked into this term’s events. My guest’s lamb rump also hit the spot and was accompanied with cornbread, roasted root vegetables, garlic spinach mash and a saffron sauce. Finally term break – the school holidays, translated here as dessert. With ten options to choose from, we had to ask our friendly waitress for a recommendation which was the very traditional Bhapa Doi, a honey- steamed yoghurt, forest fruit compote and lemon curd with gulab jamun (sticky-sweet deep-fried dough balls) sat in the middle, and finally my guest’s chocolate mousse sphere which melted as warm chocolate was poured over – appetites satiated; school’s out! Next morning, after a peaceful night’s sleep it was back down to the Great Hall for a bowl of granola and an oat milk cappuccino. It was only right to order the very popular Indian masala doha too – a pancake filled with a spiced potato and a side order of Bombay masala omelette – before we checked out for a stroll along the Thames and over Tower Bridge, which is just a stone’s throw from the hotel. 181, Tooley Street London SE12JRT 020 3765 0000E [email protected] www.thelalit.com thelalitlondon baluchi.london THE BEST WAY TO GET TO LONDON Southeastern runs train services into London from Kent and East Sussex, operating some 2,000 trains a day, including the high-speed from Ashford to St Pancras International in just 38 minutes. www.southeasternrailway.co.uk 147