Tandoori Sep/Oct 2014 | Page 25

back of house Mastering EastWest Flavours O Ex-Cinnamon Club chef Palash Mitra is conquering Indian and European flavours at the stylish Scarfe’s Bar, at London’s new Rosewood Hotel. He talks to Tandoori pening its doors at the end of last year, the new Rosewood Hotel site in London’s casseroles”. The notion being Holborn, is yet another example that this would be the first high of the capital’s vibrant and everend London hotel whereby Indian sophisticated Hotel scene. Very and European dishes would sit much a 5-star venue, this is one by side on a menu. Uniquely of those glossy, magazine-photo different for sure. haunts, which promises lots of To oversee it, the Rosewood lu ury, fine eriod detail and food recruited the Cinnamon Club’s and drink of the finest kind. sous chef – and one of the most Like any good hotel, there are talented chefs working in the several options to dine here yet UK today, Palash Mitra. The the one getting the most attention Calcuttan-born maestro had for its uniquely different take is its honed his skills in Continental opulent bar – Scarfes Bar to be cooking from an early age before precise. perfecting his art at the famed If the name rings a bell – the Oberoi Rajvilas in Rajasthan. He first conclusion you reach will be then moved to the fine dining the right one - the interior pays Veda restaurant in Hong Kong homage to the great British artist before joining his and caricaturist, longtime colleague even lending his Vivek Singh from paintings and Rajvilas at Cinnamon drawings to the Club. bar. But there’s “My stint at Veda,” much more to CURRIES says Mitra, “coincided this very British Murgh makhani Hyderabadi lamb korma with the UK gradually bar, steeped as it Kari meen seeing a shift in modern is in a classical, Paneer palak methi Indian restaurants almost timeless becoming much more mode than just refined and elevated. what’s hanging CASSEROLES Spring lamb stew So not only did I then on the walls. One Baked potato, braised fit into the innamon sits in the shadow beef, spring onions Club nicely, my move to of bookcases King prawns, garlic, Scarfes Bar made a lot stacked with parsley Ratatouille, fried egg of sense. The brief to antique books, steer a kitchen churning there are velvet out grounded, but armchairs, lots of very distinctive ndian flavours knick-knacks and even a roaring matched by modern European fire. nd then there s the food. dishes alongside on the menu, is Lunchtimes being the only interesting to say the least.” period when Scarfes bar serves “It may have presented a main meals, the hotel’s director learning curve for all of us,” of food, beverage and kitchens admits Mitra, “but the feedback Bjorn van der Horst came up with has been very positive. I had to the novel concept of “curries and be conscious of the fact that all the items had to be light as they were only being served during lunchtime service, with evenings not being so food orientated at the bar and that the price points were kept reasonable. “There isn’t a single decent Indian restaurant in the vicinity of the hotel,” says Mitra, “and that has certainly helped Scarfes Bar secure lovers of Indian food to come to us as customers. Even the in-house guests of the hotel have been quite taken with what the kitchens are producing here and to my surprise, hotel customers booking for weddings here have even started asking for Indian food at their weddings!” n Sample Menu www.tandoorimagazine.com 025_TM_Jun_Jul14_Back of house.indd 25 September/October 2014 2014 // T A N D O O R I 25 27/08/2014 07:12