Kishmish has stood on the Fulham Road since 1966 but today it's not your ordinary run of the mill Indian curry house, it has a sophisticated and modern menu with a refined take on cooking which is true to its roots yet married with a contemporary British sensibility.
Step out of Fulham Broadway Tube station hang a left and head down Fulham Road towards Stamford Bridge football ground the iconic home of Chelsea. Go a little more than 100 yards and you will have passed your destination the Indian restaurant Kishmish. I have done this on numerous occasions, but in famous Sat Nav talk on my latest visit to the area I turned around and headed back to sample the culinary delights of this long established eating house.
At first glance of the menu the dishes look exciting and innovative with a touch of class about them and this is carried through with the stylish interior of the restaurant. The delightful colour scheme of shades of teal and orange on the attractive wall covering, comfy banquettes and scattered cushions and well placed subtle lighting give a relaxed and comfortable feel to the cosy main dinning area. The restaurant also has an attractive second eating space to the rear, particularly useful when nearby Chelsea have home matches.
Things got off to a promising start with a complimentary mushroom amuse bouche taster topped with a mini onion like bhajii which my partner Fiona, who is not a soup lover, declared as 'the best mushroom soup she had every tasted.' I was impressed with a starter of partridge tandoori (£7.95), with the three elements of a marinated breast, spiced leg pattie and crunchy meat ball all expertly cooked and extremely tasty and well seasoned. It was beautifully presented on a grey slate with a decent mango and mustard sauce sitting perfectly with the meat.
Fiona went for the lamb platter (£8.50) which came in the form of a pepper crusted lamb sheekh, a samosa packed with a moreish flavoursome filling and great crust and an equally impressive gulabi kebab, served with mango and mustard and spinach sauces, looking a picture on the plate.
My mains of a classic north Indian mogul style lamb bryani-e-bahar (£12.95) more than lived up to expectation. Steamed and served in a clay pot with a pastry topping the meat was moist and tender, the rice delicate and perfectly cooked as warming tantalising aromatic smells wafted out from the dish. It was a damn good bryani with hints of sweetness and harmonious spices, served with a refreshing plain yoghurt topped with pomegranate and some cracking rice croutons.
The elegantly named murgh chethnad (£12.95) was Fiona's choice and came in the form of succulent, moist pieces of diced chicken cooked in South Indian coastal spices and attractively served with a dosa cone on top. It was another top notch dish with the dosa, which is a fermented crepe made from rice batter and black lentils and a staple dish in South India, perfect for mopping up the tangy and well spiced sauce. A portion of pulao rice (£3) sat well with the dish and we shared a tasty til goghi (£5.50), cauliflower florets tossed with sesame seeds.
We washed down the dishes with a traditional glass of Kingfisher lager and then tackled the desert menu, which included tempting sounding choices like a coconut and boondi crumble with saffron crumble and spiced chocolate brownie with orange murabba. However, with our stomach's bulging we went for a lighter option to finish off the evening
My bowl of ice cream (£4.50), maintained the high standards with scoops of figs and honey, pistachio and strawberry clotted cream extremely creamy and packed with flavour while Fiona was more than happy with her refreshing passion fruit sorbet.
Kishmish will certainly be on my map when seeking out a quality Indian dining experience in the future. It takes pride on the imaginative and exciting dishes it serves up with some style, the service is friendly and professional, the setting relaxed and most importantly the food is of a high standard.
