London's Dining Couple Trishna Restaurant Review

As of right now, all the restaurants we’ll blogged about are restaurants we’ve been to a fair bit – in the case of Street Feast, much more than a fair bit – so we’ve decided to start with First Impressions. We go to a restaurant for the first time, order as much as we can, and write about it. So far, so splendid, as Trishna is a splendid restaurant.

Shiima came across Trishna after our plans to go to Taste of London food festival became unfeasible (due to her fasting – Ramadan). She decided to look through the restaurants participating in the festival for any intriguing restaurants we hadn’t been to, and ultimately she chose Trishna.

Trishna is a Michelin stared Indian restaurant in Marylebone, central London (we walked from Bond Street Station, about 6 minutes). We were unusually fairly late, but we called ahead, and they were very understanding, which should’ve told us everything we’d needed to know about the staff. Getting there, the staff, although formal, were very welcoming and friendly (welcoming and friendly almost mean the same thing but just go with it 😆).

The restaurant was seemingly split in two rooms, probably more but we couldn’t see its entirety from our table. Where we sat was very cosy with minimal décor – ideal for a date. But, at the time we were at the restaurant, 18:30 to 20:00, we were the only couple in there, and certainly the youngest. It was filled with middle-aged and seemingly middle class people coming straight from work, and a couple equally middle class families. But then, the location lends itself to that clientele.

The menu, for those with little experience with Indian cuisine like me, can be a tad challenging, but Shiima was there for me initially, and then the waiter did a good job explaining as well. But, Indian cuisine is really popular, so I’m sure others won’t have any problems with the menu. The menu consists of three tasting menus, which we ignored, and then the a la carte menu that is split into three main parts – Starters; Tandoor, which are small grilled dishes; and Mains – and three subsets – Biryani; Vegetarian; and Side Dishes.

What we ordered

Shiima ordered the Chat and Broccoli Samosa for starters and Chicken chops with Basmati rice for the main. I ordered the Soft Shell Crab and Guinea Fowl Kebab for starters and the Tandoori Duck for the main. We also shared a basket of naan bread.

Review of the food

Starters

As you’d imagine, I had a substantial amount of Shiima’s food and she had a pinch of my Kebab 😄, so I’m in a good position to speak about all the dishes we ordered. To start with, my soft shell crab was amazing. The crab was seemingly fried whole and was perfectly spiced, it’s the most tasty soft shell crab dish I’ve had. There was also a white crab mousse that accompanied it, which was just perfect with the naan bread.

Shiima’s chat, which is a vegetarian dish consisting of potatoes and chickpeas cooked together with tamarind and topped with yogurt, was delicious, and spicy too, so much that she had to ask for some plain yogurt, which in itself was delicious. The chat was best eaten with a piece of naan. When it comes to most vegetarian dishes, although I tease that it’s for losers, there seems to be more effort put into seasoning the dish and so, at the right restaurant, they are always some of the best tasting dishes.

That sentiment also goes for the Broccoli samosa, which came with a broccoli mousse (they are very adept with their mousses lol). My Guinea Fowl Kebab, which Shiima had a pinch of, was delicious, perfectly tender, and just what you are looking for when you order a kebab.

Mains

My main, the tandoori duck, was my highlight. It’s duck cooked two or maybe three ways; the perfectly grilled duck breast; the incredibly tasty duck leg pickle, which I could’ve devoured four times over; and the soft juicy freshly backed naan stuffed with duck, maybe, couldn’t tell the meat in there, but I couldn’t care less because it was amazing.

Shiima’s grilled Chicken chops were just as tasty, and reminded me of chicken suya, a Nigerian street food delicacy of spicy chicken on an outside grill. There must be a lot similar in the seasoning (Shiima said we Nigerians must’ve stolen the recipe 😂).

Verdict

Dinner at Trishna was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Every dish was superb. I suppose that’s why they have a Michelin star. Also, it’s just right for a date, with a date that doesn’t mind spicy food and eating with their hands. There is also a lot more on the menu that sounds, and looks from the neighbouring tables, tasty, so we’ll be sure to go back to Trishna. You should definitely give it a try, as Trishna is a splendid restaurant.

Dress Code: Smart Casual (although, it doesn’t seem like they’d mind either way)
Cuisine: Indian
Amen’s Star Dish: Tandoori Duck
Shiima’s Star Dish: Aloo Shakarkandi Chat
Price: £40 each
Rating: 4.8 out of 5