The Express Lunch Menu at Indian Accent takes you to India and back in just over an hour
I love tasting menus. It’s an unbeatable way to taste all the delectable delights of an upscale restaurant, but there are usually two barriers to this indulgence: time and money. Yet Indian Accent, the high-end restaurant serving sub-continental fare in Mayfair, is changing the game with its express lunch menu, which whisks you through Chennai, Bombay and Kerala via a number of mouth-watering dishes, all served within 1-1.5hrs for just £24. As a third-culture kid with Indian heritage, I was curious as to how a restaurant would make the scents and sensations of my childhood worthy of a Mayfair setting. You never want to feel you’re overpaying for something your mother could make. Thankfully, I was far from disappointed. The chefs at Indian Accent artfully introduce unexpected ingredients, such as pink peppercorn and nettle oil and broaden the oriental spin on them to create a textured, sumptuous feast that is rich in flavour. Curious offerings include raw mango tofu, masala crackling and cardamom cheesecake. Refreshingly, vegan and vegetarian options are easily available too. The Express Lunch Menu at Indian Accent caters for everyone.
Although the express menu is technically two courses – starter and main – it actually feels like a multi-course tasting menu because of all the sharing accompaniments that come with it. These include tadka sesame vegetables, black dairy dahl (one of my favourites) and watercress & cucumber raita, all served with traditional Indian breads or steamed basmati rice. Moreover, even the starters and mains can be shared. After all, you’re in India. We share things in India. We also believe that eating with our hands makes the food taste better, but cutlery is available for those who need to rush to post-lunch meetings without the risk of getting curry on their clothes.
If you’re an “explorer” looking for something more familiar or an “experimenter” looking for an Indian spin on western dishes, then you might go for dishes like the kohlapuri chicken salad, served with golden cashews and chickpeas, or the roast beef served with goat cheese raita and pistachio chikki. I personally loved the raw idli (like a small, spongy patty) with madras gunpowder and asparagus, but I was completely blown away by the Kerala seafood stew with pink pepper tadka. It was so warming and flavoursome. I have a particular passion for pink peppercorn and the contrast in taste and texture was pleasantly surprising.
If you’re planning to drink on the job, drown your sorrows, or skive off for the afternoon, you’ll be happy to know that for an extra £6 you can add a house beer or wine to your meal, however, I really recommend trying one of the cocktails. Go big or go home, right? Also, save some room (if you can) for dessert (£5 each), because you simply won’t want to miss out on the makan malai with saffron milk, rose petal jaggery and almonds. If you’re really struggling, finish off with coconut jaggery ice cream for the perfect palate cleanser. The whole trip should, in theory, take you no more than an hour, but I’ll admit I indulged for two, because why wouldn’t you?
The Express Lunch Menu at Indian Accent is available 12-2:30pm and includes and starter, main and sharing accompaniments for £24pp. Reservations can be made here.
