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A celebration was held on Monday 21st June for the launch of
Babur's 25th Anniversary celebration with a preview of two
commissioned works of art, their 25th anniversary tasting menu with
matching wines and their Mojito Summer cocktails.
To mark this sterling occasion, the restaurant has commissioned two
new art works from South London women artists. From Kate Pritchard
we've commissioned a ceramic-based piece representing all the
ingredients used in our cooking. And from Durga Devi Talukdar we've
commissioned a very large scroll painting illustrating scenes from
the life of Babur, the first Mughal Emperor of India and our eponym.
The dishes composing Babur's 25th anniversary tasting menu features
at least 25 sterling flavours, drawn from some of the restaurant's
most popular dishes.
We were privileged to be amongst the first to experience the new menu
and have to say that Babur's top rated Chef Jiwan Lal has done it
again. One cannot but help admire chefs who not only have a passion
for their food but can innovative, pose questions to the taste buds
and even sit down and discuss tiny detail with enthusiasm.
First dish on the tasting menu was Monkfish wrapped in banana leaf
and served with a small fun nutmeg potato cake and chef's own hand
made mango chutney produced as a clever moulded jelly. Each item was
exquisite and the excitement was in deciding did the elements
actually go together such was the unusual nature of hot and cold. A
challenge to the palate but very much a thumbs up.
Next was my personal favourite and a dish worth travelling a distance
for. Melt in the mouth Guinea fowl from the tandoor marinated with 22
dark spices and presented with a wonderful wild mushroom kedgeree and
little crunchy twists. Ten out of ten.
The first dish had been served with a Pinot Gris from Alsace that was
too overpowering for our taste against the delicate tastes of the
monkfish and mango chutney. Perhaps a Viognier or even Chardonney
Viognier might have been better. The fowl was accompanied by a lusty
Azamoor 2005 from Portugal which proved to be a perfect choice.
As the spice heat increased there followed a dum cooked Kid goat lal
maas with its wonderful thick, rich cardamom sauce with Rajasthani
chilli and ghee rice. This time the chosen red from Sicily, though
roughish as expected, did not quite carry the power of the Lal maas
and perhaps need more depth.
To round the meal up chef produced a fun chocolate and peanut pave
with guava kulfi popsicle, banana compote and black sesame and fennel
seed brittle presented on a stone slate. Chef accepted that all was
not well with the brittle due to the extreme heat in the kitchen and
instead of its considerable sweetness perhaps a couple of slices of
mango or other fruit in season would work better to clense the palate.
While the Met Office may have given up on long-range weather
forecasts, we can confidently predict a Mojito Summer at Babur with a
quartet of original variations: Champagne, Mango and Chilli, Coconut
and Basil and White Chocolate and Mint.
All in all a fantastic meal, full of taste challenges and small
surprises - who can ask for more? Babur will be celebrating its
Sterling Anniversary from 1 July to 31 August. Customers on the
restaurant's mailing list will receive a Sterling voucher worth
£25.
BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW.
Sterling anniversary cocktail CCC'Champagne' and orange 'caviar'
(Cointreau and Orange Muscat Essencia) 7.95
Monkfish, nutmeg potato cake, mango chutney jelly
Steamed in banana leaf parcel with ginger and garlic
Wine: Pinot Gris, Koenig, Alsace, 2008
Guinea fowl, mixed wild mushroom kedgeree
Boneless breast from the tandoor, marinated with 22 dark spices
including black pepper, black salt, star anise and black cumin
Wine: Azamor 2005, Alentejo, Portugal
Kid goat lal maas, neck meat patty, ghee rice
Clove-smoked diced leg flavoured with green cardamom, black
cardamom, cinnamon, cumin and dry red Rajasthani chilli
Wine: Nero d'Avola, Casa Vinicola 2008, Sicily, Italy
Chocolate and peanut pavé, guava kulfi popsicle, banana
compote, black sesame and fennel seed brittle
Contrasts of warm, cool, rich, sweet, tart and aromatic
Wine: Moscato d'Asti, Michele Chiarlo, 2009
Tasting menu: 32.50
Matching wines: 12.00 (Served as 125ml glasses) |
