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Sesame
Indian & Thai restaurant opened at 216 Kingston Road, New Malden,
Surrey at the beginning of March and has already captured the
interest of discerning food lovers in the Kingston and New Malden area.
Sesame is in a good location
opposite a Matalan store and close to a Sainsbury Household Goods
store guaranteeing plenty of passing trade. The ex-fish and chip shop
has been completely re-designed and extended by a man who used to
work for the Paul Young organisation, with remarkable results. The 60
cover restaurant has a wooded floor, comfortable seating and some
fascinating pictures on the walls. Towards the back of the restaurant
is a raised dining area with a striking pebbled wall and on the
opposite side is a computer controlled light wall with ever-changing shades.
The restaurant is managed by
Faruque Hossain with just the right balance between friendliness and
crisp efficiency and we had to admit to being quite impressed even
before opening the smart, hefty menus. Wine prices in this day and
age can tend to push the upper limits of available budget but Sesame
has Sauvignon Blanc or Merlot House Wines at £10.95 plus a Pearl
Springs Chenin Blanc or Tanquero Malbec for little more.
With both Indian and Thai
sections to the menu, one is spoilt for choice, but mix and match is
not always the answer, as spicing is very different in the two
cuisines and does not always work. To sample both, we started with
Chicken Satay from the Thai menu which was very acceptable with a
good, not too sweet, peanut sauce. The Tikka from the Indian menu was
tangy and excellent with good spicing and well, but not over-cooked chicken.
For main course we tried Methi
Murg with Plain Rice from the Indian menu and Masman Lamb plus Pad
Thai from the Thai menu. The Pad Thai was very good as was the Masman
with a sauce redolent of peanuts. The Methi Murg was equally good
with strong spicing and succulent chicken. The rice was possibly a
little overcooked, matching the Thai side of the menu rather than the
Indian, and did not have that nutty taste one usually associated with
Basmati but this was a very small criticism.
Overall it was an excellent meal,
very keenly priced in pleasant, relaxing surroundings and as long as
the kitchen can maintain the same standards we see no reason why
Sesame should not prosper and be amongst award contenders in years to come.
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