Pan-Asian Cuisine at Tamarai

I’ve always been suspicious of the word ‘pan’ and its tendency to attach itself to other words. Sometimes it works; in the case of ‘frying’ and ‘cake’. Other times, it doesn’t; when applied to ‘handler’.

I’m also inclined to worry when it is applied to cuisine, in the case of pan-European or pan-African, as it suggests what is on offer is a rather broad sweep of cuisines that have been rolled into one. It gives the impression the restaurant has taken a bit of this, a bit of that and jumbled it all together to create a rather vague experience.

This was the state of mind I entered Tamarai, a restaurant recently described as the finest pan-Asian restaurant in London. I tried to think of any other leading pan-Asian restaurants which it could be competing against and came up short. But I put this concern to one side as I descended into the restaurant. The interior of the place has a very curious look to it with it mostly looking like a hall of fame from The Crystal Maze with numerous glass spheres stuck into the walls.

But to the food. I started with a basket of steamed chicken slu main dim sum. It was all held together very well and with a great deal of sophistication in its texture and flavours. It was accompanied by another starter of baby calamari with roasted rice powder. This too had a distinctive edge to it and went well with the south Indian dressing.

The main course of braised venison shank with malay satay and cress was fantastic. The meat had clearly been marinated for some time, making it very tender. It didn’t so much fall off the bone as pirouette and nimbly land on my fork. The piquancy of the satay made it a very enjoyable course.

Finishing the meal off was a roasted sesame and white chocolate semi-freddo, which is similar to a parfait but much creamier. The combination of the roasted sesame and the white chocolate was immaculate and extremely enjoyable.

Tamarai does well for itself in making sure that it does not try to do Asian cuisine by numbers, trying to cram in references to different cooking styles. It uses the many different techniques and nuances of Asian cuisine to create appetising and intriguing dishes. The variety and the reasonable cost of the food mean that it is a worthwhile choice for anyone thinking about a pre-theatre meal.

Tamarai
167 Drury Lane
Covent Garden
WC2B 5PG

Tel: 020 7831 9399