Dishoom’s Diwali Spectacle

Diwali has been going on since last Sunday and given the popularity of Indian food within the country, you would think that more would have been made of the festival. Yet only a select handful of London’s Indian are doing much to celebrate. Namaasté Kitchen in Camden and the heavenly Cinnamon Club in Westminster are putting on special menus. However, Dishoom in Covent Garden is going that bit further by adding entertainment into the mix.

With the festival, there is a strong history of storytelling with the basic story of light triumphing over darkness containing many characters on each side. One of the main protagonists is Rama, a prince who goes on to marry the princess Sita.

But isn’t this supposed to be a restaurant review? Yes, yes it is. I’m getting to that. I’m just giving some context. You know like when AA Gill goes on for 800 words about the traffic on the M4 or complaining about how long it’s been since Salman Rushdie last wrote a good book.

I couldn’t possibly condense the whole of Diwali into a single post but then again, I don’t have to as Dishoom have teamed up with the DSC South Asian Literature Festival to bring the stories of the festival to life. This Sunday, renowned story teller Vayu Naidu will be in residence providing tales of romance and heroism.

All this is backed up by a specially crafted Diwali feast. The menus, whether they be vegetarian or carnivorous, translate the high points of Bombay cuisine. Examples include the coriander-infused grilled lobster tail or the slow-cooked black daal, which is smooth as well as being rich in taste.

For veggies, I would recommend the Phaldari Kofta Ruby, a local speciality consisting of dumplings stuffed with vegetables, paneer and pomegranate. To finish your meal, after all the rich food that has gone before, I would advise going for one of the kulfi, whether in pistachio or mango flavours. Also included in the feast are complimentary mithai, traditional Indian sweets.

The menus last until the end of the month but if you want the full experience, head along on the 23rd when you can enjoy the food, the stories as well as an animated film that depicts one of the stories that makes up this enchanting festival.

Dishoom
12 Upper Martin’s Lane
Covent Garden
Wc2H 9FB

Tel: 020 7420 9320