Dines Out: Curry Leaf Kitchen

Chef Kanthi Thamma has made something of a name for himself on the restaurant scene, with his Ship Street venue and his station take-away outlet, so when he launched the new restaurant in Kemp Town, I was fascinated to see what he would do. It would be all too easy for his team to replicate the previous successes, but this was not for Mr Thamma. In Kemp Town the model is very different, still building on his passion for authentic regional cuisine, here the concept is far more for smaller plates, encouraging sharing and a sense of experimentation on the part of the diner. Well I’m all for that. There are a few curries on the menu but this is definitely not a curry house in the old sense of the word.

I went along for dinner with Mr M, back from his Euro-roost for a few weeks. Mr M is a great person to share this kind of meal with as he has a mighty passion for trying new food and when inspired a mighty appetite to match. We were both inspired so you can see that our appetites were given full range.

First came a bowl of street snacks with his signature fresh chutneys. Mr Thamma makes incredible samosa with perfectly spiced fillings and crisp pastry and his pakora are always super crispy and dry, unlike so much street style food which can be rather greasy. The same can be said of his papads, crisp and dry and pretty addictive when coupled with his amazing chutneys. The same can be said of his naan breads which are thin and crisp and blistered perfectly. All this and we were only just starting.

I am a fan of mussels and Kanthi’s mussel dish is simply brilliant

I am a fan of mussels and Kanthi’s mussel dish is simply brilliant, as good as mussels get in a spicy broth that compliments rather than drowns the shellfish. I could eat this dish every day and never tire of it. The same could be said of the tandoori lamb cutlet which is so well judged in both its spicing and cooking, an absolute meaty joy.

Southern fried chicken is another gem from his kitchen where tradition is matched by inspired invention, succulent spicy strips of chicken breast in a dry spice rub that makes you realise that a certain colonel has no idea what to do with a chicken.

Having declared the mussels my favourite dish I was then challenged by an incredible tandoor cooked mackerel, crisp skinned, fragrant with herbs and served with an amazing mango salsa and on the side a sharp pepper salad. The perfectly cooked flesh simply fell cleanly from the bone in delicious succulent chunks, the sweet mango and spicy salad lifting those fresh flakes of fish to new heights and once again not masking the true flavours of these well sourced ingredients.

When it comes to spicing Mr Thamma is a genius and well deserving of the acclaim he is getting from far and wide.

Curry Leaf Cafe – Kemp Town Kitchen, 40-42 Upper St James’ Street, Brighton BN2 1JN, 01273 526910, curryleafcafe.com