CARDAMOM CAFE AT EASY TIGER
A change of chef at Easy Tiger has seen some excellent changes to their Indian street food offering and chef Sabu, now at the helm is on top form. EAsy Tiger, formerly The Hampton, is a vibrant modern pub with an excellent range of ales and interesting wines which on another day I might well have indulged in but at that point I chose an alcohol free beer that was pretty good. In fact right now there are plenty of great alcohol free options on offer, not just beers but spirits too. My companion on this day was Ms McD who loves an adventurous beer so her choice of a chocolate and coconut stout was certainly to her liking, and I had a sip, for research purposes you understand, and it was rather nice, full on flavour for sure and actually a pretty good choice to be eaten with spices.
And on that note let’s consider those spices. First out came one of my favourite of all Indian treats dahi puri. These crispy puffed balls are filled with a potato and chickpea masala and adorned with sweet and tart dressings. There is a trick to eating them, you must pop them into you mouth whole, otherwise they explode down your chin and onto you clothes. They may seem dauntingly big for this but trust me.
Quilon king prawn curry was next, great big prawns too, perfectly cooked to whilst taught they remained tender, there’s nothing worse or more worrying than a squishy prawn and more disappointing than a tough one. These were just right, generous and basking in a delicately spiced coconut sauce that was perfect for mopping up with Sabu’s immaculate Malabar parathas.
I have a particular love of lamb and especially in a biryani. The Wayandn Addu lamb biryani satisfied both those loves. The rice was light and fluffy and sandwiched between the lamb was so so tender, yielding to the lightest touch of the fork. That rice is a particular type, Jeerasala and the whole was adorned with fried brown onions, cashews and raisins. And on the side a cooling cranberry raita, poppadams and pickle were perfect accompaniments. It was rather good and again very generous, easily a dish to share and a great balance to our prawn dish.
This food is good food and sensibly priced given the generosity. I liked the fact that gone are the throw away banana leaf plates and dishes are now served on china which surely has to be more ecologically sound. Chef Sabu Jospeh is on top form but do book to avoid disappointment as it is hugely popular and gets very busy.
Easy Tiger @ The Hampton, 57 Upper North Street, Brighton BN1 3FH
info@easytigerbrighton.com
01273 731347
