FOOD+DRINK
Kent World Gourmet cont.
Shampan at The Spinning Wheel // Westerham
Shampan at The
Spinning Wheel in
Westerham serves up
incredible Indian
cuisine, but not,
perhaps, as you’ve
known it before. The
ethos behind Shampan
is that dining should be
an experience, one to
savour and remember
– one to return to again
and again if possible.
And that’s what you get
at Shampan at The
Spinning Wheel.
Award-winning
Shampan at The
Spinning Wheel has changed the way we look at Indian food, offering
both traditional and contemporary dishes with a modern twist that
comes from experienced chefs using the finest quality ingredients.
This is authentic Indian cuisine for the twenty-first century that looks
as good as it tastes.
Ju st a few examples of what could be found on the menu (along
with a vast choice of wine, beer and even cocktails) include griddle
seared king scallops, cumin peas and cauliflower purée, grilled duck
breast with Goan curry sauce and cumin mashed potatoes, and clove
smoked saddle of venison with jodhpuri spices, crisp okra and pilau
rice.
www.shampangroup.com/westerham / 01959 572622
Gurkha Palace // Folkestone
Fiesta Mexicana // Orpington
If you want to experience Mexican food in a fun, vibrant, exciting
setting then Fiesta Mexicana (as the name itself suggests) is the place
to go. Established over 10 years ago, Fiesta Mexicana has been popular
ever since. This is partly due to the fantastic atmosphere you get when
you go there, partly due to the knowledgable and friendly staff and
partly down to the food – it’s wonderful. Authentic and delicious, Fiesta
Mexicana takes all that is great about Mexican cuisine (which is a lot
– fresh ingredients, lots of vegetables, tangy sauces) and combines it
with a more local flavour; many of the ingredients are locally sourced.
So what could you order if you decided to visit Fiesta Mexicana
(and La Cubana Cocktail Bar within it)? Some examples of the great
food here include shredded chicken, spicy ground beef or vegetable
chimichangas (deep fried tortilla with re-fried beans and cheese), grilled
swordfish in margarita lime butter (chargrilled swordfish steak served
sizzling over Cajun vegetables and topped with lime and lemon butter)
and peri-peri king prawn with sweet chilli sauce.
www.fiestamexicana.co.uk / 01689 823334
Mullins Brasserie // Margate
92
Nepalese cuisine should always make the tastes buds sing and put a
smile on the diner’s face. The goods news is, the Gurkha Palace in
Folkestone specialises in giving their diners exactly the right kind of
authentic Nepalese food that is memorable for all the right reasons.
The Gurkha Palace has been serving its own take on this wonderful
gourmet food since 2000 and in that time it has won a variety of both
local and national awards thanks to its innovative menus, clever chefs
and the fact that it never compromises on the quality and the freshness
of its ingredients.
Nepal is a country that is steeped in tradition and the idea behind
the items found on the menu at the Gurkha Palace is that the rest of
the world should understand and be part of these traditions too. You
can order ledho kukhura (chargrilled sliced pieces of chicken cooked
to an original Nepalese recipe), phewa prawn (king prawns cooked in
an onion, tomato, ginger and green pepper sauce garnished with fresh
coriander) and pahadi kukhura (a Nepalese highland delicacy – a
delicious dish of boneless chicken marinated in yogurt, fresh mint,
green chillies and garnished with coriander), for example. The food at
Mullins Brasserie
is ‘modern
European cuisine
with a hint of the
Caribbean’. That
hint is a special
one, giving each
dish a fresh, spicy,
flavoursome
appeal that is hard
to beat. Caribbean
food is often
considered to be
soul food, feeding
the mind, body
and soul so that all of the problems you might have been worrying
about fade away due to the taste of the food.
That’s quite a reputation to keep up with, but at Mullins Brasserie
it really does feel as though you can indulge and enjoy in a beautiful
restaurant eating wonderful food and just forget about everything else,
at least for a while. That’s something very special indeed, and it’s why
Mullins is such a popular place to eat.
The restaurant itself is a converted butchers, now filled with
contemporary furnishings and cosy design features. There is a warm
and friendly feeling when you step through the doors and that extends
to the food created by Barbados-born chef Antonio Forde. No matter
what you choose from a menu that includes items such as callaloo,
chick pea and sweet potato cannelloni baked in a creamy jerk cheddar
cheese sauce, traditional West Indian curried goat served with rice ‘n’
peas and tomato chutney, and roast fillet of pork served with a coconut
fondant potato, fried plantain, spiced aubergine puree and Provencal
sauce, you will be happy with your choice.
www.gurkhapalace.co.uk / 01303 257700 www.mullinsbrasserie.co.uk / 01843 295603