Anthea Gerrie Enjoys Essence By Atul Kochhar. The Finest Indian Dining In Kent Courtesy Of A Celebrated Michelin-Starred Chef.
It was only a matter of time before Atul Kochhar would bring his elegant take on South Asian cuisine to Tunbridge Wells, a community of discerning diners where Essence By Atul Kochhar on the Pantiles has taken the crown as king of the ethnic restaurant offerings.
It is not the first gourmet Indian to grace the elegant Georgian streets of this town which came to fame for the therapeutic spring which won it a “royal” designation (the jeweller at the bottom of the High Street still proudly displays a royal warrant above its door). And it’s not even the first to grace the finest and most famous street, the colonnaded 17th century Pantiles, enlivened every weekend by outdoor-indoor dining and quite often a food and craft market and live music from within the ancient band shell.
However, Essence is the first eatery to bear the Atul Kochhar brand which the Indian-born chef has successfully expanded from Mayfair, where he won a star first at Tamarind and six years later at his own restaurant, Benares, to other affluent towns outside the capital including Marlow and Beaconsfield before making his arrival in Kent.
Atul Kochhar is not in the restaurant every night, but his partner in this and two of their other restaurants, Jeet Singh, ensures the kind of high-value personal welcome worthy of recognition by Michelin in its own right. The decor is lush and luxurious, rich in warm colours reminiscent of Rajasthan – and the province’s five-star Oberoi hotels, which Atul and many of his staff regard as their alma mater.
From the minute the sauces arrive with the papadums, it’s clear this is no cookie-cutter echo of your normal Indian eatery; delicate flavours like tomato replace pedestrian mango and lime pickle. And while only a very posh Indian indeed would offer wagyu beef kebabs among the starters (£19.45), street food inspires the more authentic Raj Kachori (£12.45), a large bubble of puffed wheat topped with mint and tamarind chutney, yoghurt and fresh pomegranate seeds. The Tangra Chilli Prawns (£15.75) were great, but I wished I had saved room for Atul’s signature starter, a chicken tikka pie unusually served with a mixed berry compote.
Instead, like a true tandoori fan I went for the Tandoori Rattan combo which included a very fine grilled king prawn and lamb chop. EssenceBy Atul Kochhar also does that London-celeb-restaurant thing of being able to produce on the spot a common people’s favourite which is not on the menu – Essence’s delicious onion bhajis are the Tunbridge Wells equivalent of the long-unlisted burger at Joe Allen.
When it comes to mains, pescatarians will be tempted by the Goan Seafood Curry (£25.75), a rich mix of king prawns, seabags, scallops and mussels with the added attraction of asparagus. For me just it was just a touch too heavy on the tomato and light on the coconut, but no question about the quality of the content, also evident in the delicious monkfish dish ordered by my other half. While inevitably chicken tandoori makes its appearance,
it’s an elegant, whole half-bird presentation, and less expected offerings include venison saddle with beetroot, lamb shank simmered in an apricot gravy and boneless leg of kid. Vegetarians are catered for with dumplings stuffed with spiced berries, vegetable-stuffed courgettes and paneer tikka with parmesan shavings and stuffed baby peppers.
While side dishes are too often an afterthought when ordering an Indian, the Punjabi Chole – potatoes cooked with chickpeas in a caraway-scented masala – were excellent, and it would be worth coming to Essence just for the brilliant Dal Makhni made just like they do it at Bukhara, a legendary Delhi restaurant which will be the first to get a star if and when Michelin ever gets to India.
This black lentil puree cooked for many hours before being enriched with cream is the perfect partner for a fine selection of naans, including an impeccable garlic as well as almond-stuffed Peshwari and other versions. A hefty £5.95 each, so a table might do better ordering the £14.95 bread basket.
There is a decent wine list with by-the-glass offerings for £9-10 apiece, and a good selection of the Asian beers which make arguably the finest partner to Indian food. But the house also specialises in cocktails and fine digestifs, including Lagavulin, Oban and other top-notch single malts, including a couple from the subcontinent itself, and classy Ron Zacapa after-dinner rum.
One more extra worth coming to Essence for is live music – performed in-house on a Wednesday night, live on the Pantiles on Thursday nights and on many Saturdays to be heard wafting across from the bandstand when dining on the terrace.
This is the day to take advantage of the two-course £30 lunch deal featuring many of the best dishes on the menu – another trick imported from Atul’s London days, when many Michelin-starred restaurants made lunchtime offers it was hard for wallet-conscious gourmands to refuse. And on Essence’s lunch menu the bhajis are actually listed, at £4.50 a pop.
Tell Me More About Dining At Essence By Atul Kochhar
Essence By Atul Kochhar, 62-64 The Pantiles,Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 5TN
T: + 44 1892 614411
