Last month I spent a night in the largest hotel suite I’ve ever seen. My three-bedroom accommodation at the Taj 51 Buckingham Gate Suites was so spacious I wanted to move in. Unfortunately, that wasn’t an option. But I did get invited back to experience the hotel’s Michelin-starred Quilon restaurant in London.
Quilon Restaurant
On Thursday I returned to Westminster to have lunch with the marketing manager of the hotel at Quilon restaurant. We were seated by a window in a quiet corner of the dining room and served some poppadoms to start.
Lunch at the Restaurant
The menu had the best of south Indian cuisine on it. Seeing I was unable to make up my mind, our server offered to bring out a selection of the restaurant’s signature dishes for me to try. Perfect.
I started with small portions of chicken marinated in yogurt sauce, a grilled scallop with mango and chili served on a half shell, and a vegetable cake.
All three were packed with flavor, not least the vegetarian option, which pleasantly surprised me.
The starters at Quilon restaurant were followed by a palate cleanser that came in a small glass. It was a hot, somewhat spicy masala drink. I wasn’t expecting it to be warm, but after tasting it I liked that it was.
For the main course I had two types of fish and a lamb curry served with rice. One piece of fish was the chef’s signature baked black cod in a delicious glaze.
The other was a thin piece of sea bass cooked with onion, tomato, lime juice, and chili. Both were smooth and flavorful.
Quilon restaurant’s curry dish was also a winner, with the green sauce and tender meat blending well with the bright yellow lemon rice.
I ate it while becoming addicted to a side of thinly sliced okra that was batter fried and tossed in onion, tomato, and crushed pepper. It was the perfect snacking dish.
I barely had room for dessert, which came in the form of Bibinca, a special dish from Goa. It resembled a layered crepe cake with chocolate sauce, and was accompanied by a scoop of ice cream.
We also sampled three baked yogurts: one mango, one orange, and one lychee. They were excellent.
Quilon Restaurant: The Verdict
After lunch I once again left the Taj 51 Buckingham Gate hotel and headed back to the tube.
I would have rather stayed, moved into the suite I stayed in last month, and ordered food from Quilon restaurant in London for every meal, but I can always dream.
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