Amid Summer's nightly dream
Rafique Miah knew what type of Indian food he wanted when he first arrived in the UK from Bangladesh 30 years ago, and it certainly was not the Anglo-Indian food then being offered to the palates of the British public.
His desire was to have "real Indian food… or starve" - food prepared as it had been in his homeland. This craving has led Miah to build up a chain of five restaurants, four in the UK and one in Hollywood, USA, but it is his latest venture, Indian Summer, which opened in Hammersmith in west London this summer, that is hailed as the flagship restaurant of the group.
At Indian Summer, Miah continues to explore what he calls Indian neo-classical cuisine on a menu that features seven starters, nine main courses and 12 house-speciality dishes, all served with two vegetables, rice and naan. Nine desserts, including fresh fruit, are also offered on the menu, 20% of which changes at least every three months.
Miah's dishes, all cooked individually and to order, are prepared with fresh spices and no artificial colourings. Most also contain green spices and green vegetables, with all ingredients being bought in Britain.
Diners - mainly local middle-aged professionals - who frequent the 150-seat restaurant (currently serving up to 70 covers on weekday evenings and 120 at weekends) are spending an average of £18 a head, including wine.
Popular from the starters is Lamb Paradise (£4.50), which comprises lamb marinated overnight in mint and dried coriander seeds, fried until crispy and served with a salad with a light chilli dressing. Coriander is also one of the main spices in another well-liked starter, prawn pattie (£4.50), which consists of ground prawns and chicken breast, the latter seasoned with coriander seeds, all wrapped in breadcrumbs and pan-fried.
Nehari, shanks of lamb cooked in northern Indian spices including nutmeg (£8.50), is one of the top choices among the main courses, along with green chicken curry (£8.50) - pieces of chicken cooked in a green sauce based on mint, coriander and green herbs.
All dishes are created by Miah himself with his five-strong kitchen brigade. When he is visiting his other restaurants, head chef Tara Mirah takes over the kitchen. Front of house, six full- and part-time staff are under the eye of restaurant manager Sayed Haque.
Indian Summer, 291 King Street, Hammersmith, London W6 9NH. Tel: 0181-748 7345
