Manik expressive
Manik Miah is a great advertisement for modern British Indian cuisine. Articulate, good-humoured and well-informed about his craft, his cooking soaks up the best from the subcontinent and peppers it with a selection from other cultures. Although his background is Bengali, he likes to add the scent of China or a hint of something Persian, Arabic or Mediterranean.
Although Miah's restaurant, Chula, has been open since May, its publicity push is deliberately on a slow burn. The name derives from that of the traditional Indian country cooking pot, and Miah hopes to import one for use in his kitchen while placing another on display in the restaurant.
Successful formula
The plan is to have a chain of 10 Chulas inside five years, but executive chef Miah and his cousin, co-owner and restaurant manager, Hiron Miah, are determined to ensure that the prototype establishes a successful formula. The kitchen employs a brigade of five, while front of house is handled by three full-time and two part-time staff.
Miah, who uses words such as "modern", "funky" and "lively" to sum up Chula, says he is after the younger crowd (under 35), and is confident that his cooking will capture the metropolitan imagination. Certainly, Chula's eye-catching signage, with its illuminated Perspex boxes containing decorative spices, is making a statement to the cosmopolitan denizens of Hammersmith, west London. Inside, though, the whitewashed walls and concrete cocktail bar are pure Soho.
But food is what the 64-seat Chula is about and what will decide its fate. The July menu of nine starters, 10 mains and five desserts is similar to the one which Miah opened with. Menus change every two months, and the casualties from the maiden menu include starters such as lamb tiki (£2.95) and the main course of tandoor sampler (£12.95), which, Miah says, did not sell well because they were not seen as being exciting enough.
But the adventurous will not be disappointed. Early star performers are starter dishes such as Bombay chat (£2.50). Miah pops balls of mashed potato into crispy pancakes and covers them in a light prawn cocktail sauce, combined with Bombay Mix. Sweet chilled yogurt is spooned on top. Miah says: "It sells very well, especially on the hot summer days."
The starter of Oriental tiger prawns (£3.95) is also proving to be much in demand. This is one of the Chinese-influenced dishes and sports various peppers, spices and soy sauce. Although the dish is quite hot, Miah employs Chinese salt, which he says is much milder than Indian or British versions.
Popular choices
The Chula set meals, priced from £9.95 to £13.95, include one main dish, one vegetable, one dahl dish (lentils), saffron pilau rice and naan bread, and they are popular with diners, who number about 150 a week. Typical is the set meal featuring lamb chetinand (£9.95). This is a hot dish and, says Miah, emits an enticing fragrance from the gram masala. This is made up of bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, star anise and mace.
Desserts feature the familiar kulfi Indian ice-cream (£2.75), which comes in two flavours: mango and pistachio.
A selection of dishes from Chula's fish menu
Starters
Chula platter (chicken, lamb, tiger prawns, stuffed chillies, samosas, cheese), £4.95
Black spiced chicken, £2.95
Spicy crab, £4.25
Main courses
Lamb saffron pasanda, £9.95
Prawn peri peri, £10.95
Vegetable sampler, £11.95
Desserts
Gulab jamun (warm, steamed, flambéed dumpling), £2.75
Tropical fresh fruit platter, £3.75
Sorbet, £2.95
Chula, 116 King Street, London W6 0QP. Tel: 020 8741 5757. Web site: www.chula.co.uk
