As a writer who usually scribbles about cars for a living, the Grand Trunk Road restaurant makes for the perfect beginning of my food voyage, says Ben Griffin, swapping carburettors for carbs if you will.
Not just because its name is often shortened to GTR which is a Nissan I fondly remember hooning around Spa Francorchamps.
Nor just because it is inspired by a famous road in India, which stretches 1,500 miles from Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent and even had a connection with Ancient Greece.
No, it is mainly that Indian food is as big a part of British culture as a Sunday roast, passive-aggressiveness and arguing about jam or cream first. A good curry is familiar, warming (sometimes too much) and reminds me of a time I lived above a Huddersfield curry house.
It was actually on a journey of their own that the founders of the South Woodford restaurant discovered things they had never tried before despite decades of food wisdom between them.
Not that you can blame them for missing a few dishes along the way. As Rudyard Kipling described Grand Trunk Road: “Look! Look again! and chumars, bankers and tinkers, barbers and bunnias, pilgrims – and potters – all the world going and coming. It is to me as a river from which I am withdrawn like a log after a flood.
“And truly the Grand Trunk Road is a wonderful spectacle. It runs straight, bearing without crowding India’s traffic for fifteen hundred miles – such a river of life as nowhere else exists in the world.”
My own trip to South Woodford was much less enlightening and I saw no travelling tinkers. It was, however, no less epic, owing to the fact my home is – in London terms – about as far away as Athens.
Thankfully, Grand Trunk Road’s modern appearance and cosy appeal dissipated my public transport woes. Unfussy, relaxed, unpretentious – elements of Indian dining I was uninclined to part with thankfully remained intact.
Not so familiar, however, were the prices. But then Grand Trunk Road is not about three chunks of low-quality meat swimming in sauce. Far from it. The aim is a ‘food journey’ so I let the chef choose what we had.
The first set of dishes came out together. Dilli Ki Chaat, a mix of spicy chickpea, sweet yoghurt, mint, coriander and tamarind chutney, proved light and flavoursome. Also a little crunchy, thanks to some wheat crisps. A nice contrast to the Khyberpass Shami Kebab – lightly spiced Welsh baby lamb with lentils, forest fruits and a yoghurt dip that left a lovely lingering tang.
Star of the warm-up lap was the Aloo Aur Hara Mutter ki Tikki, an addictive potato and pea cake (not the Victoria Sponge kind) comprised of coriander, chillies, tamarind chutney, ginger and roasted sultana.
We then moved on to Dal Bukhara black lentils, which was a pleasant if heavy dish made with butter, cream and fenugreek. More my thing was the Amritsari Butter Chicken, a delicate and complex take on a sometimes overly sweet and blunt British favourite.
Chicken also featured in the form of the Lahori Murgh kebabs, although its Kashmiri chillies, ginger, crushed black pepper and Greek yoghurt foundation ensured it kept to its own lane.
At a smidge under £30, the priciest dish sampled was the Peshawari Lamb Chop. Star anise, raw papaya and crushed spices gave this duo of chops a rich punch and the meat was as soft as the accompanying garlic and black truffle naan bread.
However, it was easier to forget than its price tag had suggested. The Gobhi Mutter Hara Piyaz surprised me more, with its mix of cauliflower, peas, cumin, ginger, tomato and spring onion combination tasting far better than it sounds.
With the house ‘Via Nova’ white wine and prior Meantime ale keeping thoughts of the 1,500-mile journey home at bay, it was time for dessert. Despite my love of Indian food, I typically skip this course.
I am glad I did not this time. The Mango Brulee was more brulee than mango, admittedly, but was delicious nonetheless, as were the scoops of passion fruit and blood orange sorbet.
The rose petal and avocado ice cream, meanwhile, finished it all off as it started: With flair, impressive presentation and a combination of familiarity and boldness. For an Indian meal where every dish stands out, Grand Trunk Road is a success.
What: Grand Trunk Road Restaurant
Where: 219 High Road, London, E18 2PB
Web: GTRRestaurant.co.uk
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