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Chourangi review: bringing a taste of Kolkata to London
Unexpected flavours and textures await at this Indian restaurant in Marble Arch
Thankfully, that’s as far as the similarities go – the Mound appeared half-finished on completion, became a national laughing stock and is now being dismantled, whereas Chourangi is a rather charming place and seems to have all the right ingredients for a bright future.
Named after an ancient district of Kolkata, Chourangi bills its menu as the “unexplored flavours of India”. That tagline isn’t far off: there are just a handful of Indian restaurants in London serving cuisine from the West Bengal port city, where hundreds of years of historical trade and colonial activity left behind culinary influences from across Europe and China. The result – as far as the food goes – is an intriguing blend of flavours and textures.
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Helpfully for the uninitiated, Kolkatan dishes are highlighted on the menu and, aside from a portion of steamed rice, these are the only dishes that my partner and I ordered.
Chourangi is located just around the corner from the Marble Arch Mound
The food
The heavy lifting done by mustard flavours is almost immediately noticeable in our selection. There’s the Chingri cutlet, a chunky breadcrumbed prawn dish whose warming spices are piqued by a light mustard dip. Or the kosha mangsho, a bone-in lamb curry with deep, marrow-enriched flavour, where mustard oil enhances its gentle heat.
The Chingri cutlet, a chunky breadcrumbed prawn dish which comes with a mustard dip
Where the mustard really sings is in the aam-kasundi begun – springy aubergine chunks in a mango-mustard sauce. Here, the tangy flavour pierces through like a lance – almost eye-wateringly potent, and strangely moreish.
Elsewhere a range of textures await. The aamada maach is all softness – bite-sized cuts of friable stone bass in a creamy sauce – at first offering a delicate fishy flavour, then a sucker-punch of heat. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the breadcrumbed mocha croquettes, which yield with a delightful crunch, yet have a much more gentle flavour. They’re vegan, but offer a real meatiness with their mix of banana florets, coconut and cinnamon, all offset by a delicate mint kasundi dip. Somewhere in the middle of the two is the kalonji naan, soft but with a crunch, and peppered with gently numbing nigella seeds.
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Breadcrumbed mocha croquettes made from banana florets, coconut and cinnamon
Aside from the occasional strong shot of mustard, our menu’s flavours never strayed close to being overpowering, or particularly hot, instead focusing on providing interest – the tingling black cardamom that ripples through the creamy paneer dahi kebab kofta; or the twinging tartness of curd in the mango bhapa doi, a Kolkata “classic” dessert that deserves a place in anyone’s order.
Mango bhapa doi, a Kolkata ‘classic’ dessert
The interior
Chourangi’s decor is inspired by Kolkatan architecture and suits its upmarket Marble Arch location. Bright, cream walls, dark green furnishings, rattan chairs, and structural flourishes on its ceiling and mirrors create a luxurious space, especially in the evening with its warm lighting, and smooth jazz tinkles in the background.
Over to the side is a gleaming bar serving an interesting range of cocktails that I now wish I’d sampled – particularly the aam-kasundi “Harmony”, if its aubergine namesake is anything to go by.
Chourangi serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails featuring Bengali ingredients
The verdict
Chourangi may be all about bringing “unexplored” flavours to London, but its menu will have a broad appeal, not just for adventurous diners. That does come at a cost – before service charge, and excluding our drinks, our meal came to about £48 per person. Despite that, my main regret is not sampling more of the menu – at least we now have one Marble Arch attraction worth returning to.
