One Of The Best Indian Summer Brighton Takeaway A Review
Under new management, we try out Indian Summer’s award winning authentic Indian cuisine from the comfort of your own home, with an exclusive preview of the restaurants exciting new look and plans for post-lockdown.
Indian Summer were one of the first in Brighton to adapt their regular menu so as they could continue to provide delicious award winning authentic Indian cuisine, and they have been our go-to restaurant for takeaway’s throughout. On our last visit to collect we had the pleasure of speaking with the new managers; Rob and Christabel, local musicians with a history of managing music venues, who have some exciting ideas and plans for future of Indian Summer when they can open again. Here’s how it went.
Although available on Deliveroo we have ordered a takeaway to collect so we can chat with Rob and get a preview of the exciting new look and feel of the restaurant this creative couple have been working on during lockdown. There are plenty of spaces to park right outside on East Street if people prefer to collect. It is heart-breaking to see this normally lively restaurant devoid of customers, though comforting to find all the recommended precautions are being adhered to. A pristinely clean makeshift serving area has been constructed at the entrance with a waiting area big enough to be able to keep your distance from the staff and other customers. Rob eagerly tells me all about their plans for when they can open, and they sound like music to my ears! Rob used to run nearby jazz-club Casablanca so has plenty of connections in the music industry, so is going to employ local musicians to provide entertainment while you eat, and Rob and Christabel hope to perform alongside them from time to time too. As well as this Christabel has been busy giving Indian Summer a fun and colourful makeover. With just a quick socially distanced look around I immediately got a sense of the passion and creativity these guys have put into the restaurants exciting new look, with some quite incredible attention to detail. A local spray-paint artist has created some beautiful Indian jungle and wildlife themed tables, with grandiose golden thrones circling the front table and some quite beautiful bespoke hand-made tiger and rainforest print chairs. Beautiful bold Hindi writing adorns the side wall which Rob tells me translates to Indian Summer. A Neon light shines on the back wall with the slogan “some like it hot.” They have certainly jazzed up the restaurant and I really look forward to seeing it full of happy customers when they open.
We begin our takeaway dinner with our starters of Tandoori Paneer, Chicken Tikka and slow cooked pork ribs. The Paneer is lovely and creamy and had a lovely subtle flavour from the tandoor, served with lacha onion which went well with the accompanying coriander and tomato chutneys. The tikka is tasty and ever so tender. The pork ribs stole the show however. A succulent rack that must have been slow cooked for days as the meat fell off the bone at the slightest touch. The accompanying hot dipping sauce was spicy enough to thrill and did well not to overpower the lovely flavour of the meat.
We share three main dishes which all have incredibly rich, authentic and distinctively different essences, and each one an absolute delight! The Prawn Adaraki contained a generous portion of the meatiest most flavoursome king prawns I have ever tasted and the sweet and sour sauce had a lovely unusual flavour that was really quite sublime.
The fragrant colourful cashew and tomato Saumy, packed with meaty chunks of chicken breast, had a lovely delicate flavour which somehow stays with you.
The Lamb Mewari, a “traditional dish dating back to 10th century AD when the king of Mewar wanted a dish that is hot and meaty enough to suit the palate of a warrior” was the hottest and richest of the three dishes and slow cooking was certainly evident as the lamb melted away releasing the meats full flavour which went perfectly with the fragrant piquant sauce it is cooked in. If it proves too spicy it comes with a passion fruit infused raita which is not only perfect for cooling it all down but also adds a lovely new refreshing flavour to the proceedings.
The accompanying lemon rice was cooked to perfection with a nice intensely fragrant aroma of its own. My favourite part, of course mopping up the sauces with naan, which is the best I have ever tasted, perfectly spiced with a lovely doughy texture. Sheer perfection.
We have been frequent visitors to Indian Summer for years so it is a huge relief that they are offering a delivery and takeaway service so we can continue to get our fix. All the dishes travelled exceptionally well in the environmentally friendly packaging. If you are after treating yourselves to a takeaway Indian Summer will surpass all expectations. I for one am super excited about the plans for the future of the restaurant and the makeover looks incredible! With the live music industry on its knees, anything that helps get local musicians performing again is certainly welcome, we will be first in line to book a table as soon as we can.
Tony Shattell
Indian Summer. 01273711001. 70 East Street, BN1 1HQ