Restaurant Review: Kokum

Forget Everything You Expect from an Indian Restaurant. Plus the Deal Of The Century.

Indian food might be hugely popular in the UK but it also has a bad press. Restaurants can often feel a little identikit, as if the Chicken Tikka Masala is being pumped into all of them from one huge underground Chicken Tikka Masala reservoir. At the same time, however, there are often fiery debates about which is the best Indian in any particularly area. In SE22 Tandoori Nights used to get the most votes but it sadly closed a few years ago.

So it was exciting when last year Kokum came to East Dulwich and there was a flurry of rave reviews in the press. Here was a modern Indian that steered clear of the curry cliches. According to their website it's the vision of Sanjay Gour and Simeron Lily Patel – the co-founders of the Michelin-rated and critically acclaimed Indian restaurants, Dastaan and Black Salt Sheen. No pressure then.

We went on the hottest weekend of the year so far so and chose to sit outside. There's a large space with a glass wall separating it from the pavement and to be honest the view is hardly the flowing Ganges, it's more like traffic flowing towards Peckham. This is a spot that has had a few iterations over the years. It was an Italian, Locale, for a while, and more recently was The Flying Pig.

But Kokum really is classy and deserves to thrive. Everything is beautifully presented and full of delicate flavours. The spices are judiciously added rather than adopting a lob-the-whole-jar-in policy. We started with poppadums and chutney. And yes, I did shout "poppadoms or bread" like they do in the Off Menu podcast. These were nothing like your usual greasy frisbees. They were firm and crunchy, almost like Doritos, but in a good way that certainly boded well the the rest of the meal.

For starters my partner had Chicken Pepper Fry Uttapam, a mix of small chicken cubes, black pepper and and coconut chutney or a small round pancake. It was looking like a tough act to follow but my Fish Koliwada with Chilli Aioli was really something else. So different I wondered if there had been a horrendous accident in the kitchen and they were trying to style it out as if nothing had happened..

What arrived was three fingers of white fish, Tilapia, usually eaten in the Philippines. They looked completely charred black as if they'd been left in an oven on full heat overnight. This was, however, entirely intentional. The fish was this colour because it had been coated in a batter of jet black squid ink. The result was like the tastiest fish finger you've ever eaten, the crust giving way to soft, white flakes of tilapia.

For mains, as per usual, we overdid it. We steered well clear of the usual lamb and chicken dishes and instead plumped for Fish Kadhi, which was three angular cuts of seared sea bass, a yoghurt-based Punjabi sauce (the Kadhi) and kale. I get nervous eating fish in case of bones but the bass was filleted to perfection. The only problem was that there were three pieces and two of us and after one piece each there was a bit of an unseemly squabble over the remaining piece.

For our second main dish I chose Paneer Makhani. I was recently told by my cardiologist (OK, Dr Google) that Paneer is one of the cheeses I’m allowed to eat in moderation and I can't believe I'd never had it before. It was smooth and creamy, a little like a cross between mozzarella and tofu but better than both. and it hopefully won't kill me. The Makhani sauce was strong on the tomato and maybe the closest thing in our meal to a classic Indian restaurant flavour, definitely more Masala than Heinz tomato soup.

Obviously we had some steamed rice and inevitably we had a fragrant peshwari naan that positively oozed almonds. And of course we asked for a doggy bag. In the Observer this weekend Sheila Hancock reviewed Wiltons and talked about "daring to ask for doggy bags" as if they were not the done thing. No such shame for me. And I'll be honest, no chance of the dog having any of the leftovers.

So yes, a big thumbs up for Kokum. I'm usually wary of rave reviews but a year on Kokum lived up to expectations. Our bill with wine came in at just under £100 for two so it's not cheap, but well worth it if you are feeling flush. And now, here's the twist/hack/kicker...

When we arrived the restaurant was also cooking food on a barbecue outside (above). Long skewers of meat were sizzling away and there were also skewers of cauliflower for the more health-conscious or ethical among you. There was a special deal on and I hope you are sitting down – a beer, chicken, naan bread and salad for the absolute steal of £15.

I'm not sure how often they spark up the al fresco barbecue but if it's on when you are hungry you'd be a damn fool not to try it. And with the money you save maybe go back another time and go a la carte.

Kokum, 8-60 E Dulwich Rd, London SE22 9AX

All meals paid for and identity not revealed before or after.