When every other person in London seems to have plans for Valentine’s Day, I highly recommend meeting your pal for an Indian next year.
That’s what I did, anyway. Except it was no ordinary Indian, it was quite possibly the tastiest Indian I’ve ever had.
Yaatra is located inside a Grade II listed Edwardian Old Westminister Fire Station in the heart of Westminster, a short walk from Victoria station.
While there are a number of set menus to choose from, catering for meat-eaters and vegans alike, we chose from the à la carte menu.
As my friend Lecsi and I ummed and ahhed over what we were going to eat, because every single dish sounded delicious, we enjoyed a cocktail and a selection of poppadoms served with a sweet and spicy mango chutney and mint yoghurt.
I went for The Fire Station Martini, which was a combination of vodka, passionfruit puree, vanilla syrup, lemon juice and prosecco. It got the perfect level of sweetness for me, and it was a charming cocktail to begin with.
Lecsi on the other hand opted for a Roast Banana Old Fashioned, which we concluded was a grown-up drink. The fusion between charred banana-infused bourbon, anise and cinnamon syrup, whisky bitters and orange bitters, had a definitive kick to it.
In order to try as much of the menu as possible, Lecsi and I decided to share everything.
To start with, we went for the Yaatra Kebab Platter which was comprised of a tandoori prawn, achari chicken and lamb chop. It also came with a kachumber salad and a mint yoghurt chutney.
The prawn was grilled to perfection, and the chicken and lamb were juicy and succulent in equal measure.
We also opted for the togarashi grilled scallop which was served in a coconut butter and citrus podi. I’m not over-exaggerating when I say, the scallop was one of the my most delicious things I have ever eaten.
I’m still thinking about it days later.
For our main course, we shared kerala tawa fry turbot which came in a prawn and clam kiri hodi (coconut curry), with coconut sambhal. The sweet, fishiness of the turbot was elevated by the coco-nuttiness, creating something sensational.
We also decided to try the paneer methi malai which was cooked in a rich and creamy tomato sauce and served with lotus seeds, and the smoked black dal which was phenomenal.
We mopped it up with saffron rice and garlic naan and washed it all down with a crisp glass of white wine.
We somehow found room for pudding and shared some gulab jamun – fried milk dumplings, soaked in saffron-flavoured sugar syrup, and a trio of homemade sorbet.
Each flavour, kalamansi and mint, wildberry and plum and tamarind was simply gorgeous, although I have to say I was a particular fan of the plum and tamarind.
If you’re looking for somewhere special, look no further than Yaatra in Westminster.
