Life is full of surprises, some good, some bad: the Brexit result, Taylor Swift dating Tom Hiddleston and Surrey’s new Indian haute cuisine restaurant, Saffron Summer.
Initially, I wasn’t keen. The restaurant’s location slap bang on the hideous Hook Junction almost put me off, but the press release held promise.
“Our Executive Chef, Awanish Roy, formerly of world-renowned Cinnamon Club, along with his team will be serving up a fabulous mix of modern twists and traditional classic dishes including wild boar vindaloo and guinea fowl banjara,” it chirped.
I tend to steer clear of ordinary Indian restaurants these days – preferring instead to visit those serving predominantly South Indian cuisine – as I’m fed up with the ubiquitous dreary Anglicised dishes and predictable poppadums.
As it turned out, however, Saffron Summer proved to be an extremely pleasant surprise (unlike the Brexit result). Here, we were greeted with Gol Gappa, street food I’d never tried before: hollow stuffed bread puffs that you pop into your mouth and wash down with a ‘shot’ of tamarind water. A promising start.
Kevin – my partner in dine – ordered the seven course Tasting Menu (£24.95 or £39.95 with wine pairing): a comprehensive selection comprising two starters of salmon tikka and gilafi seekh kebab followed by a sorbet to cleanse the palate. His two mains were butter chicken and chingri malai (Calcutta-style) prawns in a cone dosa. He looked pretty happy throughout.
I preferred to pluck my dishes from the à la carte menu, choosing Sev Batata Puri – a chaat food favourite –– for my starter: bite sized explosions, tangy yet sweet, crispy yet smooth (£4.95). For my main, I plumped for Saffron’s take on Hyderabad classic baingan mirch ka salan – another vegetarian dish that really excelled (£7.95).
If you are hankering for Indian food with a dollop of creativity, flair and authenticity, then Saffron Summer could well be the perfect place for you. Not only that, but the interior décor is smart, the waiters immaculately turned out and super friendly.
Furthermore, once you've figured out which direction you need to take to make the approach into Ace Parade (this particular junction has surely got to be one of the most nonsensical on the A3), parking is a dream.
To see the full menu and book visit Saffronsummer.co.uk
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