TASTEBUD CHALLENGE AT THE 29029 RESTAURANT
Many of us are guilty of this, aren’t we? We find a dish we like at a restaurant, and we stick with it. Maybe sometimes we’ll try and experiment with a new dish, but before you know it – you’re back ordering the same old thing.
The fantastic 29029 Restaurant recently invited us along for a rather delicious challenge where they would pick out what dishes to try, to broaden our culinary horizons. The ethos behind the 29029 is to add a contemporary twist on Indian and Nepalese cuisine, applying eastern flavours with a western twist. This makes the 29029 the perfect setting for such a culinary challenge, as their menu is filled with creative dishes that combine the traditional with the modern.
So, we at Love It Local were fully on board with the challenge, where the team at the 29029 would select several dishes to try out that we may not normally have ordered ourselves. Here are our findings…
Starters at the 29029 Restaurant
Goan Beef and a Medley of Canapés. Both plates were beautifully presented, as the adage goes ‘we eat first with our eyes’. The 29029 creates dishes that are more than just pleasing to the eye however, as when we tucked into both starters, the flavours were incredible.
The Goan Beef consists of cuts of beef fillet that are soaked overnight in a yoghurt and rum marinade, meaning that the meat is very tender and succulent. Spiced with crushed ginger, chillies and cloves, the meat is then chargrilled, adding a slight smokiness to the taste. The dish has a pleasant, warm heat, that doesn’t take away from the fantastic combination of flavourings.
The canapés were a fantastic mixture of different items, from delicately spiced prawns to crunchy samosas, it was a wonderful eclectic mix of flavours and textures. It was a complete experience of the senses – visual, smell, and taste.
Main courses at the 29029 Restaurant
MUMBAI STYLE STIR-FRY WELSH LAMB
With fresh cooked coriander, garlic, red onion, and peppers. Served with mosala mashed potato and herbed salad.
The first main dish we tried out was the Mumbai Style Stir-Fry Welsh Lamb. This dish combined a delicious range of textures, from the smooth mosala mashed potato to the crunchy vegetables. The mosala mashed potatoes were a complete revelation, working so well in the overall dish and being masterfully flavoured. We were very used to having rice with curry dishes, and so talking to the 29029 team about the addition of mashed potatoes, they discussed how this dish was that combination of bringing western and eastern flavours together. The combination of spices in this dish were wonderful, with tastes of fresh coriander and garlic. The lamb was well cooked and tender. This dish was sweet and spicy, with a subtle heat that built up without taking away from the flavours.
CINNAMON GLAZED DUCK BREAST
Lightly seasoned with turmeric, pan seared, served with spinach korma, herbed salad and straw potatoes.
This next dish was one that we found to be really exciting in its flavour profile, with a fantastically flavoured sauce and delightfully crunchy straw potatoes. The duck was perfectly cooked, with the turmeric adding to its flavour, rather than taking it away. The straw potatoes were nice and crispy, and paired nicely against the mango chutney on the plate. The presentation of the dish was again fantastic. The spinach korma was creamy and well-seasoned and worked well with the rest of the elements on the plate. This dish showed off the masterful way the 29029 combines western style dishes with eastern flavour profiles. This was definitely a dish we would order in future!
AVOCADO STUFFED ROASTED CHICKEN MOSALA
In basil and tomato sauce with a hint of chilli and accompanied with pulao rice and herbed salad.
A very bold and striking plate, this dish embodied the aims of the 29029 Restaurant, to bring together new and wonderful combinations of flavours, bringing a modern twist to classic dishes. Chicken Mosala is one of the most well-known dishes in the UK, but this dish was a real twist on it, with the bold flavours of tomato, basil, and avocado. The rich, tangy tomato sauce contrasted nicely against the avocado. The chicken was tender, and the pulao rice well-seasoned. This was a bold dish, with an adventurous flavour profile. Vibrant, sweet, and with that hint of chilli.
NARANGEE
Roasted chicken breast stuffed with spinach and mosala mashed potatoes, drizzled with a morel (korma) sauce of cashew nut, coconut cream and basil served with pulao rice.
The final, but by no means least, dish that the team prepared for us was this delightfully creamy and sweet concoction. Tender chicken was coated in a creamy korma sauce, with the fantastic addition of a crunch of sweet pomegranate seeds. This dish was full of the subtle flavours of cashew and coconut that built up on the palate, making for a very comforting taste. The pulao rice balanced out the dish nicely. This would be a great dish for anyone with a sweet tooth or who is looking for something creamier rather than spicier.
This was a very fun challenge, showing us at Love It Local what a good idea it is to try out dishes you may not have previously considered! The 29029 restaurant is the perfect place for this kind of culinary exploration – so go on, get out there and challenge your taste buds!
You can book a table at The 29202 Restaurant online or call them on 01929 556959.
This article was first published in Love it Local magazine, September 2023. Read the full magazine (online).