GOURMET LONDON -- PART 5

GORDON RAMSEY TO ALAIN DUCASSE After a peek at the menu, we knew that here they respected the traditions of Indian cuisine without being mired in it. The dishes of northern India form a mystical union with Southern India’s curry leaves, tamarind and sesame seeds, the ultimate result being a wondrous selection of Indian “comfort food.” The seafood used in the dishes is impeccably fresh and spices are crushed and prepared daily. Palnitkar told us that the chefs – an executive chef supported by a team of regional specialty chefs -- create new dishes that are rotated through from time to time, their popularity determining whether they make the menu more-or-less permanently. Steve selected the spicy crab cake appetizer and delighted in its dazzling flavor and heat. Steve’s more traditional chicken tikka entrée was done to other-worldly perfection, which he paired nicely with an understated pinot Grigio. Heidi feasted on a delicate chicken samosa appetizer, followed by wonderfully piquant and sizeable prawns in a red curry sauce, served with Basmati rice and complemented with an icy cold Cobra beer. Moist, fluffy naan bread rounded out the main course. If you think that Veeraswamy is like other Indian restaurants that offer a limited and predictable dessert menu predominated by the usual yogurt/honey/cardamom-heavy suspects, think again. An offering of a trio of sorbets reminded us of the tropical flavors so plentiful in Miami. But the topper was the multi-layered, creamy cake that, Palnitkar explained, was painstakingly created layer by individual layer, and garnished with black pepper ice cream. What sounds odd on paper becomes, in reality, a rich, sensationally tasty masterpiece.