An Origin-al take on good food

10 April 2012

This review was published in April 2002

The stretch of Kew Road that runs up to the A316 roundabout in Richmond has always been something of a restaurant hot spot. The hinterland of elegant Victorian and Edwardian houses offers the signs of affluence that make restaurateurs salivate.

So it was no surprise when another new establishment opened its doors on the stretch. Origin Asia is an aggressively modern, markedly stylish, somewhat over-the-top Indian restaurant - all of which would count heavily against it if the food was not very good indeed.

The large restaurant is divided into four sections: sit in the front and the goldfish-bowl feeling of sitting in the window is mitigated by a rather splendid Indian glass chandelier; the middle sections are agreeable; but the back, with its view of the grand kitchen, is the place to be - at least until summer arrives when the tables outside will win at a canter.

The menu is still evolving, but starters like chaman-ki-chat are intriguing - a sort of Asian cousin to the Waldorf salad. Fresh sharp fruits - apple, strawberry and kiwi - are cubed, added to chunks of boiled potato and salty homemade paneer (Indian cheese) and coated in a tangy and spicy dressing. Original, and it works.

Or how about something from the tandoor? Phir wohi moti are mushrooms that have been stuffed with a paneer and herb paste before being cooked on a skewer. From the meatier offerings, go for adrak-ke-panje - top-class tandoori lamb chops. Like the surroundings, some of the dishes are a little over the top - methi-ke-scallops is one of them. The scallops are terrific - perfectly cooked, soft and sweet. And the methi sauce is a belter - strongly flavoured and well-balanced.

But the two make uneasy bedfellows as the delicacy of the scallops is trampled underfoot by the powerful sauce. Try the gosht saagwala instead. This is an epic dish - a simple spinach and lamb curry, but the fresh spinach is still green and perky, the lamb is tender, and the sauce rich.

There are also plenty of vegetarian dishes that tempt - the Punjabi-di-dal is a good, buttery-rich dal made with black lentils. The breads are outstanding here: crisp freshly made rotis; while lacchedar Kerala paratha is flaky and delicious. This place deserves to do well, but long-term success will depend on whether it can win over a local following.

Origin Asia
Kew Road, Richmond Upon Thames, TW9 2PQ

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in