Madame D’s: Team behind Gunpowder to launch Himalayan restaurant in Spitalfields

The restaurant will be smoky, cosy and full of the aromas of spices
D is for dinner: A spread at Madame D's, which opens in May
Joe Woodhouse
Ben Norum18 May 2017

The team behind Indian restaurant Gunpowder are launching a new site focused on Himalayan cooking.

Husband and wife founders Harneet and Devina Baweja, along with head chef Nirmal Save, will open Madame D’s on Commercial Street in May, close to their successful no reservations original.

It will sit above a pub, and will serve dishes that draw on Indian, Nepalese, Tibetan and Chinese cooking — the bedrocks of Himalayan cuisine.

The team (from left): Founders Devina Baweja and Harneet Baweja and head chef Nirmal Save
Joe Woodhouse

There will be 25 covers, and — again — no reservations.

​Harneet said: “Whilst Gunpowder collates family recipes from across India, Madame D’s will very much focus on food from the Himalayas with darker oriental flavours. It’ll still be all about using fresh, local produce with a commitment to homestyle cooking and intricate flavours.”

He added: “I first discovered Himalayan food when visiting family in north east India where I spent my summers growing up. The memory of the constant heat from the spices… it was food unlike anything I’d eaten before.”

In the mix: The food will be influenced by Indian, Nepalese, Tibetan and Chinese 
Joe Woodhouse

Dishes — served for sharing and priced between £3 and £15 — will include garlic coriander steamed chicken, prawn toast and a selection of dumplings including pan-fried Tibetan duck momo and so-called gold coin dumplings, named for their shape.

As for the restaurant’s name, Harneet explained: “Madame D draws influence from the resilient women of the 19th century who travelled across the Himalayas, selling opium and collecting recipes, customs and traditions as they went.”

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The team have even created a figure by way of the restaurant’s backstory.

“Our Madame D ended up settling in East London above a rickety old pub, dealing in flavours, spices and food whilst leaving the opium in the Himalayas,” elaborated Harneet.

“The restaurant is a reflection of how we’d imagine her flat to be, tucked away above Commercial Street — it’s ramshackle and stripped back with bare walls, minimal furniture and trinkets and ornaments collected from her travels through the foothills of the Himalayas. It’ll be smoky, cosy and full of the aromas of spices, wafting from the kitchen.”

It will be lit by candlelight, with long wooden benches setting the scene for communal dining.

When it comes to drinks, the restaurant will collaborate with Blessings Bar downstairs. There will be a focus on craft beers as well as short selection of wines and cocktails. These will include a couple of house-special Madame D’s Margaritas made with spices and ingredients from the kitchen.

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