Restaurant review: Panas, Blackheath

They say Brick Lane is the place to head for curry, but when you have the likes of Everest Inn and The Coriander on your doorstep in Blackheath, it would be a wasted journey. And there’s a new kid in town – Panas Gurkha Restaurant.

Located on Lee High Road, the restaurant serves up authentic, freshly prepared and beautifully presented Indian and Nepalese cuisine with an emphasis on healthy eating. The interior is modern and stylish, combining crisp white table cloths and contemporary place settings with colourful Indian wall hangings and etched glass partitions portraying traditional scenes from Indian culture. It’s lovely, but once you’ve tasted the food, that all pales into insignificance.

Head chef Sujan Katuwal, who grew up in Nepal, has trained under the likes of Atul Kochhar, the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star and TV personality Das Sreedharan, seen on The Naked Chef. Katuwal and his team have put together a substantial menu, with plenty of vegetarian options and a list of ‘famous Indian dishes’, where you’ll find your jalfrezis, tikka masalas and even a vindaloo. My friend and I were drawn to the chef’s signature dishes.

I selected the jhaneko masu, a dry dish with tandoor-cooked, incredibly tender lamb pieces, pan-fried with spring onions, ginger, a generous helping of garlic, dry chilly, fenugreek and a hint of lemon. The chef dialed down the chilly a touch for me, and it really was an outstanding dish. My friend was equally impressed with her vegetarian butter paneer with honey, a homemade cottage cheese with creamy tomato sauce and fenugreek leaves. 

Before the mains, we had sampled the vegetable momo – little dumplings stuffed with spiced vegetables – and the tandoori salmon – cubes of salmon marinated in spices and grilled in a clay oven. Possibly the most delicious, succulent salmon I have ever eaten.

There’s a lot more I want to try on this menu. I’ll certainly be back...

318 Lee High Road SE13 5PJ; 020 8852 9891; www.thepanas.co.uk

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