In London, the Rubens at The Palace hotel has opened a new Indian restaurant. The Curry Room’s three-course menu blends Indian and South African influences.
Arun Kumar, The Curry Room’s chef, worked with Kevin Joseph, executive chef at The Oyster Box Hotel in South Africa (The Rubens’ sister property), to design the menu. Joseph has opened Indian restaurants across The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, including The Curry Buffet at The Oyster Box in Durban, and The Curry Room at The Old Government House Hotel & Spa in Guernsey.
Instead of offering the usual à la carte options, Chef Kumar and Chef Joseph designed an all-inclusive menu that puts Indian dishes like beef vindaloo, vegetable korma, Bengal fish curry, and butter chicken next to Joseph’s traditional KwaZulu-Natal fare like lamb curry and prawn-and-chicken curry. All entrées are served with basmati rice, the chef’s vegetable side dish and traditional naan bread. To finish, guests can choose from Indian infused Kulfi ice cream, fresh papaya and sorbet, traditional trifle, or baked vanilla cheesecake.
The restaurant serves cuts of meat hand-selected by The Rubens’ butcher, Aubrey Allen, Royal Warrant holder to Her Majesty The Queen, and the fish is locally sourced from Billingsgate Market.
The wine selection comes from Bouchard Finlayson, The Rubens’ sister vineyard in South Africa. Popular Indian beers such as Kingfisher and Cobra are also available.
The Rubens at the Palace recently completed a multi-million dollar refurbishment, including upgrades to many of its rooms and guest areas, as well a complete overhaul of the hotel’s dining options. The Curry Room is the final addition to The Rubens’ new look and sits alongside the red Cavalry Bar and the hotel’s new fine-dining restaurant, The English Grill.