Last updated: October 29, 2024
Tell me another quayside restaurant which is fully booked with every table taken at 6pm on a week night! The buzz emulating from Khai Khai on Newcastle’s quayside is incredible when we visit straight after work on a Thursday night.
Coining their Indian heritage cooking as ‘smoke play’ Khai Khai’s skillful chefs pride themselves on re-creating authentic dishes over fire with hot stones, wood and tandoor used in the pursuit of perfection. Meanwhile, artisan suppliers are at the heart of Khai Khai’s produce, sourcing local, seasonal and organic produce when they can.
Housed in a Victorian Grade II listed building, it’s a handsome looking restaurant with a regal feel against the playful atmosphere. High ceilings and original window features are striking and the furniture is old skool, vintage-esque with notable artefacts dotted around that capture the attention even though all you can think about is the food!
We particularly love the lighting – dim and moody with all the light focused on the tables, it’s a very cool setting and we can’t wait to get stuck in.
We start with the chef’s special starter. It’s a patty filled with veg and potato and garnished with radish and nuts which provide a delightful contrast of textures in the mouth. Dainty dots of whipped cream taste of citrus and nut notes and it’s a feast for the senses – sweet, and spice, earthy notes and sharp citrus all combined, with flecks of gunpowder dusting which we’re told is a secret recipe.
The minted kheema pav with minced lamb and peas jumps out at us from the menu and we aren’t disappointed when it arrives. We pile this meat combo onto bouncy chilli garlic brioche and devour. It’s strong flavoured and there’s a long linger of heat at the end of each mouthful. A little too much heat for me, my partner doesn’t agree and devours the rest in record time! The pav also tastes incredible when dipped in the mango dip that comes with our poppadoms.
Lamb chops are the tastiest, juiciest chunks of deliciousness I’ve tasted all year! From the smoke plates section of the menu, they’ve been cooked on the josper oven which is a closed high temperature oven, allowing the meat to soak up all the flavour and aroma. I’m not one for picking up meat with my fingers but there was no stopping me as I gorged on every bit of lamb I could get off the bone. Flavoured with star anise and fennel seeds gives a woody and earthy taste to the meat, while the mint chutney was the perfect accompaniment to lift the rich flavours.
Old Delhi butter chicken with smoke chicken tikka, tomato sauce and herb butter arrives to the table next, the silky smooth sauce a gorgeous, vibrant shade of red. As a massive fan of sweet curries, I loved the aromatic sauce and the chicken was again cooked so beautifully. Hot garlic naan, garlic pilau and the butter chicken all scooped up in one go tasted tremendous, while Adraki bhuna lamb was a much thicker curry, packed with roasted spices and zingy ginger – again a good choice and a nice contrast to the first dish.
We couldn’t visit Khai Khai without ordering the much-raved-about signature tandoori broccoli, which arrived as we’d asked, with main courses. Another secret recipe from the Khai Khai kitchen team, it tastes charred and smoky, smothered and cooked in a pistachio and chilli sauce which may or may not have some yoghurt in it!
A bottle of house red tempranillo was great value at £24 and a nice easy wine to go with the strong flavours of the dishes.
Khai Khai is not your average curry house (and not just because it counts Gordon Ramsay amongst its many high profile fans), it’s an experience. A buzzy, vibrant restaurant in a prime location with an air of superiority over the other curry houses. The staff are excellent (especially Nihal), the dishes are interesting, and their style of smoke style cooking really does add something special.
With their Festive menus now live on the website, now’s a great time to get booking, while Khai Khai also offers takeaway, and plant based options.
