Last updated: June 16, 2024
Chakh Dhoom in Jesmond has been getting rave reviews since it opened last December – mainly down to Ash who’s a bit of a perfectionist and has been ensuring that everything about the food is 100% authentic and true to the real Indian flavours of Delhi and beyond. They’ve also just won an award at the ARTA’s – the ‘Oscars of the Curry Industry’, taking home the prize for best Street Food Restaurant of the Year.
At 6pm, the restaurant was unbelievably full – testament to its popularity, in fact we were lucky to get a seat! The whole place was buzzing and the bar serving a constant stream of beers, wine and cocktails.
Located at the top of Osborne Road on the ground floor of the Best Western Hotel, Chakh Dhoom boasts beautiful modern interiors and flashes of vibrant colour making it a great setting for the delicious food that’s about to arrive.
Starters include the brightly decorated Punjabi style samosa chaat with Amritsari chick peas, fresh yoghurt and mint – there’s a good amount of spice and great texture oweing to the deep fried crispness of the samosa casing, the sprinkling of Bombay mix and the strands of sweet pickled onions.
Kasoori chicken tikka pieces are outrageously good – juicy and tender, they’ve been left overnight in a tangy fenugreek marinade and then charred in Chakh Dhoom’s traditional clay oven for that extra smokey flavour. The house red is a surprisingly good choice – a Balauri Romanian Pinot Noir with notes of black cherry, raspberry and cinnamon – powerful flavours to compliment the spices of the tikka.
We loved the authentic vegetarian Manchurian which I’d never tried before – this Indo-Chinese dish is created with a fusion of special spices, the origin of which dates back to when Chinese laborers in Calcutta immigrated to British Raj India looking for work. Thinking about it now, I’m still salivating over the addictive and punchy combo of spice.
Authentic Daryaganj butter chicken is my favourite main dish – an authentic recipe from the neughbourhood of Delhi where the dish originated. Lush silky and smooth, the tomatoes, cream and chunks of high quality chicken are a harmonious blend.
We also try the Pressure Cooker lamb curry which is served traditionally in many Indian households. The sauce is a rich and fragrant gravy which you can tell has been stewed for some time to get that depth of taste while the meat is beautifully tender. The accompanying garlic naan is substantial while offering up a light and fluffy texture – it’s just the right thickness to really get in at the sauce and load up the flavours.
Our night at Chakh Dhoom was over far too quickly and as we left, a steady stream of customers continued to arrive – the whole restaurant buzzing with good vibes amidst the waft of rich sweet flavours coming from the kitchen with each dish served.
It’s worth spending a good bit of time perusing Chakh Dhoom’s menu because the description are so interesting – like a culinary history lesson of India and there’s so much I now want to try next time.
We’re really looking forward to our return! A 100% recommendation from Luxe Bible! Check out the website and make your booking here.
