We are also now open on Saturdays for lunch so enjoy a leisurely respite in the glorious old Westminster library. The perfect accompaniment to this relaxation- our brand new Pisco Punch!

July also saw us involved with wine and cookery demonstrations at the Imbibe Magazine Show at Earls court on 13^th & 14^th July. Our wine expert Laurent Chaniac and Head Chef Hari Nagaraj thrilled the audience with tastings and innovative pairings of wine and modern Indian cuisine.

The Cinnamon Club helps preserve National Treasure

Our neighbours at The Cinnamon Club, St Margaret’s Church Westminster urgently need £2 million for renovations and restorations. So on July 14^th, the College Garden of Westminster Abbey provided a spectacular setting for an evening summer reception for 500 generous guests aiming to raise essential funds for the appeal. The church has been colloquially known as “the parish church of the House of Commons” since 1614 and guests from all political parties, including first-time MPs, together with residents of Westminster and distinguished friends of the Organising Committee attended the Gala Reception to raise funds for the Appeal.

The Cinnamon Club as a responsible neighbour supported the appeal and the event by catering for 500 guests to keep St Margaret’s in sound condition.

Leuka Mini Masters- Dougray Scott announces in his speech that The Cinnamon Club is ‘The Best Indian Restaurant he has ever visited- in the world!’

On a normal, everyday July morning Dukes Meadow in Chiswick became a hotbed of activity. The small neighbourhood golf course was descended on by trucks, sports cars, music stages, champagne and more celebrities than you can shake a stick at. The event, supported by Esquire Magazine and hosted by Dougray Scott is a day of golf, music, cocktails and dinner (by The Cinnamon Club, of course) attracted Tim Henman, Lee Byrne, Damien Lewis, Rob Brydon, Hugh Grant, James Nesbitt who played on the 9 hole course- stopping at each of the holes for a ‘refreshment’.

This was hard work, and the participants and celebrities were all rewarded by a delicious 4 course dinner provided by The Cinnamon Club. The event was a huge success, raising money and awareness for Leuka, a leukaemia charity based at Hammersmith Hospital http://www.leukaminimasters.com/

Find your Feet Charity

Tuesday the 20^th July marked the 50^th Anniversary for the Find Your Feet charity hosted at Dockmaster’s restaurant. Head Chef Abdul Yaseen along with other top chef’s Atul Kochhar, Cyrus Todiwala OBE and Navin Bhatia showcased their cooking ability in an attempt to make a difference in the world. Lamb mince kebab and Karnataka style stir fry pork created by Chef Abdul Yaseen was absolutely to die for.Not only the food was amazing but there was also an auction where Masterchef Dhruv Baker auctioned himself to cook for £6000. All the proceeds from the event go to their new project which aims at recuperating lives of 50,000 families by improving their harvests, setting up small businesses and accessing vital services such as clean water, healthcare and education by year 2011 based in India and Malawi.

Inescapable summer heat calls for crisp, edgy wines that will help you get through the heat with an ease.

Chenin Blanc is equally refreshing as sauvignon blanc but the noticeable difference is palate aromatics. Gravely topsoil as result of the river influences in Loire region makes it a light to medium body with balanced acid and fruity. Golden terroir marries perfectly with Modern Indian food and that’s exactly what we aspire to create.

It feels only right to celebrate the English summer and what better way to do it than with strawberries and bubbles!
The month of July means Strawberries which are plentiful at your local farmers market. These British Gems are a great source of fiber and vitamin C. At Cinnamon Club, we love cooking by the seasons and absolutely love strawberries. Waiting for the English strawberry season to begin, for us, is a bit like the feeling children  waiting for their Christmas presents!

 It’s the time to create yet another delicious recipe using strawberries… only this time, with a twist! Ever tried strawberries with coriander?

Shrikhand Cheesecake with fennel, coriander and strawberries 

Cheesecake 

250 g – Greek yoghurt (hung in muslin overnight)

100 g – Mascarpone cheese

100 ml – double cream, whipped to soft peaks

50 g – Sugar

½ tsp – Cardamom powder

For the crumble

250 g – Flour

250 g – Sugar

180 g – Ground Almonds

250 g – salted butter, diced

Method:

For the crumble base, mix all the ingredients till a homogenous mixture is achieved. Spread on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Allow to cool and ‘crumble’.

For the cheesecake, fold all the ingredients together gently and chill.

To make up the cheesecake, place the crumble at the bottom of a dish or ring 2-3 cm thick. Fill the rest of the mould with the cheesecake mix and chill for a few hours before serving.

To macerate the berries

250 g Strawberries or any other berries as in season

Juice of half a lime

Rind of half a lime

2 mint leaves shredded

1tsp fennel seeds, roasted and crushed

1 tsp coriander seeds roasted and crushed

Pinch salt

Pinch sugar

To serve, cut a few strawberries, mix together the rest of the ingredients and toss .Let macerate for 10-15 minutes and serve with the cheesecake.

Wine tip

Strawberry cheesecake accompanied with our decadent Rose Champagne is a must. Our wine expert Laurent Chaniac is proud to be working with such a revolutionary champagne house such as “Ayala Rose Majeur”. Rose is a firm favourite of many on a sunny day with friends and family. It does exactly what it should do, energizing your senses and make you feel happy!

Needless to say when it was an honour to be invited to take part in this year’s celebrations as a Masterchef . I was hosted by the legendary Indian restaurant Rang Mahal where our tasting menus were served for a week and among other things, there was a hands-on cookery masterclass for 24 people and a charity dinner for 350 guests in aid of Community chest. Thanks to Peter’s efforts, I believe circa 600000 SGD were raised from the evening which is fantastic by any standard anywhere in the world!

It was a true celebration of world food and gastronomy and an experience to meet and interact with chefs like Greg Doyle and Grant King of Peir restaurant in Australia, Bruno Menard from L’osier in Japan, Andrea Berton of Ristorante Trussardi Alla Scala in Italy and Lai Yau Tim from Tim’s kitchen in Hong Kong. It was great to see our very own Alex Chow from Kai restaurant in Mayfair also there!

Interestingly it wasn’t just about international guest chefs raiding Singapore…it was very good to see that the entire restaurant fraternity in Singapore was just as excited about the event and well and truly backing it with everything they’d got. Generally speaking the quality of restaurants and dining out in Singapore is of a quite high standard and I was very impressed by the spread laid out at some of the events I got a chance to attend. My humble house, Les Amis and Majestic House particularly impressive! 

Lau pa sat or Long Beach- Pepper crab or S’pore Chilli Crab?

With tonnes of mise-en-place to prepare for our various tasting menus there wasn’t much time to get to try all the local delicacies, so Awanish, James and I decided to scour the squeaky clean streets of Singapore and try all the hawkers that would remain open or serve after mid-night!

One such late evening was spent at Laupasat with serious discussion over whether the pepper crab was better or the chilli crab! Another was spent in Clarke Quay  trying out the famed Singapore chilli Crab at Jumbo restaurant… the discussion remained the same!

Pamela Tan , our friend and guide in Singapore seemed to find it all quite amusing and so insisted we try the Long Beach restaurant, one that is credited with creating the famed chilli crab, on the way back to the airport!

The jury is still out on which of the crab dishes are better…

 Volcanic Ash

When I first heard on Thursday that flights were disrupted , I didn’t take it seriously thinking things would surely be back to normal by Sunday ( when I was supposed to be flying!)

No way were the governments let the entire economies come to a virtual stand-still, certainly not when things were so delicate! How wrong was I??!!

Couldn’t believe my luck but there I was! Well the positive is that I got to attend FHA ( Food Asia ) exhibition that week and also had the most amazing opportunity to attend Ferran Adria’s workshop!

So all in all, it wasn’t all bad at all and truth be told, there were worse places to get stranded in!

Rajvilas, the Oberoi Hotel in Jaipur put India on the global luxury map when it opened in 1997 and was awarded Tatlers’ Best Hotel in the world in 2001. There have been several hotels and resorts since that have pushed the envelope but none quite as ambitious as the recently launched Maharaja’s express  in India.  Its India’s first pan-Indian journey that lets you travel through different states and see places that would almost be impossible to see without the train. All that action –packed adventure and discovery without the niggle of packing, un-packing and driving to airports every day.

Whilst luxury is quite relative and personal, this is certainly one of the most unique ways of travelling in India and experiencing its culture, cuisine and people as I found when I was asked to join the train on one of its inaugural journeys.

No matter what, train journeys invoke a special feeling in most people and one can’t help falling into its charm. For me it brings memories of these journeys I’d taken as a child along with my parents on trips and vacations, getting to know people, make new friends, share tea, snacks and often meals.

Maharaja’s Express is no different, it does all of this and lots more! Even for a seasoned indo-phile such as me, it often surprised me with something new that I hadn’t experienced before. Quite like an epic novel which you find new meanings from, every time you read it, India does the same to me. A new discovery, realisation or meaning each time.

For one night only, on Tuesday 1st June, eccentric master wine maker Randal Grahm will host a five-course tasting dinner showcasing some of their best vintages that reflect the terroir on a macro and micro level while guests enjoy a stunning five-course dinner. 

 Complementing the Cinnamon Club’s own philosophy of pushing boundaries, this meeting of culinary passion promises to create a memorable evening for fine food and wine enthusiasts.

 Bonny Doon Menu

Apéritif and canapés

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Salad of Norwegian King crab with tamarind and green pea relish

Wine pairing: Albarino Ca’del solo, 2008

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Roast loin of rabbit with dried fruits in a mustard marinade

Wine pairing: Le Cigare blanc, 2007

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Tandoori breast of Anjou squab pigeon with peppercorn and cloves

Wine pairing: Syrah Le Pousseur, 2005

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Smoked loin of Welsh lamb with Chettinadu curry

Wine pairing: Cabernet Le Cigare Volant, 2004

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Mango fondant with chilled mango soup

Wine pairing: Vol des Anges Roussanne

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Coffee and petit fours

 Starting at 6:30pm till late and, with less than 50 places available for this exclusive event, booking is essential. The price is just £90* per person.  For more information write to us on events@cinnamonclub.com or call on 02076549393.

Cobra kindly asked us to be involved with their campaign, and so Vivek Singh has been answering questions, giving advice and has even supplied one his fantastic recipes that has now enjoyed the Cobra treatment. See the ‘We Love Curry’ video on how to make Old Delhi-style Chicken Curry at www.cobrabeer.com/recipes/vivek-singhs-old-delhi-style-chicken-curry

 You too can become a member of the SRA by signing up to be ‘friends of the SRA.’ www.thesra.org

On Monday 26th April, from 6.30pm until 8pm, wine enthusiasts can enjoy an informal wine tasting evening alongside a selection of delicious canapés at Anise in the City, for £25 per person.

 On Friday 21st May, for those of you who know your plonk from your premier cru, The Cinnamon Club in Westminster is showcasing a decadent six-course wine dinner, so you can enjoy London’s finest Indian cuisine matched perfectly with a series of award winning Australian wines, at £90 per person. Established and set up by the late Jim Barry in 1959, Jim Barry vineyards has since helped pioneer the Australian wine industry. Today, the company is headed by Jim’s second son Peter, who carries on his father’s innovative approach to viticulture and a strong commitment to technological excellence in winemaking. This philosophy is fundamental to the company’s ability to consistently produce wines of the highest quality, which have won international recognition. Both wine tasting events will showcase a range of red and white wines carefully paired with Vivek Singh’s celebrated Indian cuisine.