The group has introduced 13 new dishes, as well as removed a number of others, following a research trip to Bombay with executive chef Arun Tilak at the start of this year that led to the sampling of more than 650 dishes.
New additions include Goan monkfish curry, influenced by Bombay’s Goan community, that comprises monkfish in a hot and sour sauce, which the group says is a contrast to the creamier Dishoom signatures of chicken ruby and black daal. They also include fish Amritsari; makhmali paneer; chota papad with mango chutney; and a chicken kathi roll.
New desserts include a coconutty fruit crumble – a mix of coconut, jaggery, toasted nuts, stewed apple and crumble; and orange caramel custard.
Some of the Dishoom classics have also been updated, including its pau bhaji that has a chunkier texture using leftover vegetables, while the updated keema pau is described as being ‘more fragrant and spicy’.
Each restaurant will continue to feature its own special dish. New specials include a methi lamb gosht and paratha at its Soho restaurant, and a rara gosht and roomali roti at Dishoom’s Shoreditch and Birmingham sites.
“Making significant changes to the Dishoom menu feels like a really big deal to us,” say founders Shamil and Kavi Thakrar.
“Our recipes are a true labour of love – they take months – sometimes years – to get to somewhere where we’re really happy with them. It’s hard to say goodbye to any of them!
“Bombay, however, is a real melting pot of a city that is constantly bubbling and evolving. There are new ideas and influences each time we return. It feels like the right time to mix things up.”
As part of the process, the group has also introduced a completely-new drinks menu that features more than 23 new cocktails.