GOOD KAI

Atithi Twickenham Typically when I think of good Indian food I'm usually looking for a place that's a cut above the typical high street curry houses. Now there are one or two contenders in the Richmond Borough that I think are great restaurants, but for me the best Indian restaurant, in the borough of Richmond has to be Atithi in Twickenham. Black lentil Dahl, Atithi Restaurant, Twickenham What makes Atithi different from all other curry houses, is that every dish is unique. Atithi layer their flavours and use different textures and spices adding a level of complexity not seen in other Indian restaurants. Their plates are presented beautifully and the kitchen is run like clockwork as you will see below. Chef will sometimes throw in a complimentary pre-starter which is always a welcomed touch. I was lucky enough to take a peek behind the scenes and film Chef Negi Roomali making my Gilafi Handi dish. Atithi is very popular with locals in Twickenham. As we

Scallops, Nopi, London Nopi is a restaurant in Soho from the man behind the highly successful deli, Ottolenghi. It has a complicated menu of small dishes from Asia, Middle East and the Med. I had high expectations of Nopi, and although nicely presented most of the plates (apart from the scallops) lacked the cohesion one normally enjoys from a truly celebrated restaurant kitchen, it missed that perfect balance of flavours and for me it turned out to be overhyped and overpriced. Bland flavours, roasted aubergine, Nopi, London The interior is very light and airy, with opulent fittings and marbled floors juxtaposed against rustic neutral furniture. It feels experimental, a bit like the food. No real cohesion, just a mix of an un-relatable ideas presented on a plate. We were limited to a one and a half hour dining session which proved a little short as a number of the dishes took some time for the kitchen to prepare - in any good small-plate restaurant, food comes out when it

Bacco Italian Restaurant, Richmond There are a few very good Italian restaurant's around the Richmond area, but if you look hard enough you will find one or two good ones - one being Masaniello in Twickenham who do genuine Italian cuisine, and A Cena in East Twickenham is also popular, although their staff aren't as friendly as the other places and honestly, they take themselves too seriously, I love Italian restaurants because they make you feel welcome - these guys are the exception. But one place I enjoy going to is Bacco in Richmond. I have also stumbled across a restaurant in Whitton that serves authentic food - their burrata is the real deal here, not the fake stuff (mozzarella and burrata are prepared completely differently so if someone serves you up mozzarella instead of burrata, tell them) you see in Italian 'styled' restaurants. Burrata - A ball that has stringy interior with cream or milk inside and is wrapped like a wonton inside a mozzarella case an