This autumn, Harneet and Devina Baweja will open their new restaurant, Gul and Sepoy on Commercial Street in London’s Spitalfields. Pairing the royal flavours of Northern India with the more relaxed, laidback approach of the South Western Indian coastline, Harneet, Devina and Executive Chef Nirmal Save will map their next story from the reaches of Northern Punjab and Rajasthan, to Maharashtra and the backwaters of Kerala.
Showcasing the breadth of Indian cooking, the menu will be divided into two sections, with ‘Sepoy’ reflecting Chef Nirmal’s modern interpretation of the rustic, provincial style-food associated with the soldiers of the Indian army who would cook whilst on the move. Dishes will include; Wild Rabbit Terrine with kasundi celeriac and pickled fig; Clams Sukka Masala; and Potted Pig Head with Blood Masala onions, championing nose-to-tail cooking and drawing on the food Nirmal grew up on at his family home in Maharashtra. The Gul menu, on the other hand will echo the age-old banquets of the Raj palaces in North-Western India with lavish flavours featuring; Three Birds Awadhi Korma; Jackfruit and Walnut Galouti and Red Leg Partridge in Afghani sauce. Desserts will include Rum soaked dough pillows with spiced cream cheese and berries and Walnut Fudge Alaska with salted almond chikki.
“Commercial Street feels like home, we’ve been so warmly welcomed over the last few years with Gunpowder and Madame D’s and we’re very much looking forward to embarking on our next adventure with the friends we’ve met so far. There’s something really romantic and beautiful about the cooking of the Raj-days of old and we’ve found that those flavours and dishes harmonise particularly well with the more rustic cooking you’d commonly find in historic tales of Sepoys (soldiers) travelling through colonial India.” says Harneet.
Sitting over two floors, Gul and Sepoy will be showered in natural light, with a large oak paneled bar greeting guests upon arrival. With a pared-back aesthetic throughout, the upstairs dining room will denote a touch of luxury, in a nod to the decadence of North India’s ancient royal palaces, including intricate wooden features and large marble feasting tables.
