Monsoon

Friday evening means finding more pre-​salsa food. I was told by a friend that Monsoon had just opened on the site of an old Indian restaurant.
The décor has certainly been updated to an airy and more contemporary feel. The service was prompt and friendly.
The menu is mainly Indian with a section of chef’s recommendations and a section of Nepalese dishes. On questioning, the waiter said the Nepalese dishes were ‘very similar to Indian dishes’. Hmmmm
So I settled for a rani kebab (spiced lamb cutlets) for starter and a main of lamb xacuti, a dish which I really enjoy at Cinnamon Spice in Epsom, my current favourite Indian restaurant in the area.
My mango lassi was too sour and needed a little more sweet to balance it.
The lamb cutlets were quite tough, a sign of being overcooked. They also failed to deliver on the one chilli sign they had marked on the menu — needs a lot more flavour.
The xacuti also had ill defined flavours with sour dominating a dish which was crying out for balance.
It was a filling meal but there are much better options in the area.