I tried a restaurant in West Wickham where the chef has won multiple awards and it was a culinary experience.
Located in Coney Hall, iNaga is a 15-minute drive from Bromley’s town centre and is open 5pm until 11pm Monday to Saturday and 2pm until 10pm on Sundays.
iNaga in West Wickham’s chef Nanu Miah has won the award for Best Chef at the Asian Curry Awards 2023.
The business has won a number of annual awards since 2014 including the award for Best Chef at the Asian Curry Awards in years prior to 2023.
The interior offers a rustic, cosy vibe with artwork and wooden tables along with window art featuring a floral design.
The restaurant is intimate and cosy and offers takeaway options, as well as seating for guests who want to dine in like we did.
It has a very relaxed vibe, with diners coming in for a meal after work and visitors picking up takeaways that evening.
The restaurant is a fairly small size and it can get busy during the evenings, so it is advisable to book in advance.
The bar offers a selection of drinks including wines, spirits, beers, and soft drinks to choose from.
I was invited to sample some of the chef’s favourite dishes both on and off the menu.
The food
We were first given poppadoms and a selection of dips, with classics like mango chutney and a creamy cucumber dip, as well as a freshly made lime pickle.
For starters I tried a selection of dishes that the chef had created for me and my table.
We tried Pan Puris, a round crunchy pastry case filled with chickpeas, mint sauce, tamarind, spaces and topped off with pomegranate seeds.
They were like little works of art and they had a great mix of textures and flavours with the chickpeas and spices. They aren’t on their regular menu, but on occasion Adbul decides to make these traditional street food for diners.
We were also given some Onion Bhajis to try, they were crispy on the outside and had a very satisfying crunch.
We also tried the Tilapia Biran, a spiced and coated fried fillet of fish, as well as spiced cutlets of lamb and lemon and lime chicken.
One thing I will say for Chef Nanu is that he really knows how to season everything and the texture of everything was delicious.
Moving onto mains, we were given a selection of curries as well as Pilau Rice.
We tried the Chicken Dhakashwari, which is chicken marinated in a sweet and creamy mango sauce.
The sweetness of the mango really complimented the chicken, and if you’re a fan of Tikka Masala and the creaminess it has, this would be an alternative I’d recommend to try.
We also tried the Tandoori Garlic Chicken Tikka, the Shashlik Masala made with onion sauce, and Laal Mass, a spicy lamb dish.
Everything tasted delicious with so much flavour and spice.
The prices of the restaurant are reasonable, with curries ranging from £8 up to £15, so you could easily have a few to share if you wanted to try a range of options.
For desserts I tried a traditional Indian Kulfi, a kind of ice cream made with evaporated milk in a pistachio flavour.
Kulfi is richer in texture than normal ice cream, however the taste is a lot more lighter on the palate.
My companions both opted for lemon sorbet, which came served in a fresh lemon and was very refreshing after a lot of spices.
This place is such a hidden gem. If you want a cosy and relaxed place to enjoy delicious and affordable food, you need to add iNaga to your list of restaurants to try.
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