My first taste of what Tindli has to offer was quite a gastronomic adventure

The new venue, a beautiful space it has to be said, tucked away in the city’s Katana restaurant’s former cocktail bar, was coming to shake things up.

A chef with quite the reputation – Chef Karnavar whose CV boasts big name venues from Mumbai to Dubai over the last 30 years – was bringing his London concept Tindli to town.

And based on my first visit, they aren’t just talking the talk, they are most definitely walking the walk.

While not a criticism by any stretch, it is fair to say most Indian restaurants offer a similar culinary experience.

Sitting down with the menu at Tindli on Saturday afternoon it soon became clear that anyone looking for their usual mild and creamy korma, a chili-rich jalfrezi, or a hot and tangy vindaloo were in for a shock.

Yes, you can start with a bowl of poppadoms and there’s naans and rice a plenty, but there’s so much more that grabs your attention.

I’m no stranger to Asian food but I appreciated the guidance from the restaurant manager Vikram and - unexpectedly – Chef Karnavar, who hasn’t just lent his name to the place and was in the kitchen alongside the team of chefs.

So here, with a little help, is where the culinary journey took me and my teenage daughter.

For starters, we shared a couple of small plates and street food dishes.

The dosa – a thin and in parts crisp fermented rice and lentil crêpe which you just tear up – came with a selection of tasty sauces and a bowl of vegetable samba, a lentil-based curry, all great for dipping.

We do like a samosa, to be fair, and have a fondness for street food, so the samosa channa chaat ticked plenty of boxes; crushed samosas with chickpeas, zesty chutneys and sweet yogurt, fresh pomegranate, onions, tomatoes – it was tangy, spicy, sweet and more.

Something we have had recently is paani puri, hollowed out round puris packed with soft, tasty fillings, which never fail to delight.

And for prawn-loving Jasmine, the malabar black tiger prawns were a sight to behold, with taste to match.

Roasted with head, tail and shell in place, to add to the flavour, they were stuffed with a spicy filling and a real treat.

It had certainly given our tastebuds plenty to think about... and there was to come from a couple of the chef’s “signature” dishes.

The Kerala fish curry had a taste of its own, unlike any curry I had come across; a seabass fillet (you can have salmon) simmered with malabar (spinach) tamarind, Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander, turmeric, curry leaves, tomato and coconut milk, giving an intense flavour and plenty of heat!

And finally, an intriguing South Indian stir fry dish, varuval – I chose mutton but you can have it with beef. Quite a dry dish, caramelized, rich and dark, with an intense, spicy flavour from the curry leaves and dry chilies the meat – beautifully tender – is cooked in.

We didn’t order a rice, which this dish maybe needed, but thankfully our guide Vikram sent out an appam, a soft, moist, spongey and tasty pancake, made with fermented rice and coconut batter, which was a great tool for scooping up food from my plate.

All in all quite a gastronomic adventure, and one which I, or we, will be repeating some time soon.