Review
Khushee is an Indian restaurant in Sandymount village, but this is more Rogan Posh than Rogan Josh. A strikingly contemporary decor mix with a cool relaxed vibe, a tempting cocktail list and an eclectic clientele to create one of Irelands best Indian dining experiences. Khushee is in the top 5, but for some reason has managed to fly below the radar more that some lesser iterations of contemporary Indian cooking.
The dining room is painted in dark blue running over the ceiling, and white and blue prints stand out on the walls, while the banquette seating is covered in while and blues. The checkerboard floor completes the contemporary effect and it’s all very cool and restful. The kitchen here is open plan, and you can see the chefs at work. Noise from the kitchen is minimal, so it’s like watching a moving tableau, serene and relaxed.
The head chef Padaam Khand who has cooked in some of Irelands best ethnic kitchens and the menu in Khushee is shorter than most, with a selection of classics, but a lot of this menu is modern and contemporary Indian cooking. Indian food - more so perhaps than either Chinese or Thai - has undergone big changes in the last decade, possibly driven by the Michelin star Indian restaurants of the UK which are pushing the boundaries, and also by customer demand.
I watched a TV programme on one of the Michelin starred restaurants in Birmingham recently, and the head chef made the point that 20 years ago there were 400 balti houses in the city, but now it’s down to single figures. Tastes change and restaurants both drive that and adapt to it. Khushee is a driver, and that is reflected in the unusual and intriguing menu, which has a large vegetarian component and a vegan corner. Prices are pleasing, with starters ranging from €7 to €16 while main courses and between €16 and €25, so it’s pretty easy to enjoy two courses for under €30.
There are some surprises; a buttered chicken boa bun or spinach dumplings stuffed with mango chutney are tempting, but this close to the sea we started with scallops and tandoori king prawns. The scallops were perfectly cooked, almost translucent, and served with tomato chutney drizzled with oil infused with curry leaves. The delicate scallop flavour is intact and the chutney is a thoughtful accompaniment. The tandoori prawns meanwhile are a riot of flavour, and pickled cauliflower on the side is just necessary a hint of sharpness.
Main courses brought a duo of succulent tandoori lamb chops, perfectly presented with the bones cleaned and dressed and served with a berry compote which added a sweet component. Along side this we had a selection of small plates, a lamb curry with impossibly tender meat, a creamy chicken Makhani, fluffy pilau rice, three types of naan bread, a prawn saag and Bombay aloo.
All were different, with individual flavours and textures and all extremely good. We finished with a kulfi ice cream and a slice of cheesecake and sat back and enjoyed a good coffee.
Sandymount is a little village that is easily overlooked for the larger centres of Ballsbridge or the areas around the Grand Canal Theatre, but you will find it hard to find Indian food this good except in a handful of places in Ireland, not just Dublin. Give yourself a treat, and a taste of modern Indian food in this quaint village on the doorstep. As we come into summer, a stroll down Sandymount strand before or after just adds to an excellent culinary treat.
