10 Dec The new kid in town – Navadhanya review
Navadhanya, Indian Fine Dining with a twist. A few weeks ago I noticed a sign up at the former Brunswick on Newmarket road ( city side). Much to my excitement a top end Indian had chosen to settle down here. This ‘off the beaten track’ area of Foodie Cambridge is slowly turning into the top end Asian part of town with the Orchid right opposite them. The Orchid serves fine Asian Fusion food. On the first floor, you can find induction tables for Hot Pot meals, which are very popular with the Asian community, but I like ‘a good steam’ once in a while too. In the back rooms, they have some amazing funky karaoke rooms, a place I’ve been many times both for social and business events.
It’s not a surprise, that these fine restaurants are settling down at this end of town. It’s next to the luxury Riverside developments and the Newmarket road area on the other side of the roundabout is being redeveloped over the coming years. Shops, apartments and new houses are part of the plan.
After extensive refurbishment over the last few weeks Navadhanya opened their doors last week. It was clear the word was spreading fast as some of the diners mentioned, that they heard good things about their food. I fully agree; it’s amazing. I do a lot of Indian cooking myself and if you do, you tend to be very critical as you create ‘your own flavour’. An experienced Indian chef has it’s own secret mix of ingredients. And was I lucky girl last night. They let me into some of their secret mixes. Their flavours are mind bubbling, interesting, delicious and showcasing that this new kid in town is ready to take Cambridge by a storm.
Navadhanya’s restaurant and to the right the Indian digestives.
I had heard, that things were going well and it showed as last night it was almost fully booked. They also have a private room upstairs, which can seat about 25 guests. The restaurant is intimate and I recommend booking well in time to avoid disappointment. Their wine list is just as interesting as their food. It features a wine from Lebanon too!
We decided we wanted to be led by the specialists and let the team decide for us. Our first dish was a mix of Tandoori starters. Delicious! Nice and spicy. Just the right heat.
Tikka Masala and naan
Followed by Lamb shank, Malai kofta ( vegetarian), Tikka Masala, Naan and rice. All of it was delicious, but I especially loved the Tikka Masala with a hint of freshly ground cinnamon and the Koftas in the herby creamy sauce. It’s not common to have a mix of various green herbs and spinach in this sauce.
Time to clear the pallet with Indian ice creams. As the waiter said; “It melts in the mouth!”. The end was a very pleasant surprise. First white chocolate with fresh mint leaves appeared and then interesting mixes of Indian digestives. Navadhanya likes to add their own twist to everything. The centre mix is their own creation of anise, fennel seeds and cardamon. Quite tough, but the chewing and spices stimulate your digestive system.
Kulfi and mango ice cream with a sauce of raspberry
Navadyhana is a great addition to the Cambridge food scene and with a Michelin star trained chef, I’m looking forward to many more visits. If it only was for those amazing mint chocolates!
Gerla
p.s. Just in case you’re wondering, but Navadhanya is the nine grains that are offered to the Navgrahas. It’s a healthy start!
More information about the team and the menu on their website.
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