Dip In Brilliant Is Tasty But Not Brilliant

Brilliant. A simple but bold brand name for a restaurant. And yet, with a culinary history spanning three generations, and an expanding empire encompassing restaurants, caterings services and cookery classes, the Anand family has much to boast about. Brilliant may be befitting.

The newly-opened Dip In Brilliant is the latest addition to the family’s portfolio. The Fulham-based joint is the solo venture of celebrity chef Dipna Anand. Following in the footsteps of her grandfather Bishen Dass Anand, founder of the Brilliant brand in the 1950s, Dipna showcases Punjabi cuisine.

The decor is unassuming; modern, but unimposing. It’s a “casual setting” designed for a quick bite or a relaxed meal. Nothing too fancy.

The menu offers an impressive, yet reasonable selection, including an excellent choice of vegetarian courses.

Our appetisers are papadums; two to be precise. It seems a stingy portion given that the side of dipping sauces is so generous. We barely scratch the surface of the dips by the time our papadums have vanished.

Fortunately, our starters are more substantial. The tandoori chicken is delicious; succulent and flavoursome. The papri chat — chickpea, potatoes, vermicelli and yoghurt — is nice, if a little sickly. It is sweeter than we had expected.

For our main course, we order the chicken tikka masala and the alu chollay (chickpea and potato curry). Both dishes are tasty, though neither is spellbinding. The side of garlic naan is delightful though.  

We follow Dipna’s personal recommendations for pudding and sample the gulab jamun ice cream and the gajar ka halwa, two variations of popular Indian desserts. The ice cream is a twist on a famous dessert — gulab jamun. This milk-based dessert is normally served as a deep-fried dough ball coated in syrup. Our ice cream, by contrast, is served on a stick with a side of pink syrup, a deconstructed dessert perhaps. The ice cream is sweet and creamy.

We are less enthused by the gajar ka halwa. The carrot-based dessert, which is hailed as being relatively healthy in India, bemuses us. On the one hand, the grated carrot reminds us of the texture of vegetable curry. On the other hand, the sweetness is reminiscent of carrot cake. Perhaps scones elicit the same reaction amongst Punjabi people...

Our meal was enjoyable, not brilliant. Perhaps Dip In Tasty would be more appropriate.

Dip In Brilliant, 448-450 Fulham Rd, Fulham, SW6 1DL.