LDNReview
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Kokum
Included In
Kokum is right up there with the best Indian restaurants in the city. The food is excellent and the service rivals the tender beef nihari for warmth. This East Dulwich spot is firmly in our rotation of places to go when we want to be equal parts spoiled with delicate pani puri and comforted with naans glistening with ghee.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
During the week, the atmosphere can be a little sleepy. But peaceful is what the couples—sitting in companionable silence, occasionally nodding their head and letting out satisfied “mmhhm” noises—are looking for. Ditto the post-work friends in full fluorescent lycra, sweating over a tadka makhani sauce with no fear of side-eye. Come the weekend, there’s a gear shift and rounds of slightly smoky, cayenne pepper-infused cosmos are dispatched to a group of indie film director types celebrating a big birthday. The best seats in the house are towards the back where it’s a little moodier and you feel in the thick of things.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Whatever night you visit, the common thread is the warm staff buzzing between everyone: anticipating the extra portion of ribs you’ll want, clearing plates before you knew the table was getting crowded, and gently suggesting a refreshing cider after catching you fanning your mouth like you’re on an episode of Hot Ones.
Even on a slow night, the food makes Kokum worth a visit. A portion of sweet, sticky, glazed pork ribs is a dish we immediately send photos of to friends with the amount of exclamation marks usually reserved for an SOS. The same goes for a spicy, fragrant biryani, loaded with lamb that's barely able to cling to a fork. Its pastry lid is pried off for you, tableside, with a level of care you come to expect from Kokum.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Tandoori Roast Cauliflower
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Sticky Pork Ribs
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Raan Uthappam
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Butter Chicken
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Short Rib Nihari
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Hyderabadi Lamb Biryani
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Peshwari Naan
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch