BiBi is a new London restaurant that is serving up traditional Indian cuisine in a contemporary European style.
‘BiBi’, Urdu for ‘lady of the house’, is used as a term of endearment for grandmothers across the Indian subcontinent, and much of the restaurant’s menu and aesthetic is inspired by the comforting and flavourful Indian cooking traditions of chef Chet Sharma’s own BiBi.
Prior to working at some of Europe’s most prestigious restaurants (Mugaritz, Moor Hall, and L’Enclume) Sharma was an Oxford-educated physicist, and his penchant for mathematical precision is on display at BiBi.
The BiBi fare
The menu is divided into four sections – snacks, chaat, sigree, and sides – all of which are ideal for sharing.
Curb your hunger with some savoury snacks, such as crispy Kurkure Sweetcorn or mini Chettinad Chicken Liver Burgers in a buttery maska bun; followed dished from the chaat menu, such as Raw Beef Pepper Fry, a dry-aged Dexter top round with a coconut ash dosa and ginger pickle, or Gondhoraj Scallop with scallop roe, chaat masala and jalapeño.
Save room though for the real showstoppers in the sigree, or grill, section, which features mouthwatering meats like Green Chukh Masala Thigh, Four-Pepper Lobster, and a Dagad Phool Lamb Rump.
The veggie options are just as tempting, with dishes like Buffalo Milk Paneer and Truffle Millet, all well paired with sides like grass-fed Ghee Daal and Rumali Roti.
Celebrate the experience with a bright, flavourful cocktail like the Champagne Lassi, Sparkling Tea (a mixture of vodka, Napalese cherry blossom tea and fermented rose petal), or an Ice Gola (tequila, calamansi, apple marigold and chaat masala).
‘At BiBi we will tell the story of Indian food through a different lens,’ says Sharma. ‘Pairing impactful flavours with techniques that I have honed at some of Europe’s most celebrated restaurants.
‘My style of cooking is all about marrying the richly diverse cuisines of the Indian subcontinent along with the world-class produce available to us here in the UK.’ §