Gunpowder’s Himalayan offshoot

The founders of Gunpowder, a home-style Indian in Spitalfields, are opening a Himalayan restaurant nearby on May 9.

Madame D’s will combine Indian flavours with influences from the neighbouring cuisines of Nepal, Tibet and Chinese. The short menu of sharing dishes will include gold coin dumplings; pan-fried Tibetan duck momo; garlic coriander steamed chicken; and prawn on toast, a take on the Chinese classic.

Harneet and Devina Baweja and head chef Nirmal Save opened Gunpowder 18 months ago, basing the menu on family recipes. It was praised in the latest Harden’s Survey for “pairing Indian ingredients with East London creativity”.

Madame D’s, which they describe as a “dining den” seating just 25 at communal trestle tables, will be upstairs from the Spirit of 76 pub and cocktail bar on Commercial Street.

Harneet discovered Himalayan food as a child while visiting family in northeast India. “It was food unlike anything I’d eaten before and on a recent trip back to the region, Nirmal and I realised we couldn’t return to London and face daily life without those intoxicating flavours!”

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