These days it is cheering and good to see a business reinvent itself to fit into the new scheme of things – and we can’t book a table to visit The Ambrette Kitchen at No 6 in Rye’s High Street, but they will deliver their menu to your home.
Dedicated chef-patron Dev Biswali has closed his “Devil in Rye” restaurant to concentrate on the Canterbury Ambrette which is well established in the City Centre close to the cathedral – and they’ve worked hard to update their offering in current circumstances and Ambrette takes pride in being different with a focus on high quality Asian fusion cuisine, delicately spiced.
The Ambrette group has never been, or wanted to be, anything like an Indian takeaway and we know them from their restaurants in Canterbury and Margate – and they are also in Ashford and Dover. But forget any”‘curry and a pint” stereotypes that still linger about Indian food – The Ambrette is known as a restaurant for celebrations, where discerning diners order from the à la carte, or try a tempting tasting menu.
But times have changed and, for now on a dreary weekend in lockdown, it was wonderful to be able to order a delivery of the exotic medallion of wild boar Sunday roast. The handy app allows you to choose exactly when you want it delivered, the website and app lets you know the details of delivery, and gives the impression of a well geared up delivery business.
Exactly at the time I specified, a cheerful smart chap in chef’s whites was smiling behind his mask and standing a distance away from the bags he had placed on our doorstep. Packaging in a delivery meal is very important. It needs to look immaculate and have kept the food hot. Above all the smell was amazing! A familiar Sunday roast with an exotic Asian twist. It smelled as good as it looked when we opened the boxes.
Two very generous servings of roast boar, cumin spiced roast potatoes with accompanying Yorkshire puddings, buttery carrots, green beans, broccoli, leeks and a gorgeous cauliflower cheese. There is also a mildly spiced gravy and a delicate and lovely sauce made with tomato and ginger and masala spices.
You can also order drinks from Ambrette. But in our house, once we opened the boxes and saw the delightful food and smelled the aroma, we opened another bottle of sparkly as it had that sort of effect on us. It was a mistake not to order a dessert and we will put that right next time.
It is definitely worth treating yourselves when you’d like a restaurant quality meal, but can’t go to the restaurant.
It looks delicious and I agree in that I ordered the vegan risotto last Saturday night which was lovely (quite spicy) which is what you would expect, a very simple ordering system on their website, presented well in it’s container, arrived on time by a nice gentleman and even had some extra poppadoms with a dip thrown in as it was my first takeaway order! Will definitely order again – well done The Ambrette!