The Permit Room review: Top-notch lunchtime curry in a hurry for £15

Chicken Pick-Me-Ups at The Permit Room Brighton

Any regular reader of my Taste reviews will know that I have a soft spot for Indian cuisine, and we’re certainly not begging for options in Brighton and the surrounding area, writes Nick Mosley.

The days of sloppy gravies with meat of dubious provenance are thankfully long gone. Although in the last century we Brits eagerly embraced spicy food, dishes were anglicised by cooks to create familiarity. We knew what to do with a chicken in a thick Madras sauce and rice; if you’d given my grandparents a Pani Puri their first instinct would likely be to hang it on the Christmas tree.

Of course now – with the rise of so many Indian restaurants offering creative, colourful and supremely tasty menu items inspired by street food as much as home cooking – the likes of moreish puffy Pani Puri stuffed with spices and chickpeas are as familiar to us as a humble fish finger.

One of my favourite Indian restaurants in Brighton is the Permit Room, a relaxed off-shoot of the acclaimed Dishoom chain of restaurants. The chefs behind Dishoom are particularly inspired by their home city of Mumbai in north west India. I was lucky enough to be in Mumbai for a few days at the start of the year and it proved to be a food experience that won’t be forgotten any time soon.

Brighton’s Permit Room is a somewhat more bijou offering than its big brother Dishoom restaurants in London. The concept is a bar-café so serves up a reduced yet still comprehensive menu of snacks, curries and biryanis alongside some mighty fine cocktails and a good range of beers.

My usual favourite dish is the whole spatchcock chicken from the tandoor; too much for one person, its perfect to share at the table along with Dishoom’s magical black dal. The meat is so succulent and flavoursome; I’d consistently include it in my top ten dishes to be had in Brighton.

However – on my most recent visit – there was no tandoor chicken for me, cock, as I was there to sample their recently added Jaldi Bite menu. Available Monday to Friday from noon until 6pm and priced at £15, the aim is to provide a quick quality lunch without breaking the bank so perfect a midweek treat when you’ve had more than your fill of supermarket sandwiches and crisps.

While we decided what to order, my guest – Argus editor Arron – and I enjoyed a drink at the bar. For me a velvety Permit Room Clover Club, which could be said to be the venue’s signature cocktail. Dry gin with sweet-sour raspberry and lychee liqueur topped with a hat of creamy coconut and cardamom spume its a definite Nick-pleaser. Arron opted for the in-house Dishoom IPA beer; fresh with the quintessential notes of citrus.

We snacked on Chakli – spicy fingers of crunchy fried rice and gram flour with a punchy tomato-chilli dish. Its part of the Jaldi Bite set menu and proved a perfect bar snack alongside the IPA.

Next up a choice of four vegetable based chaats and salads alongside six savoury options that included chicken, lamb, devilled eggs and a couple of vegetarian dishes. These are smallish plates yet hearty none-the-less; two small plates are definitely more enough for lunch but you can also order other items from the a la carte menu too.

The Crispy Spinach Chaat had an awful lot going on. Deep fried spinach leaves, layered with chutney, refreshing yoghurt, flavoursome masala spices and glistening jewels of red pomegranate seed.

Crispy Spinach Chaat at The Permit Room Brighton

Our other vegetable dish – Chilli Broccoli Salad – served up a pleasing crunch that was echoed in the addition of toasted pistachios, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. I really liked the addition of mint which is something I wouldn’t think of placing with broccoli but it was a match made in heaven. A combination to file away for a future day of creative cooking chez moi.

Due to my wheat intolerance, I – most unfortunately – can’t eat samosas any longer but Arron reflected they were exemplary. I had a quick waft and interesting to get notes of cloves and cinnamon rather than the masala and cumin that I was expecting.

The Chicken Pick-Me-Ups were a lot of fun. A bundle of marinated meat that had been skilfully packed around a chicken thigh bone so you get a bit of white alongside some more juicy brown meat. Battered and deep fried, it really knocked the socks off any fried chicken I’ve eaten recently with the chilli chutney adding extra punch.

We shared our dishes and had more than enough to eat. Arron actually took a few bits back in a take-out box to snack on at the office later that day. Vegetarians and vegans will have plenty of choice. Although the kitchen cannot guarantee that its allergen free, the team are well-trained and there is an easy to search online menu. As someone with a gluten-sensitive tum, I’ve personally never had any issues arise but obviously make that decision yourself.

If you’ve not already experienced Brighton’s Permit Room then the Jaldi Bite midweek lunch menu is your perfect excuse. At £15 its an absolute steal. Add a beer, house wine or soft drink then you’ll be nudging just over £20 or so. Right now in the city thats a hard price point to beat for this level of delicious, colourful cooking.

The Permit Room, 32 East Street, Brighton BN1 1HL

01273 442 199 • www.permitroom.co.uk