Twice Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar has announced the full opening of his second restaurant in the gourmet village of Marlow, marking the the fourth restaurant in the Atul Kochhar Restaurants group.
Vaasu opens its doors on 26th October 2020, having had to postpone its planned summer launch due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
Since July, the restaurant has been open for take-aways only but finally opens its doors to diners.
Since the restaurant’s conception in 2019 when Kochhar first acquired the site, Vaasu has always been about staying true to the chef’s passion for gastronomic discovery.
Atul Kochhar commented: “People have been asking me, why open a restaurant now during the pandemic? The answer is that the whole team has been excited about this launch for since we first acquired the site, which used the be Villa D’Este for 33 years.
"We have invested time, money and creativity into this new restaurant and although it’s a long term investment, we feel that now is the right time to open our doors.”
Kochhar’s inspiration for Vaasu comes from his travels in India.
He continues: “I'm passionate about gastronomic discovery, and while we cannot travel and explore the world at the moment, we will bring the bounty of India’s beautiful flavours, aromas and spices to our guests. Vaasu celebrates the life and culture of India through a menu of magnificent dishes from India. I’m inspired by traditional cooking techniques like the tandoor oven and tawa griddle.
With the current travel restrictions, there has never been a more important time to take our guests on a gastronomic journey."
Vaasu’s fine dining menu features an à la carte, lunchtime and seven-course tasting menus which pay particular homage to Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan.
There is also a great selection of wines, cocktails and drink. A takeaway selection will also give people the opportunity to experience the Vaasu menu in their own homes.
Highlights include appetisers such as Murg Bemisaal (free-range chicken Tikka, chutney grilled, crispy wing) and Changezi Chaapein (smoked Kashmiri chilli, marinated Tandoori lamb cutlet, aubergine chutney and Feta cheese).
Main courses invite guests to enjoy more mouth-watering flavours: from shellfish and seafood such as Ajwaini Jhinga Aur Machhi Patialashahi (roasted prawns and monkfish with Spanish peppers, tomato Tawa Masala, vermicelli), to chicken, including Purani Dilliwala Tandoori Murg Aur Makhani (Old Delhi-style classic Tandoori chicken supreme, butter chicken, corn salad and mint chutney) and lamb, such as Mewari Khaas Maas ‘Classic and Contemporary’ (roasted rump of Lake District lamb, Masala turnips, clove-smoked shoulder curry).
Vaasu sides and accompaniments continue the culinary journey around India, featuring gorgeous dishes such as Khatta Meetha Kadoo (sweet and sour pumpkin with Punch Phoran); Bataun Da Bharta (Tandoori-smoked aubergine with green peas) and the delightful Ma Di Daal (Mama Kochhar’s signature black of tempered yellow lentils).
Working in partnership with design practice Dynargh Design, the restaurant’s chic interiors invite visitors to immerse themselves in a setting adorned with floral wall art, warmed by rich hues of sage green and deepest purple, and with dark wooden features and chandelier lighting, all inspired by the splendor of India and its northern regions.
Matt Hulme of Dynargh Design added: “I am very proud to be working with Atul Kochhar on the design for Vaasu and creating a new experience for Marlow. We all need little pleasures to look forward to and so we are working together to ensure that every detail is considered in order to create something very exciting for the town. The design of Vaasu has been conceived to invite guests into a plush and inviting interior with opulent green colours, creating a luxurious fine dining destination inspired by Atul’s most magnificent experiences in northern India.”
Three other restaurants feature in Atul Kochhar Restaurants. The newly refurbished Sindhu at the Compleat Angler Hotel in Marlow; Hawkyns at The Crown Inn, Amersham, and Indian Essence in Petts Wood, Kent.
Vaasu is located at 2 Chapel Street, Marlow, SL7 1DD at the former Italian restaurant, Villa D’Este, which closed its doors after 33 years on Sunday 22nd September 2019.
