Will I leave hungry? Portions on a tasting menu

One of the questions we hear most often from first-time guests, usually asked a little shyly, is whether a tasting menu will actually fill them up. It is a fair worry. The plates are small, and nine courses can sound like nine bites. In practice, very few guests leave hungry, and many leave asking us to slow down.

The menu is built to add up. The first three courses are light, a few mouthfuls each, to wake up the appetite. The middle three are the heart of the meal: bajra with smoked butter, a ker-sangri course and the laal maas or its vegetarian equivalent, served with rotis and rice. The last three are smaller again, ending with dessert and petit fours. Altogether, guests eat roughly what they would at a generous family dinner, spread over three hours.

Time matters as much as quantity. Because the courses arrive slowly, the body has time to register that it is full. Many guests who arrive very hungry and expect to need more find that by the seventh course they are passing on the second roti.

Still, appetites differ. If you are a big eater, tell us when you book, and the kitchen will add an extra roti and rice with the main courses at no charge. If you have a small appetite, or are coming after a late lunch, we can reduce the portions of the middle courses. Our Sunday thali lunch, with refills until you stop us, is the meal for anyone who wants abundance above all.