The cooking at Koyal is not generic. It is built around a specific set of techniques, regional traditions, and family memory that all trace back to one person - Chef Nand Kishor Semwal, who runs the kitchen. To understand what we do in Surbiton, it helps to know where the cooking comes from.
Beginnings in the Himalayas
Chef Nand Kishor was born in a small village in the foothills of the Himalayas, in the state of Uttarakhand. Cooking in that part of India is shaped by altitude - ingredients that grow nowhere else (bhangjeera, jakhiya, wild mustard), techniques adapted for cold weather, and a tradition of preservation that runs through every household. He learned the foundations of the cuisine at home, then trained formally in Indian hotel kitchens before moving to the UK.
The London years
In London, Chef Nand Kishor worked in some of the most decorated Indian kitchens in the country - including Trishna and Gymkhana, both of which held Michelin stars during his time there. The years in Mayfair shaped his approach to discipline, sourcing, and the kind of detail that fine dining demands - the kind of detail you can taste in a dish like the twelve-hour lamb shank nihari.
In 2016 he co-founded Dastaan in Epsom - a restaurant that proved Michelin-level Indian cooking could thrive outside the West End. Dastaan earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand and built a loyal following across the South East.
The move to Surbiton
Koyal opened with a deliberate ambition: to build the most serious Indian restaurant outside central London, rooted in a residential community rather than a tourist street. Chef Nand Kishor handpicked the kitchen, designed the menus, and brought in techniques that are still rare in suburban Indian dining - including the binchotan-fired tandoor that powers the grilled section of the menu.
What you taste on the plate
Three things show up across the cooking. First, regional clarity - every dish has a clear geographic anchor, and the kitchen does not blur Mughlai with Bengali or coastal with Himalayan. Second, slow technique - braises, marinades, and dum cooking get the time they deserve. Third, ingredient sourcing - especially the Himalayan ingredients that arrive directly through Chef Nand Kishor's own supply lines back to Uttarakhand.
Meet him
Chef is often on the floor at Koyal, particularly on weekend evenings. Book a table and ask the team if the kitchen has anything special on the day - the answer is usually yes.
Experience it in Surbiton
Reserve a table at Koyal - 2 AA Rosettes, Brighton Road, Surbiton
