Former The Chilli Pickle chefs to explore spices with Palmito

Located close to the Brighton-Hove border on Western Road, Palmito will explore how spices have migrated from the subcontinent to Latin America via Europe by way of a short, weekly-changing menu of small plates.

The duo - who met while working at highly-rated Brighton Indian restaurant The Chilli Pickle - have already trialled the concept by means of a number of pop-ups in the seaside city. 

Palmito will be mid-market, offering a flexible menu of small plates. Thamma and Ricaurte will cook together in the 20-cover restaurant’s open kitchen and do much of the serving and explanation of the dishes themselves. 

A former takeaway, the small space will be designed to have the feel of a rustic market, with pastel and earthy colours and distressed terracotta tilling. 

Average price per head is anticipated to be £35 including a drink.

Dishes will include wild bass with ginger; prawn vadai from coriander; Trenchmore short rib with cloves; and banana with chai spice. 

The majority will be either cooked over wood or in a wood-fired oven. 

“Our dishes won’t be traditional renditions, they will be creative and eclectic,” says Thamma. “We’ve always been fascinated by the history of spices. How they started in Indian, came to Spain and Portugal and then continued on to Latin America.

“We’re also interested in the return journey. Indian cuisine has been influenced by European cuisine in dishes such as vindaloo. And we will also Middle Eastern influence on Indian cuisine.” 

In a former takeaway, Palmito will seat 20 will channel market culture. Pastel colours, terracotta tiles, earthy covers, in the plates too. distressed - check video. 

Originally from Hyderabad in south central India, Thamma is well-known in Brighton having overseen the food at both Curry Leaf Cafe and Easy Tiger.

He also runs food tours of India and Sri Lanka and has done a number of pop-ups across Europe. 

Originally from Ecuador, Ricaurte worked as a junior chef at The Chilli Pickle before going on to work at a number of top-end restaurants and gastropubs in the UK. 

Following this, he worked at renowned seafood restaurant Téchnē on the Greek island of Hydra before returning to Brighton to again work with Thamma at Easy Tiger.