After a long day at the zoo, myself and office team were booked in to Imli Street for an Indian feast. We were initially unimpressed by the set menu but fears were unfounded as they served dishes of everything up.
I was fine to eat all starters offered on the set menu, apparently. I’d argue the suitability of the samosa as I did have a mild reaction. However the lack of severity leads me to believe it could have just been a contamination issue in the fryer – still not great, I wouldn’t eat here without making sure I had plenty of allergy meds on me! The samosa was in a heavy pastry, filled with a vegetable filling. I wasn’t a huge fan of the pastry, but loved the yoghurt, mint sauce and tamarind jus it was served with. The second starter was delicious – chicken thighs marinated in a spicy green tikka-style sauce. Spicy, flavourful and so very tender.
When the set menu had initially been emailed over it was clear it was very tomato-based, but a quick call and I was assured I would be catered for off menu – very exciting! When all the mains were brought out I was told “don’t eat this”.The rest of my team dined on Lamb Rogan Josh, Chicken Tikka Masala, dhal and a paneer dish, along with the standard rice and naan. I was presented with an extreme amount of food…
First up was a fillet of sea bass, resting on a spiced potato cake. I love the fish, it was cooked to perfection with some mild spicing. Whilst I like the potato cake, I felt the chunks of fresh chilli added a raw hotness that wasn’t pleasant – it was a little too bold tasting in an otherwise delicate dish.
My curried dish was a chicken saag. Quite possibly the greenest curry I’ve ever seen, I was worried this would taste predominately of spinach – I’ve not had a decent saag since developing my tomato allergy! Fears were again unfounded as somehow they’d managed to create a sauce of blended spices and spinach. Perfectly balanced, creamy in texture and not at all heavy. It’s a shame this is off menu as it was a stunning dish, and would definitely make a far more interesting addition to a menu as opposed to a standard spinach curry!
I was also served with my own rice, a tomato-free dhal (unfortunately a little watery), and some potatoes. These were delicious – wonderfully flavoured, non-greasy, astoundingly savoury. I wanted to ask to take these home as I’d imagine they’d be perfect in a cold potato salad! Unfortunately most of the naan bread was placed down the opposite end of the table. I tried a bit of the peshwari naan, but I’m not a fan of the flavor at all – though the texture of the naan was impressive.
Desert was a rice pudding – an odd mushy and gritty texture, far too sweet. I wasn’t a fan! But all in all, a good Indian. I loved the atmosphere (unfinished walls, as is the trend these days). The cocktail menu looked amazing, though I plumped for wine and a refreshing iced tea muddle of lemongrass and pomegranate. The food was a mixed bag, though admittedly I was off menu. A little pricey, though for the area probably on par. The grill chef can clearly cook things perfectly, and the spicing was on the whole spot on – I’d definitely return if I could find more options to eat!
Are you a fan of Indian food? What’s your favorite curry?
