The fabulous Dishoom burst onto London’s Indian food scene in 2010 to many accolades and large, enthusiastic crowds. This stylish restaurant serves up delicious plates From Bombay with Love, paying homage to the Irani cafes and all the food of Bombay. And people have been queuing to taste it since that very first opening.
These groundbreaking cafes were opened early last century by the Zoroastrian immigrants in Bombay and there were almost 400 of them at their peak in the 1960s. They were the first places in the city where people of all cultures, classes, and religions could gather together sharing tables and sampling the delicious food. And now the experience can be enjoyed all over the UK with seven branches in London as well as establishments in Birmingham, Manchester, and Edinburgh.
Today we’re heading for the original Dishoom in the heart of Covent Garden. It’s a large and glitzy kind of space that’s buzzing on a showery April afternoon. Clearly, Dishoom’s popularity has not worn off. And it’s soon clear why. Service is friendly and welcoming, the place has a wonderful ambiance and is beautifully decorated – and then there’s the menu.
I adore Indian food and eat a lot of it. I’m always excited about eating at Dishoom because it offers something completely different. The restaurant is rightly famous for its fabulous breakfast offering with dishes like the epic Keema per eedu. This is a Parsi power breakfast of spicy chicken keema studded with delicate morsels of chicken liver and topped with two runny-yoked fried eggs and sali crisp-chips. Could breakfast get more exotic or substantial?
But we’re here for lunch and there’s a lot to ponder. The all-day menu is divided into small plates, grills, ruby Murray, biryanis, salad plates, bread and rice, and vegetables.
We start with several small plates. Keema Pau is one of my all-time favourite comfort foods, a spice-filled classic dish of minced lamb and peas, today served with the softest of buttered homemade buns. Simply spread the bun with the mince and be prepared for a mouthful of heaven.
As a lover of chaat, I couldn’t resist the Dishoom house chaat of golden fried sweet potatoes served with cool yogurt, pomegranate, beetroot, radish carrot a tamarind drizzle, and green chutney. A colourful bowl of deliciousness with its different textures and flavours.
Next up the prawn koliwada is a traditional dish from Bombay’s fisherman’s district. A substantial bowl of crispy, spiced morsels is perfect for dipping into the chutney selection on the table. We were so satisfied with this magical selection of starters, served tapas-style at our request. Our charming waiter Laurence couldn’t have been more accommodating.
Dishoom’s portions are pretty substantial for small plates but we still had to try the Chicken Ruby from the Ruby Murray section. Tender chicken bites in the most rich and silky makhani sauce. A superbly balanced dish with an orchestra of spices bringing it together. All served with fluffy, steamed basmati rice and roomali roti bread. I’m not much of a bread eater but I think I could live on Indian bread in its many forms. Well certainly on this soft, handkerchief-thin bread that is thrown, stretched, and griddled to order on an upturned tawa (frying pan). I need more of this roti in my life.
We all need more Dishoom in our lives generally. I aspire to trying everything on that menu – and after all, there are plenty more branches for me to visit. The restaurant has totally captured that wonderful warmth and camaraderie that was the ethos behind those original cafes. The perfect mix of fabulous food, superb service and a great vibe – Dishoom seems to have truly nailed the restaurant recipe for success.
Words by Sandy Cadiz-Smith