Mowgli for Christmas
Indian Feast in Charlotte Street.
That came round quick! We are already on the countdown to Christmas. We look for wonderful restaurants that are presenting festive offerings, and Mowgli has a Christmas Feast which is hard to beat for quality and price.
Mowgli styles itself as an Indian Street Food restaurant but its dishes are as polished as one might find in some of our best Subcontinental eateries in the UK. The Charlotte Street London branch is a gem of a Tardis: it spreads over several floors, allowing diners to enjoy pleasantly intimate surroundings in quite a large restaurant. Yes, it has Indian décor accents, but it is contemporary with an international vibe.
We ordered the Christmas Feasting Menu, and it was a joy. Glass of Bubbles or your choice of Mocktail were our drink options and we were tempted by the non-alcoholic list. My guest enjoyed his Mango Tonic which was a tall glass of mango, lime, orange and passion fruit tumbled with coriander and topped off with sparkling soda. It was refreshing and paired perfectly with the spicy dishes which arrived shortly after.
My mocktail was a Mowgli Twister served in a champagne coupe. Pineapple juice is shaken with raspberry and ginger purée, fresh mint leaves and lime. This two-tone creation should be the signature mocktail at Mowgli. Don’t miss this one.
A fun start to our meal.
Our extravaganza started with Yoghurt Chat Bombs, a speciality here, and they are addictive! Crisp pani puri puffs are filled with chickpeas, spiced yoghurt, tamarind, coriander and topped with a pomegranate seed. Eat these in one bite or be prepared for laundry bills! A fun start to our meal.
Our first courses arrived. Fenugreek Kissed Fries were potato cubes tossed in turmeric, fenugreek and Mowgli’s own masala. They were well-seasoned and beautifully presented in metal trays complementing our dinner plates, which were also metallic – a nice design touch, being both attractive and practical. Gunpowder Chicken was our other choice. Chicken poppers marinaded in ginger, garlic and garam masala, then golden fried in a light chickpea batter were crunchy and mouthwatering, and will be a crowd pleaser.
Himalayan Cheese Toast was also on the starter menu. Toasted bread is topped with melting mature cheddar, red onion and green chilli, with Indian pickle served on the side to produce a classic comfort food with an exotic twist, and a generous portion, too. In fact all the dishes at Mowgli are large, reflecting the ethos of warm hospitality.
Tiffin Boxes
The main dishes showed innovation along with a nod to Indian tradition. We were offered individual Tiffin Boxes, making our meal delightfully impressive as well as being delicious. A tiffin box is typically a 3-tier metal container which holds a complete meal. At Mowgli it is filled with rice, a curry and a side dish.
Our choice of Office Worker’s Tiffin stacks contained a “Meat & Veg food roulette” which in our cases comprised both lamb and chicken curries, a chickpea curry and a yellow dhal, along with rice. There was so much food that we were offered takeaway boxes for the leftovers. Yes, Mowgli is great value for money, and we didn’t want to waste such well-crafted dishes. There are vegetarian and gluten-free tiffin options available, too.
Ice cream was the Christmas Feasting Menu dessert but there were various flavours so something for every taste. In truth you are unlikely to have room for much more than a scoop of salted caramel ice cream. Yes, my guest managed a dessert and pronounced this flavour as first class, with a sophisticated hit of salt.
Mowgli Street Food Restaurant in Charlotte Street London gave us a memorable experience. Jack, the manager, was a wonderful ambassador for the brand, being genuinely enthusiastic, knowledgeable and a real people person. One’s first impression of a restaurant is made even before one reaches the table. Jack and his team didn’t put a foot wrong, and we will be returning as ‘civilians’. There can be few greater accolades from a reviewer than that!
