Treat Yourself to the Gunpowder Potatoes of Dishoom Carnaby
When I went to the Soho in London with my friend for lunch, we wanted to find a good quality Indian restaurant here. In terms of Indian cuisine, Soho is home to lots of upscale curry houses and chai places, making it a tricky decision on where to go.
Eventually, we decided to give Dishoom on Carnaby Street a try, which does Bombay cuisine. Dishoom Carnaby is one of 8 restaurants in the UK, including Birmingham, Manchester, and even Edinburgh. There are several in London too, where it was first founded in 2010. Locations in London include King’s Cross, and Covent Gardens.
The restaurants’ designs have been inspired by the vintage Irani cafes in Mumbai, making it a very immersive experience. Inside, there was checked flooring, and vintage art on the walls. The one poster that caught my eye was this set of rules, some of which were quite funny. Despite being quite busy at this time of day, it wasn’t that loud. Ultimately, as well as eating here, you are coming for the experience too…
The Tough Decision of What to Order
As we came at lunchtime, we only got the table for an hour as it was quite busy. At the same time, we were presented with the menu. It had a selection of traditional Bombay dishes such as grilled meats, naan rolls, and biryanis. Dishoom caters for vegans, dairy intolerance, and gluten allergies, which all have their own sections on the menu. Drinks included a selection of chai, coolers, and other drinks too. All very expensive though, so you could easily end up blowing your budget.
The selection of dishes with their expensive price tags on the menu were quite overwhelming at first. Service here was very good. They made us feel welcome, and one of the waitresses gave us a walk- through of the menu, which made deciding what to order easier. A lot of the dishes here are meant to be shared as well, so portions may be larger than normal.
The Meal- Was It Worth the Value?
Per the waitress’ recommendation, I decided to order Dishoom’s signature dish, Gunpowder Potatoes (£6.90). I also ordered plain Naan (£3.20) and Mango & Fennel Lassi (£4.20). First up, the mango lassi, which came presented in a tall glass cup, with a black and white paper straw. It had a very thick consistency with fennel seeds on the top, making it nice and refreshing. It had a very sweet taste because of the mango, with a dash of salt too. The seeds added texture to it as well. A very nice drink overall. However, I think the lassi was very overpriced and I wouldn’t pay £4.20 again.
Next up, the naans. Two halves of crispy naan came presented to me in a metal pot, which had been freshly made downstairs. They were also buttered to add flavour. Therefore, it was better to have them on their own. Though they tasted really nice, they didn’t completely meet my expectations. They were quite thin unlike thick naans that I’m used to having when eating out. Plus, I felt the quantity of just two naan halves wasn’t enough for the price I paid.
Finally, the signature dish, Gunpowder Potatoes. Initially, I thought they were potatoes that had been cooked in coal or on a grill. But it was not this at all. In fact, it was a lot better than what I expected… A dish of crispy potatoes and spring onions came presented to me on a metal dish, and I couldn’t wait to try it!! There was some raita dip on the side too. The potatoes had crispy skins and were coated in different spices… And when it came to eating them, the flavours of the different spices exploded in my mouth. This is one dish that you must take your time to have, so you can savour the different spices in it. It was a fantastic dish, so no complaints here!
Verdict
Overall, despite blowing my budget here, I think it was good to come here for the restaurant experience as well as the food. I strongly recommend ordering the Gunpowder Potatoes. This unique recipe exceeded all my expectations.
However, I don’t advise ordering the drinks or sides here, because they are quite overpriced in my opinion. Ultimately, if you are looking for authentic Indian food in London, then I suggest going to the East End or Southall, because the quality is a lot better for the price you’re paying.
To find out more about Dishoom:
https://www.dishoom.com/carnaby/
Directions to Dishoom Carnaby: