**Please note: Mowgli invited me in, and paid for our food and drink. This in no way impacted on my opinion. I was not obliged to write a positive review, and Mowgli didn’t see this review before I published it.**
Have you been for a Christmas meal yet this December?
If you’re looking for something that goes beyond the standard turkey, consider your local branch of Mowgli. Indian street food may not be the first thing you think of for a celebration, but there are many reasons it’s worth a visit.
Firstly, their year-round decor, with twinkling lights throughout the entire restaurant, definitely gives off a festive vibe.
Secondly, the Mowgli feasting menu is very reasonably priced at £35 per head (including a glass of fizz), it’s perfect for sharing and we definitely left feeling satisfied!
For that £35 you’ll enjoy a tray of their famous yoghurt chat bombs to share, as well as your choice of starter. Your main will be a tiffin filled with two dishes plus rice (choose from meat and veg, vegetarian or vegan) and one of two desserts.
We began with the fizz – a glass of Prosecco that sat on the sweeter side of the spectrum – and also a cocktail each to drum up even more festive spirit. My Lychee Rose Martini (£9.75) was a heady, sweet and floral blend of vodka, rose syrup, fresh lychee and lemon juice: a gorgeous colour, and topped with deep pink dried rose petals. Across the table, the Smoked Cardamom Old Fashioned (£9.50) – praised, says the menu, by Giles Coren – was enjoyed but was apparently not as smoky as when we last visited.
We decided a sharing approach would be the best option for the food so we could try more of the menu. As normal, the Yoghurt Chat Bombs didn’t disappoint: crispy shells filled with chickpeas, spiced yoghurt, tamarind and coriander, real flavour bombs that are a must-try if you visit Mowgli. We loved the heat of the Fenugreek-Kissed Fries: a rich, warming dish of crispy potatoes with a gorgeous herbed chutney and fruity flavours. It was the first time we’d tried the Gunpowder Chicken – chicken poppers with the lightest of chickpea batters – and we enjoyed the tenderness of the chicken, the warming flavours and the strong kick of ginger.
Onto the mains, which again gave us a combination of dishes we’d tried before and others we hadn’t. The black cardamom-infused rice was fluffy and enough to accompany the main dishes – our favourite of which by far was the Mowgli Paneer. Fruity and fragrant, the sweet tomato-based sauce was the perfect match for the tender cheese.
The Picnic Potato Curry had a lovely fresh flavour from the tomatoes and chunks of tender potato – and a chilli heat that grew on us the more we ate. We loved the chilli kick of the Temple Dahl too – a proper winter warmer – and the Mowgli House Chicken was outstanding. With a milder level of heat and a creamy, coconutty flavour, we just wished we’d had some roti to mop up the leftover sauce…
The desserts were two that we’d had before, and again they didn’t disappoint. There was the creamy mango sorbet, served in a deliciously crunchy homemade cone – and the warm chocolate brownie, ridiculously rich and gooey and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. A beautiful way to end a beautiful meal.
At £35 per head, the Mowgli Christmas Feasting Menu is an absolute steal, and a sociable way of dining as a couple or a group this December. Head to their website to see their locations and book your table!