Indian food isn’t for everybody. It’s a complex convergence of mysterious flavors and textures that bombards the senses. But if you’re going to experiment with this delightfully exotic cuisine, you’ve got to do it somewhere amazing. And we know just the place…
Our mission coming into London was to go on a tour of Indian restaurants, sampling the delicacies from each style of Indian cuisine. After all, England is probably the best place to eat authentic Indian food without actually going to India. But our mission was cut dramatically short when we had our first taste of The Punjab Restaurant.
We’ll admit that we haven’t been to too many restaurants around the world. We’ve never eaten at those $200-a-plate restaurants that get rated “World’s Best” by serving one piece of shrimp and a sprig of parsley. So our gauge of world-class cuisine is limited. But we know a restaurant is a gift from the food gods when we return for dinner night after night and feel like we could eat there every day for years and never get bored.
Here’s what we ordered…
We knew we were hooked as soon as we received our appetizer: samosas. Samosas are fried pastries filled with spiced potatoes and vegetables like sweet peas (or you can get ‘em with ground lamb). The pastry was crispy, the filling was warm and soft and the tangy dipping sauce was amazing. I debated about canceling my order and getting at least 20 more samosas for dinner.
But I’m glad I didn’t, because our dishes were so good, it actually made us mad. Like seriously mad. Mad because it was so tasty and we knew the flavor couldn’t remain in our mouths forever.
The chicken korma was this sinfully thick, creamy curry that enveloped the perfectly cooked pieces of white meat chicken. It was lightly spiced and delicately mild, bringing out all that buttery, nutty goodness. It was unusually rich for being so mild. But good rich. Like Donald Trump rich.
The anari ghost was this mind-blowing mixture of sweet and spicy and savory. It was a tangy curry with tender pieces of lamb, topped with cilantro and pomegranate seeds. When the seeds exploded in my mouth, the sugary juice amplified the spices, creating this unbelievable multi-faceted flavor storm.
The fluffy pilau rice and the soft and chewy garlic naan (bread) was a perfect accompaniment.
And the homemade cinnamon and honey ice cream had me asking the manager if I could work there just to be paid in ice cream. I’m not kidding by the way.
The staff was wonderful — warm, welcoming and very attentive. After returning three nights in a row for dinner, they had our orders memorized. On our last night in London, the owner even came outside to pose for a picture with us.
I know there are mixed reviews on this place online. But I’m convinced those reviews come from rival — and obviously inferior — restaurants nearby who are just jealous that The Punjab rocks. With hundreds of Indian restaurants in London, it’s likely there is a superior (and subsequently more expensive) restaurant. But we found the restaurant that works for us on all levels. We hope it will work for you too.
I often dream of Punjab. And in my dreams I’m swimming in a river of curry. And it rains samosas. And sandy beaches are made of pilau rice. And I eat the entire world. And then I’m sad.
The Punjab Restaurant
www.punjab.co.uk
80 Neal Street
Covent Garden, London WC2H 9PA
+44 20 7836 9787
Tube: Covent Garden
