Dishoom - from Bombay, with love

A taste of Dishoom, Manchester.

Dishoom Manchester opened its doors only months ago, and has since welcomed a host of Mancunians to the site.

Wandering off the wet streets of Manchester and into the warmth of Dishoom is a little like falling through time and space. With sumptuous, exotic incense aromas drifting from the entrance and into the restaurant, it’s the tiny and coherent details dotted around this space which create the illusion of the ageless and the enduring – a comforting concept, which Dishoom Manchester has achieved like fine art. With mid-20th century paintings scattered among the walls, Dishoom tells the story of the Irani Cafes and the beauty of 20th Century Bombay.

Taking our seats below a ‘Rules of the Café’ mural, (enlisting Dishoom Manchester laws such as ‘no dead blue reptiles to be hung around visitors’ necks’, ‘no poisons, magical drugs or fights between cobra and mongoose’, and ‘all are welcome’) we placed our drinks order of one pot of fresh mint tea, with spearmint steeper (which arrived served in a quaint, silver teapot) and India’s favourite beer, a bottle of Kingfisher.

While browsing the menu, we picked at ‘Khichia and Chundo’, a crispy snack to dunk happily into spiced chutney, a warm fiery chilli dip, and a coriander concoction.

A friendly and knowledgeable waiter talked us through the menu, making careful recommendations along the way. We opted for three dishes each, and they were all brought out as and when they were made.

To say that the food was divine would be an understatement.

We ordered three mains:

Chilli Chicken – a hot, flavoursome plate of crispy, succulent chicken; smothered in a happy marriage of garlic, ginger and soy.

Mahi Tikka – (sustainable) basa fillet, cooked to a ‘not quite charred’ perfection and covered in a delicately flavoured yoghurt marinade.

Murgh Malai – chicken thigh meat, which had been steeped overnight in a magical concoction of garlic, ginger, coriander stems and a little cream. Purposely served a little pink.

And a medley of sides:

House Black Daal – a Dishoom signature dish, and perhaps the star of the show. Dark, rich and deeply satisfying, this potion of lentil daal is cooked for over 24 hours for flawless texture – and worth every minute of meticulousness.

A Bowl Of Greens – light, fresh and delectable, this was served as a bowl of grilled broccoli, snow peas and spinach, all tumbled with chilli and lime.

Cheese Naan – not something we’d usually order, but we’re certainly glad we switched things up this time. Absolutely amazing dipped in the Black House Daal..

Steamed Basmati Rice – steamy, light and fragrant; the perfect accompaniment to any of the above.

As we came to the end of our dishes, the gloomy rain outside was yet to subside, so we opted to stay right where we were for a little longer. With too little room for dessert, we tried a cocktail each. Since 1949, and to this very day, Bombay has been under a state of prohibition, however, a personal permit can be attained if one is to ‘require liquor for preservation and maintenance of health’. An exception to this is a special place which has come to be unofficially known as a ‘Permit Room’, where liquor can be sold and imbibed, but only for the goodness of one’s health. This is the story of inspiration behind Dishoom’s bar, which also goes by the same name.

For our final order, we opted for a ‘Meenakshi’s Mojito’, made up of amber-hued El Dorado rum and muddled with Ceylon Arrack, fresh mint, coconut milk, ginger, zesty lime, topped with a generous splash of soda. Cool, zingy and refreshing, the coconut milk in this tipple sets it apart from other mojitos.

Our other option was the ‘Monsoon Martini’, made with Catuai espresso, vivified with Black Cow Vodka, chili liqueur, black walnut bitters and crema. Rich and intense, with just a few sips this little number really hit the spot.

So, here’s to good health! And a very fabulous first year in Manchester.