There’s Naan Better

The streets of Soho are paved with restaurants. There seems to be one every other door. Pubs nuzzle up to Italian restaurants which are next to French cafés while across the road there’s an Indian or two. Some restaurants are better than others.

Opened in 2005, Imli offers an enticing menu of Indian tapas – small portions of 6 different dishes to share – or not, they’re so good you’ll want them all to yourself! Their newest creation is the naanwich, set to be Soho’s next lunchtime trend. Featuring a fresh and flavoursome naan bread stuffed with chargrilled chilli chicken, spicy lamb and mango relish or spinach and paneer, Imli’s naanwiches are healthy and filling, and a refreshing alternative to the usual lunchtime fare in London’s West End. With an introductory offer of £5.95 including a free drink weekdays from 3 pm to 5.30 pm, Imli’s naanwich is worth a detour.

Madame Thermomix recently tested Imli’s lunchtime offerings, beginning with a Rose Petal Martini which was s subtly refreshing experience. The traditional poppadums were accompanied by a trio of chutneys – tomato, sweet mango and beetroot to be exact. Bursting with flavour, each one was seasoned with a different spice or seed. The chicken naanwich was moist on the inside and nicely chargrilled on the outside with a lovely sweet mint chutney, lettuce and tomatoes. The lamb naanwich featured a well-balanced seasoning in a spicy lamb kebab. Just right for a quick yet filling lunch.

My lunchmate Chocoralie and I were not in a hurry and actually worked our way through several more dishes, each having its own unique blend of spices. Nothing we tried was run-of-the-mill or tasted the same as you would get elsewhere. The marinated, chargrilled chicken in several dishes we tried was full of flavour and supremely moist. The spicy chicken with Imli potatoes was moist and spicy chicken with soft and comforting potatoes flavoured with black mustard seeds, set off with curry leaves. Our tapas platters contained a bowl of Papdi Chaat which offered a mix of textures and flavours in layers that went from spicy to hot to sweet and from smooth to crunchy. Absolutely gorgeous!

Just when we thought we had finished, we were brought a cardamom and cinnamon lassi. The rich and sharp yoghurt was beautifully complemented by the spices and I found the drink surprisingly refreshing. For dessert we tried the house special, carrot fudge. This is an unusual dessert for the Western palate and is very satisfying, especially when accompanied by homemade pistachio ice cream. It is only to be rivalled by Imli’s mango and basil sorbet, a masterpiece of flavour combinations in a creamy sorbet.

Whether you pop in for a naanwich lunch special, a pre-theatre dinner or a long and lazy Indian tapas session, Imli’s contemporary Indian cuisine will both tempt and satisfy you without breaking the bank.