An authentic Indian menu and some swoony cocktails woo Neil Sowerby
IT’S the hottest offering in the city and we don’t mean the Malvani Lamb special, though its coconut-rich broth does pack a spice punch. Yes, Dishoom, the Indian restaurant brand that dares to be different, has arrived in Leeds. Official opening is on Friday, August 14, but the soft launch has already packed in punters eager to get a taste of the Irani cafes of Old Bombay.
The immaculate re-fit of the Vicar Lane site, alongside the Victoria Quarter resolutely pays homage to that unique hospitality legacy slowly disappearing in today’s cosmopolitan Mumbai.
The space features cosy leather booths for families and groups to settle into, alongside a wooden bar at the heart of the restaurant. Vintage decorative lights, sourced from the mother city and lovingly restored, sit alongside bespoke lighting throughout the café, casting a warm glow that evolves from breakfast through to late evening.
Start off with a bacon naan at brekkie, tuck into a Ruby Murray and house black dal at lunch and as dusk falls take every advantage of the Permit Room bar’s delights, culminating in a Samir’s Vice cocktail marrying tart pineapple and sweet strawberry with tropical Takamaka Seychelles Rum Blanc, fat-washed in coconut milk and dashed with cardamom bitters.You need never leave.
That was my inclination on our preview visit. This Dishoom doesn’t have the advantage of the Manchester version’s epic Victorian premises; indeed its defining style is Art Deco more redolent of Thirties Bombay. But it immediately shares the same vibrancy and has a story all of its own.
Co-founders Shamil and Kavi Thakrar, who opened the original in London in 2010, have hd fun creating a myth for each subsequent Dishoom. Here it’s some shaggy dog tale from war-time Bombay (then a bastion of the British Empire) based upon the explosion on board the SS Fort Stikine in Bombay Dock in April 1944, which sent gold bars flying across the city. Legend has it that some of the missing gold was never recovered.
Dishoom Leeds reimagines the fortune made from the gold bars and glamorous mid-century details abound through both interiors and artwork. Guests can read the full story on Dishoom Leeds’ website here.
The disaster is referenced in The House Rules emblazoned on the wall of the first floor main dining room dining hall: “No stealing gold bar”. As in other Dishooms he rest of these quirky admonitions are geared to the city they are in. Such as “No exchanging corn for meals” – a charming tidbit from Leeds' history, where hungry patrons would once barter corn for their supper.
The all-day dining roster (which does include a toothsome grilled corn cob doused with chilli butter) is fixed on Bombay comfort food inspired by the city’s cafés, grills, street stalls and family kitchens.
But is also strays across the rest of the subcontinent, notably south of Mumbai. That Malvani Lamb Curry, specially created for Leeds, is from the Konkan Coast, famed for it seafood. Here its distinctive spice mix is adapted to lamb leg slowly cooked. The resulting gravy is infused with roasted coconut, cardamom, chillies, turmeric and pippali pepper. Accompanying is golden laccha paratha for dipping and a sharp onion salad.
I’d also recommend old faves such as the house chaat (fried sweet potato covered with cool yoghurt, pomegranate, beetroot, radish and carrot plus a tamarind drizzle and green chutney) and, of course, Dishoom’s legendary signature dish – black dal simmered for over 24 hours. New to me was a side of warm aubergine chutney, addictively sweet and sour.
To accompany, we had to try Kohra IPA, made specially for Dishoom by Leeds craft beer maestros Northern Monk, built to handle spicy food. I was more than happy with a Dishoom Margarita (aim for the smoky mescal variation)
A sign of the times, there’s a great non and lo drinks offering, even beyond Indian staples such as sharbats and lassis.
Dishoom, 68-78 Vicar Lane, Leeds, LS1 7JH. It is mostly a walk-in café, with guests welcome anytime. Reservations will be available for breakfast and lunch, with limited evening bookings available from 6pm.
