Moti Mahal

I’d been looking for good lamb brain all over, but the other places in East ham did not do it right.
A friend brought me here the other day and the brain was done properly, not too spicy, with the tender flavour still there.
Not an easy dish to cook, lamb brain. But then again, this restaurant has one of the best indian chefs around.

Waiter was rude, telling me how to talk. This is trying to be a Michellen star restaurant when it’s not. Bill came to nearly £200.00! Stay away!

I’m always up for mashups. Food, music, whatever, but it has to be done well.
So I was extremely intrigued when the team at Moti Mahal invited me down for their Sake & Spice event.
Moti Mahal was founded more than forty years ago in Delhi. Their London branch is located right near Covent Garden, and they specialise in Indian dishes that emphasize traditional techniques — mostly street-​style tandoori dishes.
I’m always up for Indian food, but when I found out that every course would be paired with a different sake, I knew this was an event I couldn’t miss.
Despite being Japanese, I know barely anything about sake — luckily, the clever folks at Moti Mahal had a couple of tips and facts to share.
Sake is brewed like a beer, with four ingredients — rice, koji, yeast and water. There is usually no vintage — sake is designed to be drunk within 1 or 2 years of bottling, and should be drunk like a wine. My favourite fact about sake is how it tends to enhance the flavour of food, unlike other forms of alcohol — and we really put that theory to the test at Moti Mahal!
Our first course was the Chukander Ka salad — a roasted beetroot and peanut salad that was served with stuffed peppers, minted potatoes and green peas.
This was served with my favourite sake of the evening — a Kimura Fukukomachi Junmai Daiginjo, a premium sake that had a slightly fruity taste to it.
Our next course was the Barra Peshwari — my favourite dish of the evening. These delicious lamb chops were served with caraway seed, Kashmiri chillies, mooli raita and avocado chutney, and were paired with a Kimura Fukukomachi Daiginjo sake. This sake was also a premium sake, and had a lovely light and subtly fruity flavour — not overly harsh, as I find some sake varieties can be.
Next up was a Murgabi, served with Teetar and a side of stir-​fried okra. Murgabi is a pheasant dish that has been stir fried with Malabar spices — this was so exquisite, especially with the sweet and spicy pickled partridge. The partridge Teetar was like nothing I’d never tried before, but the flavours were really wonderful. This was served with a Akita Shurui Seizoh Takashimizu Honjozo — this sake seemed more familiar to me than the others: I must admit, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I did the first two.
The next dish was the Lahori Macchi Pulao — baby red mullet cooked with basmati rice, curry leaf and pounded spice and served with raita. This was paired with the Gozenshu 9 ‘Mountain Stream’ Junmai Nama Bodaimoto.
The dessert was a pineapple carpaccio served with plum and port wine sorbet — definitely underwhelming, although the umeshu (plum wine) it was paired with was absolutely divine. I might need to get a bottle of Ume No Yado Aragoshi Umeshu when I’m back in Japan next month!
Overall, the experience was absolutely incredible. Barry, the Beverage Manager, is so knowledgable about the topic — it was great to get some tips (as well as try some of the gin he makes himself!) It was unlike any other pairing I’ve tried in the past, and the combination of Indian flavours with Japanese sake was an unusual one — but one I’d definitely try again.
Even if you can’t try one of their Sake & Spice events, Moti Mahal is worth popping into for the food, which is really delicious. I’d definitely recommend the lamb chops — it’s definitely worth popping into (and avoid the chains in Covent Garden)!

To start they gave us a complimentary lentil and parsnip soup in the daintiest of cups.
We then ordered
the tastiest lamb chops I have had the pleasure of eating. It came with an avocado relish and mooli raita.
For the main we had a lamb organ josh with nan and a main of lamb biriani and a black lentil Dahl.
The service was excellent and they were very attentive
I loved the tiny pill when soaked turns into a hot towel.
The décor is airy and light. Tables are not too packed in.

This was literally the best Indian meal I’ve ever had in my life — the food was outstanding. We did the tasting menu and every dish was perfect. Service was stellar as well.

Wow. What a dinner. The service here, overseen by Tony a true professional, is exceptional from start to finish. The food is extremely well prepared from top notch ingredients. This is not your garden variety Indian curry place. There are plenty of those (good ones) all over London. This is a unique take on Indian food that is both authentic but also innovative. We let Tony help guide us through the menu and were not disappointed. I would absolutely recommend this for a special night out for those that enjoy service and quality delivered in equal measures.

This is simply amazing. The whole experience was incredible! Upon arrival we were given a complimentary mini-​cocktail and an extensive introduction to the menu. They recommended the taster menu as it was our first time — we went with the recommendation and had some amazing food. Flavour, texture, spices — delicious! It was a birthday dinner for my girlfriend; I hadn’t even arranged a birthday cake and celebration, but as the meal came to a close they came out with a cake and sang happy birthday. It was so so good. Oh, and the service was perfect. GO HERE!

Was disappointed with the food this time as the taste is not the same as the few last times I was there
Their trio chicken not as tender as it use to be they removed few items from their menu and it was a wrong choice
The samosa is made with puff pastry and not a nice filling
Hope they bring the old chef back

If you are looking to impress, or to have a stand-​out indian meal, this is the place. We ordered the tasting menu, 2 meat eaters and 1 vegetarian (me). The meal consisted of an amuse, a pre-​starter, 2 starters, a main, and desserts. Every course was remarkable – some more so than others. Service was perfect in terms of tempo, politeness, helpfulness, etc. The food was delicious. While indian, it was also experimental and different. This is not just a curry joint in a posh location. This is really exploring indian food with decidedly modern sensibilities. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Food was really good, but the menu was poorly written. The staff was attentive. I would not return because of the pricetag. The food is overpriced. If you’re looking for a unique Indian experience, I would go. If you’re looking for the more traditional style Indian food with big servings to share with the table, I wouldn’t.

Overall: ok not good value for money, overpriced for Indian food
Service: ok, waiters were attentive and checked in from time to time
Food:
Chicken skewers: nothing special… sauces weren’t that great and definitely not worth the price tag
Shrimp: flavor was ok, fresh but again not worth the price
Tikka masala: good flavor and sauce was good for dipping naan and putting on the rice… nothing special
Fried beef: ok, wish there was more meet under the batter
Overall: wouldn’t go back because of the price tag. Not worth what you pay… went to another Indian restaurant few blocks away for fraction of the price and much better food and flavor

Very flavorful Indian food. I had the butter chicken as a main, and unlike some Indian restaurants where the food is just spicy/​peppery, this one had some hotness but also a number of other flavors. I also tried the lentil soup, which was good but not amazing. The make your own salad was interesting, but the service was timed poorly. By the time we’d cut a few veggies and put them on our plates, the mains were coming out of the kitchen. Overall, I enjoyed it and will most likely return the next time I’m in London!

Delicious Indian food with prompt courteous service. Their cookbook contains recipes that are straight forward and, with a little time, are easy to make. The lamb curry from the cookbook was quite good.

Upon entry, our party of five were led to a fairly large and dimly lit dining room, filled with quiet chatter – as a previous reviewer stated, the ambiance is «more business than romance” – lots of suits and jackets and A-​line dresses and skirts, glasses clinking and polite laughter. Nevertheless, the staff are cordial and friendly and avoid being overly chipper. Our coats were taken and hung for us, and chairs were also pulled out.
The menus are medium-​sized and comprehensive, offering a wide range of both meat and vegetarian options. The drink menu is extensive, with many quality wines available – I do not remember the exact wine we had, but it must have been either a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. It was absolutely delicious – crisp and lightly sweet.
After we placed our orders, a huge wooden block was placed on our table with whole tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, lettuce, and other assorted vegetables, and we were given a sharp shiny knife and to cut it «as we pleased.» A bit confused but undaunted, we scissored our way through the salad and had a fair bit of fun doing so.
Appetizers–
Kararee Subziyan (fried okra): was served in a little paper cone. Executed with a playful flair and not as done up as the other dishes, but was simple and had pleasant flavor and crunch.
Katli (pa-​friend aubergine – or eggplant): absolutely divine and could not get enough of it. Was almost meaty with the way the spices were done.
Bhalla Papdi Chaat (crisp fried pastry and lentil dumplings): also spectacularly delicious, but by this point we were wondering whether we had ordered too much, as my stomach was beginning to stretch and I wondered how I would finish it all.
Mains–
Mirchi Ka Salan (spicy lamb curry) – served in a small bowl but with the right amount of kick. I could not get enough of this dish; sometimes I find that in Indian restaurants lamb meat tends to be a bit tough, but this was just perfectly tender.
Edichakka Varul (jackfruit) – I had never sampled jackfruit before – the texture of hte jackfruit in this dish was pleasantly meaty with just the right amount of bite. It was a bit odd to be eating it as a savoury fish, but it was nevertheless very enjoyable.
Dal Makhani (black lentils) – sounds simple, but was impossibly creamy and buttery (it contained both of those elements, I am sure of it) and did not last long
Dessert–
I cannot locate the dessert mennu online and my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I remember their desserts being very unique and interesting in their conception and quite unlike anything i’d seen before – there was a NOODLE dish that was sweet and milky, and a sort of date pudding that was almost cloyingly sweet.
Overall, the service was impeccable and the food was very, very good – I’d definitely return.

We met up with a retired work colleague and had an excellent day touring by boat, underground and foot!
In the evening we had an absolutely wonderful dinner at:
Moti Mahal, 45 Great Queen St London. Certainly not your average hole in the wall Indian restaurant. Moti Mahal is modern Indian cuisine and it is pricy but totally worth every penny. I won’t bore you with all the details but the best way to experience Moti Mahal is the Awadh Tasting Menu.
Guinea fowl, seared scallops, spicy lamb curry, sea bass, black lentils, seasonal veggies and salad fennel paneer, raita, various tandoor breads and much more.
If you go, get the Awadh Tasting Menu, you will thank me later :).

excellent. and we didn’t even try the tandoori dishes which looked great.
open, glass enclosed tandoori kitchen — next time.
this time: vegetarian only. Malai Saunfia Panneer/​Tandoori Paneer appetizer: great. Fried okra and fried lotus root appetizer — served in elegant paper cones, delicious. Gucci Mutter, morels and peas in creamy red saffron sauce, Daal, the breads — all very good.
A funny, do-​it-​yourself salad at the begining, on the house, was unusual but inoffensive. Passed on dessert.
The cocktails, Bloody Mary and a Caipirinia+ mix (forgot name) very tasty too.
Pricey, touristy, high end and wannabe chic — ok it’s London, it’s worth it for the food.

Given the recommendation of a friend, I went to this restaurant expecting something fantastic. The ambience was more business than romance. The menu seemed more pretentious than it needed to be. The menu didn’t have listed appetizers (I guess we were supposed to know which ones were appetizers and which ones were mains).
The salad came, but it was a make your own salad. So whole tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce leaves were put on a plate and we were told to make our own. It was on the house, so we didn’t mind and I guess in the end it was fine, but I just can’t get behind this concept.
We ordered the chicken nazakat, which was ok. Flavours were a bit over done. The fried okra was quite good. But the lamb curry and the chicken makhni that were our mains were underwhelming. The head waiter claimed that the chicken makhni was a Moti Mahal original (he said this is where it was first created). Well I think if thats the case, others have bettered it.
The halwa selected was quite good, but the kulfi selection was just average.
You get the feeling that this place is trying too hard to be authentic, but it just comes off as pretentious. Junoon in New York pulls this off with aplomb. Masalazone in London is authentic, and a number of others come close. But sadly, I will not be returning to this place.
Oh and I should add this place is not easy on the wallet.

Probably the best Indian restaurant I’ve been to! Everything was amazing. We were a party of seven and made sure to all order different dishes so we ended up trying a lot of the things on the menu. They were all amazing! Hot, spicy yet super tasty and in the right quantity.
The only massive warning I would give though, is don’t act proud and ask for «spicy» unless you’re really sure of what you’re doing. This is a real Indian restaurant with Indian spice standards: one of the guys in my team turned red, then white, then grey trying to sweat his way through a «hot» dish. Don’t make the same mistake, it might ruin your night.
I’m not giving a five star because I feel that despite the high quality it was still slightly overpriced. A good place nonetheless.

Agree with Madison– the cover charge is ridiculous! The service was awkward as well, with an overly hovering waiter who subsequently disappeared toward the end of the meal. We were intensely pressured to order overpriced drinks, and the ambiance is pretentious. Oh right, the food– tasty and somewhat creative, but super small portions (especially for sharing-​friendly Indian cuisine) and not worth the insane prices! Also laughable was the «salad» they bring before the meal with many flourishes– when really it’s a board with tomatoes, cucumber, etc, that you slice yourself. How exciting, to overpay to make my own salad.
Skip this place and hit up a small curry shop elsewhere!

The ambiance is lovely, and you can immediately tell that you’re going to have an amazing time from the moment you step inside. Staff are attentive but not pushy, and our waiter was incredibly good with his recommendations.
To start you’re given a plateful of salad, a carving knife, garlic oil and two pots of spices to sprinkle. It was really unusual, but fun, and tasted amazing.
Then we ordered tandoori jumbo prawns, and 200g of gosht (butterflied leg of lamb seasoned with coriander, garlic and green chillies). Marinated for 15 hours, it was the nicest lamb either of us had ever had, and was SO tender.
For main we had the mixed chicken tikka, served grilled on skewers in three different variations: mint and basil, poppy seed and kashmiri chillies, then cracked pepper and dill. Served with homemade mango chutney, it was divine. I had fresh naan with it, which was light as a pancake and fresh as anything.
Order two menus from the Grand Trunk road (Moti’s a la carte) and you’ll get complimentary sparkling wine, and there are loads of offers when you book via TopTable.
Wasn’t mad on the desserts though (we had anannas ka meetha — stewed
pineapple and molasses, pistachio rice pudding, topped with jaggery cream — which wan’t to my taste) — but I’ll definitely be back asap! :)
Oh, and also, we didn’t pay a cover charge, but yes — it’s expensive. Worth every penny though.