Imli for Indian

The phrase ‘as seen on TV’ can be misleading. It is often used as a guarantee of quality, as if the item or person in question were so supremely brilliant that it just had to be transmitted to the nation via the medium of television.

But often you’re left with disappointment after foolishly trusting the wisdom of the idiot box. The kitchenware that you bought falls apart as soon as it leaves the morass of packaging or the magician/comedian/gardener looks forlorn when away from the world of studio lights.

Fortunately there is no such repeat experience with Imli, the restaurant recently featured on one of the professional rounds of TV’s Masterchef. But this really should be no surprise given that it shares its owners with Tamarind, the first Indian restaurant in Europe to receive a Michelin star.

Imli’s take on Indian food is a little more lo-fi and informal, providing a tapas-style menu instead of fine dining. The restaurant itself is certainly more chic than your usual Indian eatery and was full the night I visited, as you might expect from a restaurant that was featured in the professional round of the nation’s favourite culinary competition.

Starting off with paani puri, grilled paneer and roasted pepper salad and amritsari fish, Imli’s dishes (ranging from £4-£10) are very considered in terms of their flavour and their lightness. The salad had a good composition although was put in the shade by the paani puri. This was one of the restaurant’s biggest sellers and it is not hard to see why.

Featuring wheat crisps stuffed with spiced chickpeas along with savoury, sweet and sour paani, it was an intoxicating mixture of flavours that resulted in a race amongst our collection of diners to see who could get the biggest share. The amritsari fish had a crispy light batter although it would have been good to see a few more on the plate.

The other meat dishes were similarly successful in terms of their flavour but it was the desserts that really cemented Imli as a place to eat. The ice creams on offer, the fig and ginger along with the chocolate and orange, were quite fantastic. However, it was the mango rice pudding that left you agog, given how wonderfully different it is from what you might remember from stodgy school dinners. At £3.50 it was an absolute snip and indicative of the creative process that goes on at Imli, combining thoroughness with accessibility. No wonder they’re put on television.

Imli
167-169 Wardour Street
Soho
W1F 8WR

Tel: 020 7287 4243