By now we’re sure you’ve heard the hype about how incredible Spitalfields newbie Gunpowder is. Well we can confirm it’s ALL TRUE.
The tiny but perfectly formed, home-style Indian restaurant doesn’t take reservations so get here early or leave your name and they’ll give you a text when a table is ready for you (wait it out at nearby Discount Suit Company, just round the corner).
The wait really is worth it though so don’t let that put you off. The short menu features small plates, designed to share, as well as more substantial plates such as wild rabbit pulao (excellent!) or baby chicken chargrilled in tandoori spices.
Although the menu is concise, we had a hard time choosing – everything looked insanely good! We started with the much-Instagrammed Spicy Venison and Vermicelli Doughnut served with a spicy dipping sauce which tastes just as as good as it looks! The absolute knock out dish has to be Maa’s Kashmiri Lamb Chops. I’d like to personally meet Maa and give her a great big hug to thank her for bringing these into the world. No exaggeration, you may as well order these while you look at the rest of the menu – you’ll 100% want another portion.
Head Chef, Nirmal earned his stripes in the kitchens of The Oberoi in his hometown of Mumbai and at Zaika and Tamarind Collection in London, though his beginnings were slightly more humble. ‘I learned to cook under the watchful eye of my maa and grandmother and my new menu will recreate the vibrant flavour and confident spicing that I love about home-cooked Indian food’ says Nirmal. ‘We both inherited our passion for food from our families, and we look forward to welcoming Londoners the best way we know – with good cheer and Indian hospitality’ adds Founder, Harneet.
The sagg with tandoori paneer transported me back to the beaches of Goa where I’d previously had the best paneer of my life under the stars. Meanwhile you can actually taste the flames that licked the grilled mustard broccoli, making this another excellent option for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.
Making the most of the fact we’d bagged a table, it would have felt wrong leaving before dessert – share the Molten Spice Chocolate Cake and be liberal with the Masala Chai Custard.
