Moolis

Moolis has been open just over a month and its lassis already have a cult following.  ‘Our regulars come in twice, three times a day,’ smiles Mathew Chandy, one of the co-founders of Frith Street’s newest restaurant, ‘they say they’re addicted’.  It is not just the drinks menu that has a loyal fan base.  The core offering – the eponymous mooli – has met with approbation from AA Gill to Alan Yau.  So what exactly is a mooli? Sameer Singh, Chandy’s old college mate –turned-business partner describes it as a ‘light roti, made in-house and fresh off Moolita, our unique bread machine from Texas, hand-rolled together with our range of warm fillings.’ What differentiates a mooli from a regular wrap is first the nature of the bread (fresh, wholemeal and absolutely preservative-free), and second the eclectic range of fillings (Keralan beef, cumin potato and asparagus, grated paneer, Goan pork), mingled with zesty salsas and chutneys. Chandy and Singh drew on inspiration from their travels (trips to the palace of the Nawab of Lucknow, where the Indian kati roll was first created, and the Malabar Coast of India, where the Indian-Syrian Christians invented their unique Keralan beef), in order to create a range of different moolis that they hoped would cater to all possible tastes – meaty, vegan, spicy, delicately flavoured.

There are only five different moolis currently available (in regular or mini form), but the compactness of the menu belies its complexity. Even my demanding dining companions, at polar opposites of the culinary spectrum; one a born and bred vegetarian, the other a committed carnivore, both commended its breadth and balance. As a wanton omnivore, I happily sampled each mooli on offer, and went back for seconds of the beef (though it was hard toss-up between that and the pork).

To keep the concept clean, Chandy and Singh have sagaciously decided to keep the menu streamlined, at least at the outset. We were treated to future putative menu additions, however, including a spicy tomato soup and a truly divine dhaal. There are also plans afoot to introduce goat to the mooli posse next month. For the sweet-toothed, there is a also a wide selection;  cardamom, rosewater and mango puds, and white and dark chocolate varieties of brownie. We each had a kulfi – essentially a grown up Mini Milk. The vegetarian found the mango version too creamy, but the carnivore and I were extremely keen on our pistachio and malai flavours.

Moolis is fully licensed, which means that it is able to straddle the day-to-evening shift in clientele particularly effectively.  They seek to appeal to the local office worker and the passerby on a night out, and their offering is broad enough to meet this challenge. The great thing about the mooli is that, in addition to the wonderful taste, it is also remarkably easy to eat on the go, making it a fantastically versatile product in terms of both consumer appeal and use. This adaptability will certainly prove useful when Singh and Chandy eventually (as they hope to) expand the franchise further afield in the City and Canary Wharf.  Meanwhile, go and visit them in Soho to see a future Pret in the making.