Punjab , London

I was a long way from home for this one, so I had to do a little research before I went munching. This place came with very high praise and as it was a flying visit it was the only "serious" search for perfection I had time for. It wasn't disappointing though.

We arrived at Punjab ready for snacks - having earlier had both a swim and a beer so while not "desperate" there was definite hunger.

Punjab is really a restaurant and not a take away , so we were hoping we might be able to snack on site and then leave but despite the place being half empty , they were having none of it - if we didn't have a main meal, we weren't sitting down. OK!

Far too many single use plastic containers later we left with samosas and a variety of other snacks. Plus many more plastic pots of sauces. And plastic forks. And plastic spoons. So much waste. You get the idea! Reader, if you decide to visit (and I think you should) , please eat inside and buy a main course if you have to. I was ashamed by the packaging we left after our food.

Anyway, onto the food. I am learning that the Punjab region like their samosa's like medium sized pregnant 3D triangles. Cute and chubby things they are! Is it a coincidence that the current two top ranking samosas are Punjabi in origin?

The pastry was both crispy and chewy, just the right thickness to have substance but not too much so that it dries things out. The filling as slightly mashed so flavours were nicely mixed but not to the extent that the texture was gone. Perfect! The filling was generous (chubby remember) and lovely and spicy. The flavours were spot on - the only think that could have improved things would be perhaps a little coriander.

The chutney / sauces were great too, a herby dip (coriander and chilli I think) and also a tamarind sauce (a personal favourite). The samosas were definitely good enough to enjoy without the sauces but were welcome none the less. My travel companions had mixed reports on the other snacks but did definitely enjoy the samosas.

Maybe it was the lack of a nice cosy setting that has tainted my judgement - but eating on a roundabout from a mountain of plastic waste has perhaps prevented me from hitting a 9 or even 9.5 with these beauties, but an 8.5 still makes them worth seeking out.

It was actually a very lovely roundabout as you can see in the picture (Seven Dials since you ask - work a look if you are in the area).





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