Place: Dishoom Canary Wharf
Location: 13 Water St, Food Wharf
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner (with wifey and our lil one)
On: Sunday, 18 August 2024
After a lovely summer day at Greenwich Park, we passed through Canary Wharf and decided to try Dishoom. Wifey had been to this location before and had great things to say, but I was a bit apprehensive, as I’ve always felt Dishoom is somewhat overhyped. To our surprise, we were seated in about ten minutes, despite expecting a long wait.
The restaurant is expansive, featuring two floors of seating overlooking the water. It boasts a warm, fine dining ambiance designed to evoke Bombay. We were seated on the ground floor, right in the center. I asked if we could sit on one of the sofas, but they informed us the table was reserved (though no one showed up the entire time we were there). I’m not sure if it was intentional, but there were many waiters moving around, and we couldn’t quite tell who was responsible for our table.
Wifey noted that the waiters usually ask if it’s your first time at Dishoom and provide an overview of the menu. I saw this happening at the next table, but not at ours. We went straight to ordering: we started with a Bun Maska Chai for Wifey, a portion of Okra Fries, and Grilled Malai Mushrooms, along with a Virgin Piña Colada for myself.
Hyderabad, the city we’re from, is famous for its Bun Maska Chai, so I was eager to try this one. The bun was soft with just the right amount of butter, though I found it a bit dry. The chai didn’t suit my taste, but wifey enjoyed it.
The service was quick, and the Piña Colada arrived shortly after — it was quite decent.
Wifey recommended the Okra Fries. The okra was fried to perfection and tasted great, though I thought it had a bit too much chaat masala. I was also unimpressed with the portion size.
Next came the mushrooms, which tasted good. I would have preferred a bit more malai, as some pieces were a little too dry, but overall, it was the best dish of the evening so far.
At this point, we weren’t very hungry, so we decided to order just two main courses: a portion of Paneer Tikka from the children’s menu for the lil one, and an Awadhi Jackfruit Biryani.
The Paneer Tikka, served with potatoes, slaw, and a glass of fruit juice, looked promising. However, it was very dry, and none of the condiments added enough moisture. The lil one had a couple of paneer pieces and called it a day!
We received a portion of fryums, though I wasn’t sure what they accompanied. I initially thought they were part of the biryani, but I noticed the table next to us ordered the same biryani and didn’t get any. We’re not ones to say no to fryums, so we enjoyed them anyway!
This was our first time trying Jackfruit Biryani, and it turned out to be really good. The jackfruit pieces were juicy, and the rice was perfectly cooked with a lovely flavor. A slight sweetness from the raisins and jackfruit added to the dish, which I really liked. While it was served with raita, I would have preferred a subtle gravy as an accompaniment.
Overall, it was a decent meal. While the mushrooms and biryani were good, the other dishes were forgettable. Additionally, the service felt chaotic at best, and it didn’t have the refined atmosphere of a fine dining restaurant. In summary, I still believe Dishoom is overhyped, especially considering there are many other restaurants in London offering better-tasting food. For one, I’d recommend Farzi London.
Food: 7/10
Service: 5/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Meal for 3: £63
Verdict: 7/10
