Mooli's - July 2010

Where: Mooli's, Soho
With whom: work lunches, I think I've introduced most colleagues now. if I haven't taken you, then it either means I'm not enough of a fan to share the spare five minutes I get to eat, or you don't work near me... 
How much?: A remarkably reasonable £4.50 for a large Mooli.


Now I grumble right? It's one of the reasons that you read the reviews (other than the fact I ram it down your throat every five minutes), but every now and then even I find somewhere that I just can't complain about, and Mooli's may be that place. But I'm a Grumbling Gourmet, and certainly not qualified to just be a Gourmet, so will give them both barrels.
Complaint no 1: There are long queues at lunchtime
Complaint no 2: I've the sneaking suspicion that they could turn it into a chain, and thus become the corporate enemy. After all, being in on the ground floor of a food revolution is wonderful, but you don't want to admit to shilling for a nationwide chain, "hey guys, I've found this beautiful new sandwich shop... artisanal, fresh, Pret A Manger I think it's called.."
The premise is simple. A small shop on Frith Street sells 6 types of Mooli, Indian style wraps of meat or veg in a roti roll. They do a better job of explaining this than me. Take the wrap, eat the wrap, smile... 


I habitually, like an addict, go for the Goan Pork. More pulled pork, this time an unctuous slow cooked spice hot mix, almost past the point of individual strands and spread like a rough pate on the freshly cooked wholemeal roti. There's a pleasing crunch and sweetness from the pomegranate seeds and a lettuce, cucumber and tomato salad shares the porky bed and adds a touch of cool to proceedings.
The Keralan beef with coconut and raita works well, as does their new goat, a spicy step change from the more subtle beef. I've tried a bite of the veggie Mooli's but keep getting side tracked by the pork.   


It's too simple a concept for a long review. The fact I take people there most weeks sums up my feelings for the place, it's the same pleasure I get introducing people to a great new band. I hope that it can and does roll out (geddit, geddit?) further so I get the chance to look at the Mooli's on every high street and remember back to when I knew first, and best...