Located on 5-10 Church Street in Cardiff, the Indian street food restaurant Mowgli will open its doors on Monday 29th July, introducing the smash and grab zing of healthy, light and virtuosic herbs and spices.

[aoa id=”1″]This will be the brand’s first site in Wales with plans to open another two restaurants this year, in Leicester and Bristol. Mowgli first opened its doors in 2014 now operates in Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Oxford and Sheffield.[/aoa]

This is what you can expect

You cannot tell from the outside of the restaurant, but inside, you’re greeted with what I can only describe as a quirky, bohemian-style decor with Mowgli’s own unique twist. You can choose to sit on chairs, benches or if you’re feeling a little adventurous, ‘swing seats’ – a must try!

The food

They don’t provide any starters, instead you can work your way across from left to right, with items on the left hand-side coming out quicker than the rest. Basically, if you order anything from Street Chat or Street Meats, in a way, these can act as your starter foods.

Chat Bombs – bread puffs filled with chickpeas, yogurt, tamarind & coriander

If you want to put your menu choices in the hands of the chef, you’ll want to try the Tiffin Boxes. This is kind of like food roulette and ‘total pot luck’ as they say, as your dishes are ultimately chosen by the chef and you won’t know what you’re getting until it arrives in front of you.

Gunpowder Chicken – Mowgli’s chicken, peppers, ginger, garlic, garam masala

The House Kitchen side of the menu is where you’ll find your curry dishes, but we’re not talking about curry as you might expect from a typical British curry house. Instead, you can expect to eat some of the best curry flavours (that I’ve ever experienced). It’s fresh, it looks great, smells amazing and tastes absolutely sensational. If you’re the type of person that usually shies away from Indian food, then don’t, unless you’ve been here. It’s a completely different experience.

Mother Butter Chicken – Chicken Tikka Masala does not exist in India; butter chicken is the real, mother’s kitchen, deal. Tandoori chicken pieces simmer in a rich, sweet, spice tomato & yogurt sauce

The Mowgli experience is about a fresh take on Indian food and at its heart is how Indians eat in the privacy of their home and on their favourite street stalls.

Treacle Tamarind Fries – The only lip smacking, spiced treacle, tamarind slicked fries on the planet. So wrong…but so right.

… and if you still find yourself with room for dessert, and let’s face it, no matter how full you are, there is always room for dessert, you’ll want to check out this entourage of delights.

The Mowgli Chocolate Brownie – Served warm with ice cream

Syrupy brown nutty milk doughballs served warm with ice cream. They are to Indians the equivalent of a ‘nans’ sticky toffee pudding.

The menu is entirely comprised of dishes from British Chef, Nisha Katona MBE’s family recipes – and trust me, you won’t be disappointed in the slightest.

Speaking ahead of the opening, Founder and British Chef, Nisha Katona MBE said:

“Wales represents a brave and new frontier for our little homegrown kitchen.

“Cardiff knows what she wants from her dining landscape and I feel that Cardiff could not be a better fit for everything that Mowgli is. She is a quirky bohemian eatery and Cardiff has such a hip and honest foodie scene. I hope Mowgli and my ancestral family dishes do the high Welsh expectations justice”.

“The aim of Mowgli is to enrich lives in the cities that she goes to. I will continue to dedicate all my energy into taking Mowgli to the cities that would have her, only as long as they want her.”

To find out more and to book a table, click here.