When you think Indian street food you would not think of it being served within a Central London hotel but this is exactly where Soho Wala is based. The Courthouse Hotel is situated right in the centre of the hustle and bustle of Soho just off Oxford Street station and opposite the high-end department store Liberty London. The restaurant actually opened in 2018 with head chef Rajesh Parmar and specializes in small plates.
When you walk in you suddenly forget that you are within the walls of a hotel but it doesn’t totally scream India either, with the bird cages hanging from the ceiling it reminds you more of say Morocco however when you sit down and take in the attention to detail you soon accept the street food tag.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the restaurant is actually offering a limited menu at the moment but something that they specialize in is the Indian Afternoon Tea which I had my eye on for a while and so the first time I visited that is exactly what I tried. It is a bold move on Soho Wala’s side to try and recreate an English classic with an Indian twist and personally I feel they done it very well.
Included in the afternoon tea are lamb Kathi rolls, beetroot kebab wraps with beetroot yogurt, coriander and mint chutney in brioche buns, tandoor chicken with spinach and momos which are Indian dumplings. Something different on the plate is apple and cinnamon samosa’s, chocolate barfi and a sweet lassi shot. Although you can order a more traditional herbal tea you have the option to have an Indian favourite, the masala chai, they even serve this in glasses rather than in a cup which is a cute addition.
The second time I visited Soho Wala I decided to try something different. What I love about Soho Wala is the way the pani puri is served. It pulls up on a mini cart with 6 pani puri’s placed on top of shot glasses filled with tamarind flavoured water. The cart has bottom’s up written on the side and really does give you the feel of eating street food. They are currently offering a vodka infused pani puri for an extra cost. Why not?
To accompany this, I ordered the Mirchi matchstick chicken which also arrived in a cute little cart and tasted fantastic. It was basically fried chicken wings covered with green chilli, lime and ginger and it is pretty reasonably priced at just £4.50 a portion.
I looked down the menu and the Pav Bhaji took caught my eye. This is a soft bread roll served with a tangy spiced mash of vegetables which you eat either by spooning the veg onto the rolls or ripping the rolls apart and dipping into the veg. It is totally your preference, but the taste is insane and Soho Wala’s pav bhaji did not disappoint.
To finish I chose the Gulab jamun cheesecake. I had heard a lot about the Assam tea brulee which I tried the first time around but unfortunately this is not being offered on the reduced menu. The cheesecake was amazing though it is filled with layers of surprises as you dig you spoon further and further into the pot.
Overall, I highly recommend Soho Wala for a quick bite whilst you are out and about sight-seeing or shopping as it is aimed more for the lunch time crew rather than for dinner. They do however serve a few curries, rice and naan on the menu if you find yourself here later in the day.
Vallisa Chauhan
Author
Vallisa Chauhan (@vallisachauhan) presents the Flagship breakfast show on Lyca Radio 1458. She has scripted and produced a full feature film called "Those 4 Walls" and is currently working on other projects. She loves travel and movies and tries to fit in both as much as she can.
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