Fairly than hog an entire hogget to your self, convey some mates and tupperware with you to Tooting.
Non-public eating in London typically means sitting in a finely upholstered room, however with some remorsefully threadbare meals on the plates. However provided that your occasion requires graspingly aspirational formality and in the event you keep on with the unimaginative selections parroted repeatedly in listicles.
If you happen to preorder the entire lamb from Pashtun restaurant Namek Mandi in Tooting, you get to gobble your meaty feast with blithe, hedonistic abandon within the privateness of your individual upstairs eating room. It’s a must to pop off your sneakers although, as you sit on plump ground cushions, with thick drapes overlaying the window. The general really feel is of consuming in somebody’s lounge, though that’s a part of the allure.
The entire lamb needs to be pre-ordered no less than a pair days prematurely. Though tipping the scales at roughly 15kg, the complete beast (albeit served with out head, limbs or inside organs) had been roasted with outstanding consistency. Each strand, chunk and morsel was completely moist and tender, with not a single dry, excessively chewy or powerful mouthful to be discovered.
The style, in fact, various relying on the a part of the animal, starting from earthy to fatty to moreish. The pores and skin was particularly delectable, supple and flippantly salted. Beneath all of it was a king-sized mattress of basmati rice, the gentle grains separated from one another and with a flippantly buttery but immediately addictive style – presumably because of the rendered lamb fats seeping into it. My eating companions – Comfortable Buddha, Veal Smasher, Porn Grasp, Street Runner and Younger Skywalker – appeared on in alarm as I moaned and shivered with guttural pleasure at each mouthful.
If you happen to’re one way or the other nonetheless in want of carbs, there’s at all times the naan that’s so massive it comes hanging off a steel rack like a coat again from the dry cleaners. Whereas gentle and hearty, it wasn’t as cosseting and pillowy because the extra clearly ghee-slicked naans out there elsewhere.
If you happen to inexplicably want a starter whereas ready for the lamb to be sedaned up the steps to your room, go for the chapli kebab. Every coarsely floor meaty patty was flippantly crispy then tender, with hints of spicy heat and ginger.
As a substitute of making an attempt to decide on between the candy, salty and mango lassis, simply order jugs of all three. The salty variant had hints of mint, whereas the mango was extra evocative of the fruit than many different variations elsewhere, together with the bottled grocery store stuff. None had been ever overpowering.
Rice pudding, served chilly, was a easy, flippantly candy and milky affair – eminently refreshing after the relative richness of the lamb.
The Verdict
Though I needed to cradle my swollen stomach dwelling and it took a number of days to shine off the tupperwared leftovers, that solely elevated my satisfaction relatively than diminishing it. I’m nonetheless in awe of how achieved and satisfying the entire lamb at Namek Mandi was. Non-public eating room or not, it’s justifiably one in all London’s consuming highlights.
Identify: Namek Mandi (they’ll’t appear to resolve whether or not to spell it ‘Namek’ or ‘Namak’ and it actually annoys me)
Deal with: 25 Higher Tooting Street, Tooting, London SW17 7TS
Telephone: 020 8767 6120
Internet: fb.com/namakmanditooting
Opening Hours: Friday-Saturday noon-01.00 and Sunday-Thursday noon-midnight.
Reservations? important to pre-order the entire lamb sajji by no less than a pair days.
Whole price for one individual together with gentle drinks when shared between six: £55 approx.
Ranking: ★★★★★
