When someone mentions an Indian takeaway in the UK, I tend to imagine greasily mouth-watering side dishes, rich sauces and aromatically pleasing rice. As is the case however with proportion of other similarly popular takeaways in the UK such as Pizza, Fish 'n' Chips and Chinese takeaways, some Indian takeaways can sometimes fall under the category of many such takeaways simply serving overly-greasy, rich and aromatic food that has no passion or aesthetic quality to it. And that good sirs and madams is where the glorious Mogul Indian restaurant and Mogul takeaway (both of them in different parts of Greenwich, London) come in. Not only is there a definite sense of character and enthusiasm put into the food that comes out of the Mogul near the Cutty Sark museum and its takeaway outlet, but the food from the cooks at the Mogul balances culinary aesthetic with a good balance of aromatic smells, nicely balanced flavours and food that employs mouth-wateringly traditional Indian cooking but doesn't overflow with grease as many takeaways do.
Now before I get into the always-anticipated description of the food, I feel it necessary to describe the pleasingly warm atmosphere to be found within the walls of the Mogul restaurant. Located at 10 Greenwich Church St, a stone's throw away from Greenwich market and a 4-5 minute walk away from the Cutty Sark museum. The outside of the Mogul restaurant is modestly welcoming but not garish while also being simply painted and advertised but at the same time also having an air of inviting warmth. And that is just the atmosphere to be found once you walk in the door, warmth and a definite inviting air about the place. Like the outside, the inside has simple painting and decoration but is aesthetically pleasing in that regard while the furniture within the resturant is comfortable and (thank freaking goodness) doesn't wobble as the furniture of so many restaurants before it. On top of that, the staff in the Mogul are also helpful and informative about the differences and characteistics of and between each dish while at the same time not being overly-pushy but also managing to be freindly enough so that you feel welcomed both as a customer and visitor. As for the takeaway outlet at 192 Trafalgar Rd, the atmosphere feels a little rushed but the same helpful attitude from the staff is present there.
Now enough about the arty side of the restaurant and its takeaway and onwards to the truly important aspect of this review; the mouth-wateringly, nose-tingly, eye-achingly, stomach-grumblingly delicious food. The meals that are available at the Mogul are the usual kind of meals you'd expect from an Indian restaurant. There are some popular favourites such as chicken tikka masala, Bombay potatoes and onion bahjis. But the main thing (or at least in my slightly mad opinion) that characterises the food at the Mogul is that it is generally mild and instead of going all out on fire and brimstone dishes of crazy levels of spiciness, tends to serve meals that concentrate on massaging and tingling rather than sweating and tempering the taste buds.
Naturally there are some spicy dishes but it seems that the main aim of the food at the mogul is to give the usual diner there a delightful rather than challenging Indian cuisine experience. Now don't get me wrong, I love spicy food as I have tons of Tabasco mustard, wasabi, peri-peri sauce and the like on my food at home and also tend to sometimes get particular spicy dishes out at a restaurant when I'm feeling brave. Sometimes however, as we all might, I occasionally feel the urge to simply chew on something from the sun-swept lands of India that is flavoursome more so than it is spicy.
Naturally my usual meal from the Mogul reflects this wholeheartedly. For the basis of my meal it of course has to be a rice, and in my case I usually prefer the Mogul's saffron rice as despite the fact that the Mogul's possibly more popular pilau rice has more of an interesting palate and smell. I personally like the saffron rice more due to its interesting colours and mellow, perpetually nutty flavour.
As for vegetable dishes I usually like to go for the sag paneer; a course of cooked spinach with rectangular chunks of oh-so glorious, whey-based haloumi cheese (I honestly don't know how to spell that one). In particular, the sag paneer has a nice flavour to it as the mild flavour of the spinach is modest and vibrant while at the same time allowing for the chunks of cheese to stand out as beacons of truly expressive flavour within this mighty dish.
Subsequently, I usually also like to go for something extra such as Bombay potatoes which in particular at the Mogul, are not cooked in the usually dry and independently-flavoursome manner as in many other Indian restaurants but are instead cooked with a sauce meaning that there is more room to interpret the flavour and cooking of the potatoes themselves.
As for the main dish I usually go for something a little gamy and mild, specifically at the Mogul I usually go for the murgh dhansak which combines grilled chicken with lentils in a sweet and sour sauce that is pleasant for those with a penchant for more mild flavours while at other occasions, I may also go for the rogan josh which combines tenderly-cooked chunks of lamb with a rich tomato/garlic/onion hybrid of a sauce for those who have more of a palate for more extravagant culinary experiences. To top it all off I usually get a garlic naan which clearly has a flavour of garlic about it which is thankfully not too strong and wash that all down with a refreshing cobra beer and glass of water.
In comparison to the restaurant I personally prefer the food that is to be found there over the mogul takeaway, but as is the case with most people, I find it more relaxing sometimes just to sit back, relax and call up a delivery with free popadoms while lazing on my rear end on the sofa while watching ITV's Britain's got Talent on a Saturday night and swigging a couple of ice cold brews. And that isn't to say that the cooking at the Mogul takeaway outlet is inferior to a great degree, oh no, it just means that there are some slight differences in flavour, I think, between there and the restaurant which aren't even all that noticeable for the most part. What in turn makes the food from both the restaurant and the takeaway outlet truly appealing however isn't just the well-balanced flavours and aromatherapy-esque smells but also the reasonable prices with largely range from roughly £5 on some of the more simple dishes like panch ratten karai to £12 on a few extravagant ones like tandoori king prawns.
In conclusion, this restaurant has stood the test of time and developed its culinary might for nearly 40 years and it most certainly shows. Not only is the food good, but the customer service is informative and helpful yet not pushy and the character of the Mogul is shown through that. The one and only criticism that I have of this beacon of Anglo-Indian cooking is that some dishes like the sag paneer and onion bahjis may lack a little bit of character that could truly make them amazing via not having enough spice. Regardless however, the food is still good and the prices are reasonable for the most part. So if you're in south-east London, I recommend you venture to the Mogul.
Venture out and feast as royalty!
Food: 9/10
Customer service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8.5/10
Price: 8.25/10
Overall: 33.75/10
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