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Please note, Mudra has now closed. Time Out Food editors.
Although it’s no longer a branch of Rasa, Mudra has maintained that estimable London-based Keralite mini-chain’s commitment to dishes that transcend those of high-street curry houses.
It’s never a bad idea to tuck into the crunchy pre-meal snacks (including achappam and murukku) and half a dozen own-made pickles and chutneys while considering the menu. Here, populist concessions have begun to appear (vindaloos, chicken jalfrezi, prawn bhuna), but the emphasis remains on the likes of swaad erachi olathiyathu (a dry curry of stir-fried turmeric-marinated lamb with coconut) or kottayam fish moilee (a whole fish prepared with onion, tomato, ginger, green chilli and coconut milk), accompanied by a wide range of breads (not just dosa, chapati and paratha, but appam and poori).
We’d recommend ironing out some vagaries of service – black-clad and unfailingly friendly though it is – and freshening the decor, which achieves the curious balancing act of being both energetically pink and a bit tired, rather than dumbing down the menu.
Nonetheless, it’s an enduring mystery why Mudra is so rarely full, and a source of considerable local anxiety. Should it close, the elegantly spiced, enticingly priced curries will be sorely missed.