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Chaat
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© Britta Jaschinski
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By Sulakshana Gupta
At the last count, the ‘Indian’ restaurant tally in Brick Lane stood at more than 50 – a mix of old-style curry houses, Bangladeshi fast-food counters and trendier refits. Chaat, which means ‘snack food’, is none of the above. It’s a welcoming, home-style Bangladeshi kitchen just beyond the northern end of London’s most famous curry corridor.
Chaat is sparsely decorated but cheerful – the white walls are hung with local art for sale, the plain wooden tables are carved with spiralled designs that manager Shanaz Khan (pictured) copied from childhood Bangla alphabet books, and the laminated placemats are characteristic of a sit-down meal at a Bengali home.
The short menu offers unpretentious comfort food; the dishes, priced between £2.75 and £5.95, are explained in brief English. We started with aloo and pea ‘chops’: crunchy mashed potato and pea cutlets, a palliative to the fiery relish made using Naga morich (the world’s hottest chilli pepper, from Nagaland) that rightly carries a warning. Thenga, succulent pieces of bony fish in a tangy mango and tomato gravy, proved to be an excellent choice for a main course once ladled on to steamed rice . The accompanying bowl of shredded white cabbage flecked with lentils was mildly spiced with just a hint of turmeric and panch phoran (a Bengali mix of five spices). As promised, the dishes tasted like mum’s own, and the day’s desserts even featured shimai: a pudding made with vermicelli. The only thing missing was the familiar pungent smell of mustard seed oil, a staple in Bengali cooking. The traditional recipes have been slightly tweaked to appeal to a diverse clientele, but thankfully never stray too far from home.Time Out Issue 1991: October 16-22 2008
See also
- Cheap Indian restaurants in London
Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.
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Details
- 36 Redchurch St, Shoreditch, E2 7DP
- Area: Shoreditch
- Tel: 020 7739 9595
- Category: Bangladeshi
- Travel: Liverpool St tube/rail or 8, 26, 48 bus
- Times: Open Tue-Fri 12noon-3pm, 6-11pm; Sat, Sun 6pm-12midnight
- Price: Meal for two with wine and service: around £40
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Seeking adventure, intrigue or maybe a date or two with new and surprising people. Having jettisoned Shoreditch earlier this year for a mortgage in...
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Unique restaurant by its tasty dishes, very welcoming staff, and the very special decoration.
I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a special oriental meal in a very relaxed atmosphere.
Great atmosphere, I found the slightly different format of meal selection very refreshing. The food was all new to me but tasted great. Perfect place for a date as it's a different experience to your standard restaurant. Staff are also wearing genuine smiles...
Eating at Chaat was a unique and wonderful experience. The decor was earthy and comforting, and the service was excellent. But most of all, the food was delectable. Indian snacks are always a treat, and apart from the usual fare, like samosas, there were interesting items like the peas chops. I particularly enjoyed the mince/kheema preparations.
Tasty and different to yr usual curry as it sets out to be. Slightly more pricey than expetced but still worth it imo.
Some great dishes and choices to be had and really has that homely feel to the cooking. Though not sure abot the steamed pudding on the dessert...I nearly exploded!
Great atmosphere and tunes, reminded us of many a nice restaurant in Soho, NYC.
And a late bar to boot if you just fancy a drink and chat... :o)
Great tasting food, staff really welcoming, definitely be going back!
Loved the use of smaller individual dishes. The relish enables you to spice the meal to your taste. Great food
brilliant tasty food and a great choice too, with a truly relaxed atmosphere what more can you ask for.. Try this place out now !
Cosy place and excellent food!!!
Unique tastey food! Definately different to usual curry!
Delicious, honest food, so different to the brick lane thing nearby. Warm, welcoming staff. Relaxed atmosphere. Great place.