Mowgli Street Food review: A taste of India in Glasgow
Indian takeaways have always been a staple for UK families' night in, but now Indian sit-in restaurants are starting to take over too. From the likes of Dishoom in Edinburgh to the newly opened Mowgli's in Glasgow, their popularity is skyrocketing, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down.
A restaurant adorned with twinkly fairy lights and aesthetic rope swings. It's not hard to see why it attracts the Instagram crowd. Not only that but their high-quality food and affordable prices bring in customers, young and old. They're a dog-friendly establishment, and we found it to be a very welcoming environment; with the staff eager to greet our trainee Guide Dog, they gave us a relatively empty section with space for the dog to relax, which was a nice touch.
Their food menu is extensive, and their drinks menu is filled with cocktails, spirits, and no-alcohol options, which is more than just the one 0% beer and soft drinks offered by many restaurants.
It was explained to us upon entry that the food items were all small plates, so they recommended we order 2-3 things each which gave us an excellent opportunity to try as many plates as possible (an exciting prospect for the indecisive people of the world).
We ordered a few things each, and it was all stunning. It came out relatively quickly and was all piping hot. I will go into the dishes in detail later, but spoiler alert, we thoroughly enjoyed it all. It's a perfect place for couples, families, and friend groups. There is something for everyone. The staff provided excellent service, ensuring we had a nice time the entire night.
I ordered three things; the fenugreek kissed fries, the gunpowder chicken and the mother butter chicken- a favourite dish of mine. I have tried many butter chickens, so Mowgli's competed against a high bar. In my opinion, Mowgli's smashed everyone else out of the water. A perfect blend of creamy, with a lovely kick, it has to be the nicest butter chicken I've tried. The gunpowder chicken was so tasty, the fried chicken provided a good crunch, and the sauce was a fantastic addition. The fenugreek kissed fries were a surprise as they came in the form of mini roasties rather than chips, but that surprise was most definitely not unwelcome. Everyone at the table enjoyed them as a side to their dishes.
My mum ordered the Goan fish curry and the Mowgli sticky chicken. The sticky chicken was reminiscent of the popular T.G.I Friday's Jack Daniels chicken; however, I enjoyed this more, and so did the rest of the group. The fish curry wasn't to my taste, but my mum enjoyed it. Her only description was "stunning".
My dad ordered the house chicken curry and the Mowgli paneer. The chicken curry was very nice; however, the flavours, while nice, were quite subtle. Nevertheless, he said he liked that it wasn't too overpowering and paired nicely with the rest of the dishes. I didn't try the paneer, but my dad was keen on it. His only criticism was that there were unexpected peas in, which wasn't necessarily bad; he was taken aback upon the first bite.
Overall, the restaurant had a relaxed vibe, we all took pleasure in the lack of harsh lighting, and the prices were affordable for the standard of food and service we received. It's not hard to see why this place is always fully booked. If you want to give this place a go, I recommend booking in advance to avoid disappointment. I wouldn't hesitate to return here, and I recommend Mowglis to anyone.
Mowgli Street Food is located at 78 St Vincent Street, Glasgow, G2 5UB. Booking in advance is strongly recommended and can be done by calling the restaurant at 0141 345 2564 or via the website here: https://www.mowglistreetfood.com/book-for-glasgow/