Founder chef Saransh Goila doesn’t lack ambition. Rather, he may be suffering from a case of severe hubris. Read his website and it boldly claims that he has turned butter chicken “into a religion” in India. Enter his first London outlet and the sign that greets diners asserts that they will receive “quite simply the best butter chicken in the world.” With the bar set so high, disappointment is inevitably the only outcome.
To take nothing away from Mr. Goila, he has been on India’s equivalent of Masterchef and is a well-recognised figure in the Mumbai dining scene. However, with such credentials and confidence in his product, sceptics may wonder why his London venture is little more than a counter with probably 15 covers tucked in to one of the most-populated restaurant quarters of London, on Charlotte Street. Perhaps the hope was the crowds would be forming down the street to pay reverence to this seemingly holy iteration of Indian comfort food? When your reviewer visited on a recent weeknight, he was initially the sole diner in the venue. By the time he left, just one other couple had joined. Maybe the Brits don’t like arrogance, maybe the venue is just too unnoticeable, despite the bold advertising, decked out in muted greys and whites. By contrast, Charlotte Street was buzzing, with most other nearby outlets packed.
Being an open-minded sort of person, the proof ought to be in the metaphorical pudding. Were I convinced, then particularly as an amateur reviewer, I might go and subsequently evangelise. Sure, the principle of how Goila prepares its butter chicken is a laudable one, with a clear emphasis on ingredients: the butter comes from France and there is no ghee used whatsoever. Meanwhile, the chickens are sourced from an organic farm in Yorkshire. The end product certainly feels lighter, more delicate and less dense than the standard fare offered in many curry houses, but I would be lying were I to assert it was life-changing. Should vegetarians be considering Goila, then it is also possible to enjoy both a paneer and a lentil option cooked in the same sauce. Elsewhere on the menu, plaudits to the poppadoms and to the tamarind chutney, but they would still not be enough to convert me. At least pricing was favourable, at c£20 all-in. Whether Goila Butter Chicken will be open this time next year remains to be seen. I will wait (perhaps in vain) for a second coming.