Mughli

When looking for choices of places to eat on trips back to in England, Indian food has to be part of the equation. And flying in and out of Manchester meant that a trip to the Indian restaurant cluster in Rusholme seemed like a good plan. My last trip there was 20 years ago where I had a wonderful chicken breast appetiser but don’t remember the name of the dish or the restaurant we visited. All I know is that I still occasionally get nostalgic over it. Basic conclusion was that i was well overdue a return visit to the area.

Recently, I’d seen a lot of positive discussion about Mughli on Wilmslow Road so that was my destination of choice. I was looking forward to the prospect of a walk from the Northern Quarter to Rusholme. Manchester weather had other ideas, however, and as the evening got closer the rain drew in. Having already had a soaking that afternoon it was time to beat a tactical retreat and order a taxi instead. After putting me straight on the pronunciation of the restaurant’s name we headed off and pulled up opposite Mughli’s bright orange canopied restaurant front a few minutes later.

So it’s 7:30 on a damp Manchester evening. You cross a busy Wilmslow Road. The area around Mughli seems quiet bar the couple of people sitting outside although the weather could be part of the explanation for that. Nothing prepares you for stepping through the door as the roar of the restaurant hits you. The tables look full, the level of conversation is high and the place is totally buzzing. The cosy feel due to the subdued lighting draws you in further and it becomes easy to forget the indifferent weather outside.

Starting with poppadoms and dips seemed the obvious way to go while looking over the rest of the menu. A nice variety of dips including mango chutney, garlic pickle, mint yoghurt, red onions, chilli tamarind and a Rajasthani salad of cucumber, onions, carrot & corn. The highlights for me were the juicy red onion salad and the mildly sweet chilli tamarind sauce.

The first of two starters was Malai tandoori chicken prepared off the bone with a yoghurt masala sauce and black pepper. The three portions of juicy tender meat had excellent flavour that paired really well with the beetroot, coriander, chilli and carrot salad that accompanied them. The really welcome surprise was the punchy heat of the salad.

The fish mughlai was even better. A generous slab of marinated grilled haddock was slathered with a thick spicy dressing and scattered with mustard seeds and coriander. The delicious moist fish was easy to pick apart with a fork and it held its own against the strong flavoured spicy coating. 

Rather than go for a more obvious curry type dish, I opted for the lamb nihari. The large chunks of slow cooked lamb shank were wonderfully juicy requiring very little chewing. The spicy sauce had only a mild heat but the soft strips of ginger added a nice kick. The quartered naan bread was great for mopping up the abundance of the appetising sauce.

After three very satisfying courses the bill was delivered accompanied by a Vimto lollipop and a load of fruit Mentos. This set the seal on a really good evening. Service was brisk and attentive and the whole place just had a nice vibe. As I wandered back out of the door into the dark Rusholme night the restaurant still reverberated with the contented buzz of a full house who were being treated well.

I thoroughly enjoyed everything I ordered at Mughli but there was so much more I wanted to try. The table next to me ordered the railway chicken (chicken pakora bites) that I’d almost gone for and I inwardly groaned as I saw how much they enjoyed it. It’s pretty safe to say that Mughli will be a place I’ll look to get back to whenever I’m in Manchester.

Overall Rating –4/5