cooks at Needoo Grill, hard at work
It’s taken me months to get to Needoo Grill, mostly because it’s located just around the corner from its famous sibling, New Tayyabs. In other words, if I’m in Whitechapel craving tandoor, I usually end up at tried-and-true Tayyabs despite its brutally-long queues.
Two Fridays ago, Jon and I finally willed ourselves to forgo Tayyabs and try out Needoo Grill, which is owned by the former manager of Tayyabs (Needoo is apparently his nickname).
Having apparently forgotten that we were merely a party of two, Jon and I ordered veg samosas, seek kebabs, grilled lamb chops, karahi lamb, a special of the day (haleem), aubergine dal, peshwari naan, regular naan and rice pilau. Frighteningly, we ate it all.
lamb chops (£5) and seek kebabs (80p each) at Needoo Grill
Needoo Grill’s seek kebabs were as juicy and spicy as they are at Tayyabs, but Needoo’s lamb chops varied from tough to top-notch. A few of the chops were covered in too much marinade, though I realize some people don’t believe you can ever have too much marinade.
chili paneer tikka (£2.50)
Paneer was wonderfully smoky and spicy.
dal baingun (aubergine dal) (£4.50)
I’d hoped to eat a dal makhni, which is the dark, buttery lentil dish that takes ages to make at home. But Needoo had run out (really?), so Jon and I ordered the aubergine dal (dal baingun) on the strength of Food Stories calling it “one of the best I’ve ever eaten”. The smoky, silky aubergine added great texture and flavor to the yellow lentils, and it is indeed a delicious dish. But it’s no dal makhni. Sniff.
- Karahi lamb (£5.50)
Friday's special of the day: haleem (£5.50)
The special-of-the-day was haleem, a thick, meaty paste. Apparently you make haleem by braising meat (here, lamb) for hours with lentils, and then you puree the whole thing. For me, eating pureed meat brings to mind unpleasant visions of living in an old person’s home, so Jon and I mixed our haleem with the karahi lamb dish we’d ordered, and that worked out better for us. Haleem seems like it’d be an acquired taste.
peshwari naan (£2)
I’m a sucker for the sweet nuttiness of peshwari naan, but ordering an entire portion for myself was too much. I liked that Needoo’s version was studded with fennel seeds to add a light fragrance to the sugary filling, but fennel seeds or no, the peshwari naan was too heavy for me to eat it solo.
Overall, eating at Needoo Grill was a pleasant experience. Our servers were a lot less harried than they are at Tayyabs, and they took the time to make recommendations and answer questions. The lamb chops might not be as consistently good as they are at Tayyabs, but everything else we tried was comparable. And you definitely can’t beat Needoo’s prices. Our tab for enough food to feed three was £35.
Needoo Grill, 87 New Road, E1 1HH; 020 7247 0648; closest tube station: Whitechapel
Hiya, thanks for this tip, can’t wait to try Needoo as not only are queues at Tayyabs way too long, but tables too squashed together, which is a shame because they rule for best Pakistani food. Is Needoo BYO — will they allow booze?
Also, down the street on Commercial Road is a branch of Mirch Masala, a mini-chain. They are a close 2nd to Tayyabs. It rarely gets the “Friday night crowd”, still mainly locals. Mike
Indeed, Needoo continues the fine tradition of BYO in the nbhd.
I’ve been to Mirch Masala (years ago) and remember the food there was pretty good. But mostly I remember the lighting being pretty bright. I’ll have to pay more attention the next time I’m there.
Like you, Tayyabs always tempts me away but I imagine Needoo would be a much calmer, less smoky experience!
Yes, you’re right on both counts: calmer and less smoky!
[...] An American in London heads to Needoo Grill in Whitechapel. She echoes Chris Pople when she says the lamb chops aren't quite as good as Tayyabs', but overall it was a 'pleasant experience'. Paneer was 'wonderfully smoky and spicy', 'and you definitely can’t beat Needoo’s prices'. [...]