Needoo

Press Reviews (3)

• Roopa Gulati (15th October 2009)
  3/5 stars
  
  “There’s little about the frontage of this small café to distinguish it from the many other ‘Indians’ in Whitechapel”, says the critic. “Run by a former manager of Tayyabs”, a few paces away, it offers “the [similar] staples – smoky grills and Punjabi curries. But it also delivers earthy vegetarian dishes made with care and consideration – and that’s its point of difference.” The grill dish the critic tried, however, was a “let-down” (as it had been for Jay Rayner, in his Observer review).
• Jay Rayner (12th October 2009)
  
  The critic hopes to find a “Tayyabs hit without the hassle” at this new joint in Whitechapel, run by the ex-manager of the aforementioned mega-celebrated Pakistani-grills institution. What with the loud widescreen TV in the dining room and “some stale poppadoms”, first impressions are not good. But things improves with the arrival of the food proper; each of the “fresh and juicy” dishes are pleasingly “distinct and idiosyncratic”. The only disappointment with the cuisine is the lamb chops, which are something of a “cult” at Tayyabs, but “weren’t very good” here.
• Marina O'Loughlin (1st October 2009)
  4/5 stars
  
  Even with all the hot openings currently bubbling up in London’s restaurant scene, Metro’s critic is excited by this new canteen “in a run-down Whitechapel street”. Why? Because the “former, long-standing manager of Tayyabs” is at the helm, and this place is the “spiritual baby” of “one of London’s most important restaurants”. Like it’s inspiration, the newcomer serves excellent Punjabi-Pakistani cuisine for low prices. It cannot offer “sophistication or slick service”, she warns us, but “[w]ith food this good, and prices this silly, I’d happily eat in a skip”.