Rooburoo

Rooburoo no longer exists. THere is something else there in its place which is fairly standard, and serves «monkfish» curry that is made with a totally different (and much cheaper) fish, and claims that it is monkfish…

Family and I went searching for a good spot to eat and along the row of restaurants we finally settled upon Indian food. Good choice as the dishes were quite tasty and the service was wonderful. I am in no way sure of just how long we stayed there ordering up appetizers, meals to share, and drinks but it was all very much worth it.
So then why just three stars? Because in the grand scheme of Indian food, it hit it’s standard mark. Is there anything that really makes it stand out from the rest… I’d have to say no. They do have a great philosophy and fantastic service but the food, albeit good wasn’t anything to yield a second return.

Since this is off the beaten tourist track, we never would have known about it had we not been taken here by friends who knew it was highly recommended by both Time Out London and the Evening Standard. Maybe we were here when the regular chef was off or simply having an off night, but based on our experience it certainly doesn’t deserve its reputation as on of the top ten curry houses in London.
Wanting to try something different, we ordered banana leaf-​roasted fish, which was very dry, and Malabar lamb, which was overcooked and tough, and both were barely spiced and very bland. Familiar dishes like chicken tikka, Mumbai potatoes, and daal were unexceptional.
The best selections were the starters — bite-​sized pieces of bread stuffed with feta cheese, garlic, and tomatoes, steamed asparagus dumplings, and salmon and potato cakes — and the desserts, especially the sponge cake with pistachios.
We were sorry we didn’t create a meal of appetizers and sweets and ignore the main courses. The atmosphere is pleasant, service is good, and prices are on the high side for what you get.

In my experience, London’s South Asian restaurants promise much but rarely deliver. The award-​winning Indian and Pakistani places always seem to be in Glasgow, Birmingham or Bradford. For those of you who have been up-​til-​now disappointed by what you have found on Brick Lane, or at your local takeaway, look no further. Rooburoo joins Rasa of Stoke Newington, and Sweet’N’Spicy of Whitechapel as an antidote to the often depressing curry experiences to be found elsewhere in London town.
Rooburoo avoids everything that annoys me about most other Indians. The music is tasteful and modern. The same could be said about the décor and, while I’m at it, the menu, which has some surprisingly simple and healthy-​sounding dishes on it: sea bass with lemon served in a banana leaf anyone? No re-​heated, non-​descript, gooey karmas here. The staff are thoughtful and friendly and the prices are the right side of thirty quid. An excellent find.