Manjal
Manjal is the Tamil word for turmeric, and the group's chef Asif Iqbal took Chef of the Year at the National Curry Awards 2023 (Manjal, Time Out).
Why go
The kitchen cooks South Indian and Sri Lankan rather than the Anglo-Indian curry-house repertoire that dominates the Docklands, so dosa batter and Sri Lankan spicing are the house skills (Manjal). It opened on Marsh Wall in 2013, added a Loughton site, and states on its own Canary Wharf page that the food is halal, which is worth knowing in a business district where most kitchens publish nothing (Manjal). The room looks over the water and runs a £10 express lunch on weekdays, then a full dinner service to 11pm.
Order this / avoid
- Order: masala dosa, the cashew nut pakora that a 2022 visit called the standout starter, and the Taste of India plate to finish, which puts gajar halwa, gulab jamun and rasmalai on one order (Anokhi Life).
- Avoid: arriving between 3pm and 5pm on a weekday. The kitchen closes in that gap and only runs straight through at weekends.
What locals & experts say
- National Curry Awards 2023:
Asif Iqbal from Manjal Restaurant Group was named Chef of the Year,
reported by Time Out, which describes the group as specializing insouth Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine.
1 - Anokhi Life, Vallisa Chauhan (2022):
I thoroughly enjoyed the starters and was impressed with the Cashew nut pakora's,
and on the bill,although it is a fine dining restaurant in London I feel like it didn't break the bank in terms of spend.
4
Good to know
- Timing: Monday to Friday, lunch noon to 3pm and dinner 5pm to 11pm; Saturday and Sunday straight through, noon to 11pm (Manjal).
- Booking: by phone on 020 7538 1140 or through the restaurant's booking link; walk-ins work outside the City lunch rush.
- Dietary: the venue states its Canary Wharf food is halal. No gluten-free, vegan or allergen statement is published, so ask.
- Getting there: Drewery House, 213 Marsh Wall, on the north edge of the Isle of Dogs, about ten minutes' walk from Canary Wharf and closer to South Quay DLR.
Jeff's take (his words)
- Note: Curry chef of the year.
Verdict
could-visit — A 2013-vintage Sri Lankan and South Indian dining room on the Isle of Dogs whose group chef, Asif Iqbal, took Chef of the Year at the National Curry Awards 2023. It is halal, it does a £10 weekday lunch, and it is the serious option in a district built for chain lunches. Nothing in the approved record argues for a trip across town.