Thali lunch at Dabbawal, Newcastle

The Khai Khai kid.

It’s been some time since I last thought about, let alone visited Dabbawal (1 Brentwood Ave, West Jesmond, NE2 3DH) or really even mentioned it here. I covered the Newcastle outpost early days in 2012 when it first opened and was still naive to papri chat, thought yoghurt and pomegranate was an innovative combo, and a bottle of wine was a mere £14. Here for your historical curiosity.

That was until recently when Kate had the thali for lunch and couldn’t stop raving about it. We’ve been a few times since then solely for the thali and it’s been enjoyable each time. If Khai Khai is a dolled-up big Saturday night out-out, a Dabbawal lunch is more ‘few quiet drinks in the house’. Both are fun.

The OG Dabbawal has been doing the rounds since 2008, from street food to multiple locations and seem to still be popular. Particularly when you consider it’s now overshadowed by bigger, more well-heeled brother Khai Khai. It must be doing something right to stay the course though. Ever-present at events like Battle of the Burger, popups in Fenwick, that type of thing. The restaurant was nearly full when we visited on a Saturday afternoon a few weeks back.

I think I’ve done the curries to death. The thalis are my go-to now. I don’t know why British people are so attached to the idea of a la carte when for £12.95 this is a plate with everything you need. Only on at lunchtimes, mind you. And the price puts it on a par with still-the-best-deal-in-town Khai Khai’s set lunch.

Disappointingly there’s no explainer on what you get, but I don’t think it changes all that often. Reassuringly veggie, or with meat: daal, a curry sauce, lime pickle, something charred by the tandoor, raita, bread, rice, and even a gulab jamun. A few quid more for your meat version, but you won’t feel like you’re missing out with the veggie variety.

Somehow, both feel like more than the sum of their parts. Dabbawal describes them as ‘balanced feasts’ but depending on your hunger levels, it’s either ‘just enough’, or a hefty amount of food for lunch.

One of these is more than enough for a lazy lunch, but we’re greedy so last time round, had a few small plates too. Namely vada pav, and okra fries, which the keen eyed will have noted are now synonymous with Bundobust. Who I’m in love with, of course.

Despite the relative popularity of dishes like this nowadays, unfortunately these just don’t come close to Bundos takes. Vada pav is disappointingly wet inside, mushy peas-esque. And the chutney doesn’t really lift it. Dishoom’s dish really hits hard, and this one just can’t compete at all. And that’s before the sad ‘why’ salad. It’s one of my pet hates. Seriously, who’s eating it.

Okra fries were better but their shoestring cut makes them less interesting than the Bundo equivalents. Some grilled prawns lacked that ‘smoke play’ that you get from Khai Khai but were chonkers all the same, and nicely spiced. Poppadums are fine, chutneys with those much better — one sour with tamarind, one sweet with nigella seed. Pro tip: they come with the thali anyway so don’t order more. Unless you’re a crisp fiend like me.

Decent pistachio lassi, thick and crunchy with the green nut. If you want alcohol, prices have risen to the point where a Jakehead will set you back £9 😱. What a time to be alive, eh?

As fun as the thalis are, I would say there’s a little inconsistency between the two restaurants and our times at Jesmond have felt fresher and more polished. Your mileage may vary, but still, a bit annoying.

So stick with the thalis and you’ll have a super Dabbawal lunch. Prices everywhere are getting silly, and as much as I love a splurge triple-digit bill, I always try to comment on value where possible. As hard as that is for many restaurant to offer these days. It’s comforting to have a fresher take on the BIR style curries we’ve all come to love, with a little hark back to traditional Indian cooking in there somewhere. If you’re looking for an affordable lunch menu that’s deserving of your £12.95 and will delight you at times, you’ll not go far wrong with the thalis at Dabbawal.

Contact: dabbawal.com