28 November 2009

Moolita is making fresh bread at 50 Frith Street

taken minutes ago...



mooli's are good for you.

27 November 2009

Dennis

This is Dennis. He thumps me on my shoulder every morning as he drops off our post (mostly invoices and bills !). He has a million dollar smile and a heart of gold. He brightens up my mornings even more than my daily piccolo fix at the Milk Bar.




I have so much to say about some of the incredible people we've had the pleasure of meeting ever since we opened doors @ Frith Street....but I need to get some sleep.

PS: Today was really good. Seeing a customer return for the third time in 24 hrs was heart warming.

19 November 2009

CRAZY Mooli’s deal for students

We’re offering all students a crazy deal after 4pm, eight days a week: any mooli AND beer for just £5.00. Mathew prefers the Kingfisher, I like the Asahi. Either way, just show us your student ID. We're going to run the deal all through November.



www.moolis.com
50 Frith Street, Soho

Opening hours

Sunday – Wednesday 12pm – 10.30pm
Thursday – Saturday 12pm – 11.30pm

18 November 2009

shiny happy people



our free mooli lunch was a big hit (thanks to all those who re-tweeted us all day!). we were totally swamped but kept the line moving. our star rollers marius and royce rolled faster than ever, vio at the till couldn't stop smiling, raju made sure that moolita kept making fresh perfect rotis, mathew and i went up and down the line giving free mango lassi (with ginger) and papad bite tasters.

but what made the day for us was the outpouring of support on twitter, email and people even coming back in person to thank us. here are just a few of those tweets and emails:

girlnextshore @moolis Thank you for my super scrumptious lunch today. Big big big fan, see more of you & your lovely staff!!! =)

Barnster RT @moolis: @londoneating thanks for the re-tweets. lots and lots of happy people with free mooli's. :D amazing moolis we loved them!!

Arigato23 @moolis thank you for my free lunch! i love my pork mooli will definately be back again to enjoy your moooooooooolliiis!

PeterHoffer Peter ♥ @moolis Yumyum!

absolutehype Have to say, I was very impressed by my free lunch @Moolis, can definitely see myself visiting again - http://bit.ly/43OIWN

Lee: I must say that it is the best thing I have tasted in a long time! The food is authentic and I wanted it to last forever. The chutney reminds me of my grandmother’s chutney, to which nothing has ever come close to up to now. I am coming back when the free rush is over. I would choose this over a prĂȘt wrap any day! Thank you for bringing something different to Soho!

we're a bit tired but very happy. thank you all. and goodnight.

Mojito Sunday @ Moolis

.......... in the midst of all the excitement about the free mooli @ lunch tomorrow, I've had time to reflect on one of the most fun afternoons of the last week. Mojito Sunday.

Jonathan Shaw, ordered 4 Guava Mojitos @ 12:25 on Sunday afternoon. Completely unprepared I racked my brains to remember Sam's carefully crafted Mojito recipe and cobbled them together. I think they went down pretty well as we had sold another 25 Mojitos (we also do Lychee and Orange Mojitos) over the next couple of hours. Classic Rock anthems banging on in the background.

So Sunday afternoons are officially Mojito Sundays @ Mooli's. Yes, we'll keep on rockin' in the free world.


PS: a special thanks to Maria and Costas from the Arts Theatre Club downstairs for the cocktail making lessons and helping us source crushed ice !

17 November 2009

FREE MOOLI!

18 Nov ' 09. Free Mooli for anyone who walks through our doors @ 50 Frith Street between 12 noon and 2 pm. Tell your closest friends.

15 November 2009

this one is for our first week regulars

it feels surreal - we've been planning this for so long and now it is real. very real.

every day, Moolita and R2D2 make batches of fresh wholemeal rotis/chapatis. No E22, no preservatives period. just fresh bread. that's why our mooli's are so light - of course, the salsas, apple, mixed salad all play their part but without fresh bread, a mooli wouldn't be a mooli. it also explains why on a Saturday morning after eating mooli's all week, both Mathew and i wanted to eat a mooli rather than go to PRET. i remember Phil saying 'mooli's are finding it difficult not to eat all the stock themselves.'

sometime last week, seeing the rotis puffing up at 50 Frith Street made me think of the people and the places which got us here. Dodie Miller (Cool Chile Company, Taqueria) who first gave us the idea (through Lupita RIP), inspired us and showed us it could be done. Richard Gonzalez (BE&SCO) who went out of his way to make me chapatis in San Antonio, Texas and help us develop our recipe. the countless artists who make roomali rotis in Delhi and Lucknow every day. Swami ji at the BAPS temple in Neasden who was kind enough to let us see Moolita's sister. Jack Sharkey at Vision Kitchens who managed to find R2D2 for us. And, of course, Raju our head chef and mooli master who makes amazing roomali rotis himself and who reassured Mathew and me that we could do it (he now says that R2D2 and Moolita would give any Michelin starred chef a real run for his or her money).

we've had an incredible first week. there have been many highlights but the most amazing thing for us has been how quickly the locals have adopted us. and how often they are coming back for mooli's (and yes, mooli's are liberal with their use of apostrophes). a big thank you to all of you. we are really touched. amidst firefighting (building issues, credit card machines, broadband, the beef didn't come today! etc.) and accounting, it is good to be reminded what mooli's is about. good food.

so this one is for all our regulars (i'm sorry if i forgot any names or people - this week has been a whirlwind): our neighbour from Tapestry who has eaten 3 chicken mooli's, the Jersey boys who come every single day before the show starts, the vegetarian motorcycle courier guys (thank you Alan!), Andy who came in Thursday 5pm, Thursday 9.30pm and Friday 2.30pm, David from Bincho Yakitori who loves the paneer mooli, the hairdressers from Fordham Soho on Greek Street, the guys from Karaoke Box and many others whose conversation we have enjoyed and whose faces we remember.

12 November 2009

First Reviews

I am not sure how many eateries can boast reviews within a few days of opening, without the assitance of a well-connected PR agent. Well here are 6 on Qype, reflecting the views of the consumers that count. They vindicate a number of decisions made by S&M on: fresh bread, design, kulfi, lassi, explaining the apostrophe and papads.

"The most important thing to note is that this place has cheep and filling down pat!
I had a beef filled roti and it was succulent and fresh and served fast. I can see the new owners are finding their feet, but are more enthusiastic and open to customer feedback than I've seen in a while, which will only work in their favour.
Definitely worth a visit- you'll only pay a fiver for a drink (I recommend the fresh lemonade) a mooli, and poppadoms. That's the whole deal for very little money, can't go wrong."

"Funky little joint just joined the Soho scrum and there's something decidedly likeable about it - whether it's the minimal, fresh decor, the clean fast-food-but-sort-of-fresh-and-more-home-made-looking wrapped up wraps or the eager friendliness of the owners - it's just a fun place to pop in. They had a meal deal for £5 (yess, a new addition to my credit crunch lunch guide - http://www.qype.co.uk/lists/405106-The-credit-crunch-lunch "

"Although i'm quite partial to the odd ruby murray or 5, i'm always on the look out for more authentic Indian food. With Mooli's opening on Frith St i now have somewhere other than Govinda's to go to for Indian in Soho. As Rob said these guys are really passionate about what they are doing, and it shows in their food and attention to detail. The wraps are really tasty, without being so heavy that you'll fall asleep at your desk, and kulfi are delicious - worth making the trip alone!"

"Great new Soho lunch spot serving up a version of 'Indian street food' which translates as roti wraps with fillings like chicken coriander and mint, asparagus potato and cumin, paneer and tomato chutney, beef and coconut, and (my choice) pork with pomegranate salsa.

Lighter than a burrito, these wraps really hit the spot, and it means you still have room for a 'kulfi' the conical ice cream dessert. I was given the pistachio version on the house (opening week offer) and it was really really good, even on a wet autumn afternoon. They'd be doubly good on a hot summer's day.

Quick tip: it's worth paying a little bit extra for the chutneys and poppadoms to go with your lunch, they are really good. The green, spicy chutney is really moreish.

Having had a quick conversation with the guys who own the place, they're really friendly, eager for feedback, and obviously very passionate about what they're doing.

I can see this becoming a regular lunch spot over the next few months."

"Great little spot for a bite to eat! i had a fantastic spicy pork wrap which was to die for freshly made bread with some good fresh veg and some lovely pork followed up by some home made mango yogurt just what the doctor ordered! prices are fair and the service is genuine. give it try!!!!!"

"Just tucking into my first ever Mooli. Spicy shredded beef with fresh salad wrapped in a fresh roti. At £3.95 not cheap, but better value than the Pret a Manger wraps. Love it.

Today was their opening day, so there was a free taster of very tasty lassi as we walked in, then exceptionally fast service. The moolis are served via a rack like you get in Muccy d's. As it was their first day we also got a free drink (I took a full sized mango lassi - Yum) and a very tasty brownie.

Definitely go again to try a different flavour. An indian workmate who came with me had the asparagus. He has roti wraps at home frequently and said that it was good.

Con: the ungrammatical apostrophe in the name.

Pro: Very fast and friendly service, tasty food."

09 November 2009

we're open for business

walk right in....

i'm typing this late on sunday night. today, we were getting ready for monday and even had a sign saying opening 09 november but a few people dropped in anyway and bought quite a few mooli's. we made them some lychee mojitos on the house which went down quite well. they really loved their mooli's, ordered a few more and saw moolita and R2D2. Terrell (hope i got your name right) and i discussed In & Out burger at some length. Juan Paulo from Grenada popped by from Ronnie Scott's and wished us luck.

tomorrow, at 12pm on Monday 09 November 2009, we open our doors @50 frith street to the public. mathew, raju and i are excited. we like to think we're all cool customers but we're a bit nervous. if you're in London, drop by and buy your first proper mooli. tell your friends too. :D

08 November 2009

...as I walk through the valley

I wont pretend like I am not nervous. As I brace myself for the most insane few weeks and months, everyday I will try and remember to do three things that I learned from yoga.

1. Keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, physically and mentally. It is incredible the strength you can give yourself from firmly planting yourself on terra firma.

2. Keep my mind calm.

3. Draw your stomach in and keep your core engaged and strong.


.............and of course enjoy the joyride :-).

Bring it on baby!

05 November 2009

04 November 2009

Our menu


02 November 2009

remember two things

it is beyond hectic now. there are unexpected things which pop up every day @50 Frith Street. BT cancels broadband, the wrong coloured chairs are delivered, a bureaucratic issue with the alcohol license, the drain is blocked, is the roof leaking??? ...but we're solving these problems, making quick decisions and getting ready for the 9th.

just a few days ago, i recieved a lovely message on facebook from my uncle BC's close friend Mark who lives in California (he who was the first person to tell us that mirrors are essential for a smallish space). i'm taking the liberty of posting it on the blog (without asking him).

I'm so looking forward to your adventures on Frith St. Your uncle and aunt have been keeping us posted (so to speak). Sure wish we could attend your opening celebrations. But we'll be there in spirit for sure! No matter what, and I mean no matter what!, remember two things: 1) to have fun; 2) to breathe. Very little else matters.

All the best my friend,
Mark (and Jo sends her love)
If we've been silent, its because we've been beavering away @ 50 Frith St.

We've had a number of people drop in randomly and chat and check out Moolita. If you are in the area, pop in and say hi we might have some bread, moolis, wine or cocktails for you to sample....

Right now the place looks sleek and minimalist. Like an art gallery. With a stainless steel food pass. Tomorrow we get our Jamaica bar stools and Eames chairs. How exciting.