What is a Mooli?

Thanks Catty!

You've got the music in you

Sam saw it coming. The sun, the cusomers, us turning the corner.

This week people poured in to Mooli's like never before. They're trekking to Soho from Mayfair, Holborn, Croydon and Dorset. We've formed strong alliances with WhereCampEU and Asha. We look around and see folk from the Ivy, ByronBurger, Barrafina, QuoVadis, Giraffe, Chilango, Leon. The organisers of Harvest at Jimmy's want us at the festival because we are an "aspirational food" .

Suddenly I see, Suddenly I see, This is what I wanna be

Suddenly I see (Suddenly I see)Why the hell it means so much to me

But many times in the last few weeks, it felt like we were staring into an abyss, especially when the snow bucketed down really hard. But we've been tenacious (Jonny, we still remember your early advice to us "......you need to be incredibly tenacious to survive in this industry"). We kicked down doors when polite knocking didn't work. Sent mooli's to the City, film screenings and parties when it was too cold to venture out to Soho. Got into Esquire because Timeout couldnt be asked......created some heartwarming dhaal soups and brought back sacks of goat from Finsbury Park to launch the Goat Mooli.



But when the night is falling,
And you cannot find the light
If you feel your dream is dying
Hold tight....You've got the music in you

Someday soon we'll open a branch in the City. and Canary Wharf. But for the time being we'll concentrate on Soho. I love Soho in Summer. Even Spring is gorgeous. And we'll try to take Mooli's on tour......Glastonbury, the Big Chill, WOMAD, Harvest at Jimmys .....we'd like to be showcased alongside Florence, the Zutons and Arctic Moneys. Coz we've got the music.

Don't let go, You've got the music in you
One dance left, This world is gonna pull through

here comes the sun

or chutneys, spring and chess.

today, it was sunny. it almost felt like spring. we've had a hard winter with lots of learning but we're stronger now (thanks to some quiet evenings and lots of yummy mooli's).

in life and in business, you can often sense things. i think both mathew and i can feel the momentum. our whole team can. we're on to something here. raju, mathew and i (with a lot of help from moolita, family, friends and customers at the Sunday Upmarket) tried to create something really special and i think we are being rewarded by our loyal customers for being slightly unreasonable and going that extra distance - making fresh rotis everyday, making chutneys from scratch, slow-cooking for 6 hours. we had our best week last week and everyone's expectations (especially Raju's) are higher than ever.

this evening, after a very busy Monday lunch, here comes the sun was playing and i tweeted:

moolis here comes the sun.... that's whats playing @moolis just now. it really feels like spring is almost here....its been a long hard winter.

and then a twitter exchange with @ibzo.
ibzo @moolis bet it rains tomorrow
@ibzo no way! let's bet. if it rains, you win a goat mooli. if it doesn't, well you bring like 5 friends to mooli's!
ibzo @moolis throw in a kingfisher beer and we're talking :D
@ibzo ok done. our first bet on twitter. mathew may not be impressed!!
@moolis he'll get over it! COME ON RAIN!!

so we'll see if my gut (or my accuweather iphone app) is right. NO RAIN PLEASE. reminds me of shouting NO ACE PLEASE when you hold KK v. say AQ all in pre flop.

anyway, i'm glad to be writing on the blog again. today, shamyl, a regular customer and restaurateur who loves the pork mooli (better than the goat he says) told me twitter was great and stuff but we have to write on our blog. my uncle and aunt also reminded me last week. it's easy to procrastinate because there is simply so much to do. but tonight felt right so here we are.

the first title for this post was going to be: chutneys, spring and chess. we're holding a QYPE event on 14th March which we're very excited about. it's called Chess & Chutney at Mooli's. we're going to share some of our chutney secrets- Raju said to me last week - not the hot green one surely? but we'll be nice and spread the love. or the dry roasted red chillies with fresh green chillies and coriander.

i'm also looking forward to the chess side of things. we're going to play lots of blitz chess (and possibly even a small simultaneous).



it's a real shame that London has no equivalent to Washington Square Park (that's me hustling in New York!) or Harvard Square. maybe as the spring arrives, we'll leave that chess board outside with a clock and London will have a place to play chess (until maybe it moves to Soho Square).

the enterprising folks from London Chess Boxing have also thrown a smart prize in the ring: two ringside seats to their May event in London, complete with unique backstage access to meet competitors and organisers. now that's a crazy sport. chess AND boxing. round by round. i suspect if i beat the guy from London Chess Boxing, he's going to ask to box (or just start boxing rather). but we have a cunning plan (Eamon has offered to hold him).

so here's to spring, chess and chutneys. and mooli's winning its first bet on twitter tomorrow.

Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,
and I say it's all right

Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
and I say it's all right

Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...