Jikoni
Asian fusion restaurant · Marylebone ·
Asian comfort food with British, African, Middle Eastern twists
Asian comfort food with British, African, Middle Eastern twists
"Marylebone’s Jikoni has started Comfort and Joy - a vegetarian and vegan meal service inspired by cuisines all over the world. There are six boxes to choose from, with stuff like Omani lime dhal and sweet and sour aubergine curry on the menu. Everything you need is on their website." - oliver feldman, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing, rianne shlebak
"Marylebone’s Jikoni has started Comfort and Joy - a vegetarian and vegan meal service inspired by cuisines all over the world. There are six boxes to choose from, with stuff like Omani lime dhal and sweet and sour aubergine curry on the menu. Everything you need is on their website. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Team Infatuation
"Jikoni owner Ravinder Bhogal is of Indian descent and was partially raised in Nairobi ("jikoni" means kitchen in Swahili). And her food tells the story of her geographic biography: prawn toast freshened up with pickled cucumbers, chickpea chips with Bengali-style chutney, a Scotch egg made with venison instead of pork, scallops and congee. British and African influence is evident, but at its core, Jikoni serves up flavor-packed comfort food that transcends culture. The restaurant itself is a refreshingly colorful break from the cool minimalism sweeping the capital’s interiors. The tablecloths are brightly patterned, the cushions are colorful, and the tapestries that cover the walls are loud and cheerful. Like the food, the décor feels fresh and hopeful, definitely a welcome addition to a stretch of town that often seems akin to a one-note French village of bakeries and cheese stores. "
"Chef-owners Ravinder Bhogal and Nadeem Lalani have stopped dine-in operations at the restaurant for now, but has launched ‘Comfort and Joy’ vegetarian and vegan meal boxes which can be delivered to your door. With a choice of six vibrant and delicious parcels from the Punjabi box to the Desi box, Londoners can look forward to dishes such as dhal dhokli, paneer braised in kale, spinach and sorrel and crispy aubergine in Sichuan caramel. The boxes can be ordered and picked up at Jikoni or delivered (within 5 mile radius of the shop). For each box sold, a meal is donated to their charity partner NishkamSWAT to help support the vulnerable in the UK." - Angela Hui
"Meaning ‘kitchen’ in Swahili, Ravinder Bhogal’s three-year old Marylebone gem has been a blast of fresh air in the male-dominated world of Modern Indian. Firstly there’s the imaginatively homely, unapologetically feminine look of pink walls, printed tablecloths and mirrorwork cushions that’s a far cry from ‘gentlemen’s club’ or ‘colonial’. Then there’s the menu full of influences and ingredients from South East Asia, Middle East, East Africa, and Britain. Bhel with sweet potatoes and apples is a marvellous balance of crunchy and tender, sweet and spicy. On a regularly changing menu, there might be delicate courgette flower tempura stuffed with Kerala-style crab and coriander-coconut chutney; and brightly spiced aubergine salad with caramelised (and currently fashionable) foxnuts. Warm, paan-flavoured madelines, served with Kenyan chai, are worth the wait it takes to bake them fresh. While many Modern Indian restaurants are stuck in the era of truffle oil and sun-dried tomatoes, the cooking here pushes the cuisine into the 21st century." - Sejal Sukhadwala