Last Updated on December 12, 2024
Healthy light Indian “food as medicine”
4.0 out of 5.0 starsJugad is a modern Indian restaurant in bustling Camden Stables; offering classic Indian dishes with a healthy twist. Food is served in a sit-down stylish warehouse, in comfort at tables rather than from the stand-up street food stalls common in Camden Market. If you crave Dishoom but don’t like queuing, book yourself a table at Jugad for a similar experience.
Jugad’s menu is largely dairy-free, refined sugar-free and gluten-free (samosa pastry and breads aside). Designed by the healthy food delivery app Foodhak, Jugad opened in September of this year and aims to offer a restaurant version of its Ayurvedic delivery concept. There’s a lot of choice for most dietary restrictions. A timely school inset-day let me take my hollow-legged seventeen-year-old son as a guest.
To drink, I ordered a “Coconut Negroni” (£11) made from 58 & Co gin, honey aperitif, British-made “Doppelganger” aperitivo, “Discarded” vermouth (it’s a brand name, don’t panic) and coconut oil. It was an incredible orange colour and less syrupy than the classic thirds recipe negroni I mix for myself. The coconut did not overpower but was present.
My teen had the house lemonade (£3.50) which comes with or without sugar. I tried a sip finding it sharp and refreshing. Although he later piped up that he wished he’d had the sugar, he liked it enough to drink without saying so.
To start, I had “Quail Scotch Eggs” (£11) coated with curried crab and tomato chutney dip, although more like red mayo to me. Being quail eggs they’re arancini-sized and less heavy than a traditional sausage-meat coated version.
“Samosas” (£9) had a meaty-looking interior but were vegetarian; a filling of spiced butternut squash and peas with tamarind ketchup. The pastry is thicker (like an empanada) than the thin layers normally wrapped around samosas but we liked the cute tee-pee shape.
“Delhi Style Butter Chicken” (£14) is touted by the press release as the best in London. Generous thick tomato sauce with coriander soaked up the carbs.
Alongside we had “Jeera Rice” (£4) and “Plain Naan” (£4). Rice was rice but the naan may be The Best Naan Ever. Light and delicate with huge bubbles glistening with butter (I’m informed it was vegan butter, I’d not have known the difference here). As if to prove how much we loved it, I only realised I had no dedicated photo of the naan until we’d finished it off. Always a good sign.
“Pan-fried Seabass” (£16.50) is described as having “mole sauce” but it’s more like coconut dal – no bad thing – so don’t expect chocolate and chilli normally associated with this term.
Underneath the seabass is the same “Beetroot Poriyal” (£6) we’d also ordered as a side. Sweet cubes with ginger and coriander, it was a non-stodgy less obvious vegetable dish that went well with the fish.
Dessert was not available that day, so I had a non-alcoholic “Nightcap Old Fashioned” (£11.50) blending Three Spirit Nightcap with cocoa butter and bitters. It was a slippery and chocolatey delight; not remotely like whiskey but delicious nonetheless. If I had confidence more mocktails tasted this interesting, I’d order them more often.
Background music caught my attention, an intelligently curated mix of 80s soul-funk; Trent D’Arby, Kravitz, and Sade. But playing obscure tracks rather than hits. I asked my server who put this together and – guess what – it’s pure algorithm. Which is less interesting than my telling you the playlist during our visit was so unobviously excellent that I wanted to congratulate someone.
Jugad has an outdoor terrace with umbrellas to people-watch at Camden Stables Market. This wasn’t in use during our November visit but the adjacent Amy Winehouse statue would provide entertainment with passersby posing for photos. It was remarkably busy in Camden even on a Monday lunchtime.
Unconventional evening times for Jugad are geared around peak times at the market; Jugad closes at 8 pm Sun-Thurs but 10 pm Fri-Sat. Still early, although if eating before concerts at The Roundhouse, Dingwalls or clubbing, Jugad can provide the perfect warm-up act.
Jugad
Unit 92, Camden Stables Market
Chalk Farm Lane
London NW1 8AH
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