It wasn’t the smartest decision I’d made in a long while. In a show of great ambition two weekends ago, I figured I was going to have a South Indian breakfast along Ealing Road, an area I’d been meaning to explore more, prior to meeting a number of food bloggers and tweeters at Pacific Plaza for lunch. Location wasn’t a problem as Ealing Road was just a 15 minute walk away from Wembley; what was a problem was my lack of discipline in the face of lots of Indian food.
It was Sakonis that I decided on, partially on a recommendation and partially on their breakfast buffet, perfect for a lone diner like me. It costs £4.50 and is only offered on weekends and bank holidays between 9 and 11am.
And what was on offer? Masala dosas, puris, upma, potato curry, idlis, sambar, yogurt, gathia, a spiced cabbage dish, coconut chutney, jalebis, chai. It’s vegetarian, if you hadn’t figured that out already. (Click through the photos for notes on what each item is.)
While everything was spiced, nothing was very hot in terms of chili heat; everyone can partake in this Indian buffet. The dosas were still crisp but the potato filling inside was just ok – make up for this with the delicious potato curry. The sambar is lovely with it too as well as the puris and idlis (oh, by the way, an idli soaked in sambar is a wonderful thing). The cabbage dish on offer reminded me of a stir-fried Indian cabbage dish I cook at home with lots of mustard seeds. And I’m already thinking of my next visit when I’ll top a bowlful of potato curry with cold, fresh yogurt and lots of the crunchy gathia! It’s a great introduction to South Indian breakfasts.
The popular dishes were refilled quite quickly, every 10 minutes in the case of the masala dosas. One man put away at least 5 of them!
Two platefuls. Honest, that’s all I had. (Ok, ok, and a jalebi.)
Then why did my stomach refuse to take in any more food two hours later? (It’s most likely to do with the fact that I hardly ever eat breakfast most days.) We ordered a ridiculous spread at the Pacific Plaza food court and I didn’t really do it justice. I did better (read: consumed more food) towards the end of lunch though!
Sakonis
127-129 Ealing Road
Wembley
London HA0 4BP
Wed, 24 Nov, 2010 at 00:22
looks like you had quite the feast! So glad you enjoyed it
Wed, 24 Nov, 2010 at 08:23
Wow! I’ve been curious for ages to try an Indian breakfast bit I’m a bit put off with ordering a set meal as I’m not a huge fan of very spicy food and if you don’t like the set meal. It’s a chore to eat whereas with a buffet, you can sample and then return to your favourites. Thanks for the tip!
Wed, 24 Nov, 2010 at 09:43
You still did very well at Pacific Plaza, Su-Lin!! I was impressed!!
Wed, 24 Nov, 2010 at 10:11
Wish I’d been able to make the PP meet, couldn’t do the date. The PP spread looks amazing, as does the above!!!
Wed, 24 Nov, 2010 at 10:20
Mmmm I love jelabis! I love how the liquid spills out of them
Wed, 24 Nov, 2010 at 10:21
I’m still laughing at the ‘five masala dosa man’ – I have visions of an Indian Homer Simpson going ‘Mmm, masala dosa…’
Wed, 24 Nov, 2010 at 10:57
We took my parents there and they loved it! I really wanted to eat so much more than I physically could;P My favourite was dosa dunked in sambhar.
Wed, 24 Nov, 2010 at 12:55
Ahhh, Sakonis- there’s a blast from the past! Haven’t been there for ages, but it’s good to see that it’s still there and going strong!
Wed, 24 Nov, 2010 at 17:53
Ah, fantastic. I love breakfast, Indian style, especially in terms of idli, uppma and dosa!
My parents are a big fan of Sakoni’s, and they go to the one in Leicester frequently. Even though it’s a buffet, they always mention the fact that stuff is replenished frequently, and that the food generally seems fresh.
Really want to check it out now!
Wed, 24 Nov, 2010 at 19:27
I’d say that despite your protests you did valiantly at lunch my dear!
I noticed your photo of Sakonis indicates that they do Chinese cuisine? Would this be desi chinese food? If so it’s worth another visit to cehck it out — desi chinese is a fascinating cuisine unto itself
Wen
Thu, 25 Nov, 2010 at 16:21
“lack of discipline in the face of lots of Indian food”…. love it. I’d be right there with you…
Thu, 25 Nov, 2010 at 19:35
A brunch/breakfast like I’ve never even contemplated! I loved the passion with which you wrote about it!
Fri, 26 Nov, 2010 at 12:14
gastrogeek: Thank you so much for the recommendation!
Robert: It’s not very spicy and there’s just enough choice to keep everyone happy! Go for it!
The Pleasure Monger:
You should see me when hungry!
Kavey: The food was great!
Lorraine: I can handle one at breakfast time. Or any other time! They’re so sweet!
Mr Noodles: *At least* 5 dosas! He was already there when I arrived and he looked like he was settled in for the long haul!
chasing bawa: Hooray! Yes, the dosa is also excellent with the sambar; I like to dunk it quickly so as not to lose the crispness.
TheFastestIndian: A queue was forming for lunch as I left breakfast!
Sharmila: Ooh! Now I want to try the lunch and dinner buffets!
Going With My Gut: Same as above – you haven’t seen me when hungry! Yes, they do serve Chinese-Indian dishes; I hear their chilli paneer is good.
Tori:
LexEat:
Passion, eh? I should eat breakfast more often! Thank you!
Sun, 28 Nov, 2010 at 19:07
Loved this place! The hot chai on a bitter morning warmed me up. Along with tasty dosais. A must do again…
Mon, 29 Nov, 2010 at 11:42
Robert: Brilliant! So happy you liked it! Now I’m craving South Indian food for lunch…
Tue, 30 Nov, 2010 at 17:55
Sounds nice. That was about 5 different breakfast combos in one go though! Maybe that’s why you were so full.
South Indian:
- Masala Dosa, sambhar, coconut chutney
- Idli, sambhar, coconut chutney
- Upma, yoghurt
North Indian:
- Puris, Potato Curry
Gujarati:
- Ganthia, Jalebi, Cabbage Stir-Fry
Thu, 2 Dec, 2010 at 18:20
Divya: Thank you so much for breaking this buffet down! The “proper” combinations are fun to read and I can imagine mixing them all up! (Though strangely, I almost got the correct combinations when I was eating it all – I guess certain things just pair together better than others!)
Fri, 10 Dec, 2010 at 19:51
what a fabulous looking buffet! You are the ambitious one tackling this before lunch.
Tue, 1 Feb, 2011 at 00:55
I have been a regular customer at that Sakonis for over 10 years, their food is simply excellent and everybody who has come along has found it really convincing, even very demanding friends/family etc. I have also been to the one in Upton Pk. (which changed to ”Burkachi” abt 2 years ago, not veg. but still offering the buffet) & Harrow, they’re all the same in reagrads of quality,deco,etc.You can see them cooking the food, so despite the homely look of the restaurant, you can be sure of the food in terms of freshness and so on…