Just Desi

££££ │ Curry, Rice, Samosas, Beers & Soft Drinks

Lunch & Dinner │ Directions & Opening Times on Google

If you’re a brit like me that grew up eating Lamb Rogan Josh, Chicken Jalfrezi, Prawn Bhuna, Chicken Tikka Masala, Korma, and tandoori everything…adjusting to life without these week night comforts can be a challenge. That is of course, until you’ve discovered Just Desi.

There are somethings about Just Desi which are totally different from the classic british curry experience. Gone are the 70’s style overtly humble waiters in full waistcoat and dress, gone are the fully laid tables with cloths, more cloths, glassware and china. Gone is the aforementioned list of Indian-but-not-Indian british classics. Gone as well are the staggeringly cheap prices you pay in the UK too. Curry is fairly reasonably priced (6-8€), but rice (around 4€!), samosas, and any other extras you fancy rack up pretty quick.

Despite the astronomic price tag of the rice, quality of food here is wonderful. I’ve never visited India so I can’t speak to its real authenticity, but every plate I’ve had in Just Desi packs that classic spiced and fragrant flavour punch signature to indian food, whilst also being in someway lighter than I’m accustomed too. I’m used to eating really heavy curry, but after eating a takeway from Just Desi you don’t feel like you need to enter a deep, 6 month, digestion-hibernation period. It just doesn’t destroy you like that.

Samosas are big, super crispy and well spiced. Chicken Curry is similar to what gets labelled ‘Korma’ in the UK, but with a touch more spice and less creaminess. When you go in they have the currys on a dispense counter, so I tend to just point at things and have a little chat and decide that way. We usually get another chicken curry with a rich and spicy vegetable sauce, but I’ve no idea what its called I’m afraid. Dahl is wonderful, although a tad thin for me, but its still so good I order it every time.

Takeaway portions are massive, eat-in portions are pretty small, I believe the prices are the same. I leave you to work out where the value for money is there. Inside its literally a clean white counter with a big drinks fridge (they have beer, wine, soft drinks etc). Whilst there’s a little indoor restaurant, tables are classic street food style, a paper place mate, minimal table shiz, and you’ll be served on disposable (woke sigh 😞) albeit the food recyclable kind.

Just Desi is everything you want in a local Indian place: clean, simple, quality food full of flavour and open pretty much all the time. For those of us in Lecce who enjoy Indian food as a staple of our diet, we’re very lucky to have it.