Angela Malik is one of the most passionate people I have met when it comes to talking about her food and business philosophy and she is also on a mission to change the way people cook, eat and live.
This all seems a million miles away from the career path Angela first set out on as a chartered accountant. Although the Scottish-Indian chef was probably always destined for a life in food as her family have been well established restaurant owners in the splendid city of Edinburgh, where she grew up.
So after 10 years crunching numbers Angela embarked on her career change and started her culinary training at Leith’s School of Food & Wine, followed by some inspirational work experience at several top London restaurants. In 2006 she opened her now highly successful Angela Malik Cook School and Deli in Acton, which runs cookery courses and master-classes in Thai, Indian, Chinese and Vietnamese cuisines.
And now Angela is a little over three months into her latest venture, a modern Asian Deli overlooking The Green in the heart of Ealing on the site of the old Budges store which bore the brunt of the Ealing riots in 2011. I decided to pop along and try the lunch time offering, which includes Asian salads and sandwiches, curry and rice for a fiver and other tempting delights, all handmade by a team of chefs.
You are immediately taken in by the airy, clean and modern design of the Deli with its pre-dominantly white colour scheme with hints of grey, and you can sit and eat your lunch with picturesque views over the Green from the large side windows.
Friendly staff are only too happy to explain what's on offer and made me up a mouth watering salad box to eat in, with a few extras thrown in, from the standard size which offers a choice of a protein and two salads for £5.50.
I tucked into succulent marinated Thai salmon, lovely moist chicken tikka and a tasty chicken satay coated with a lovely peanut sauce. Other highlights on the plate included crunchy chilli broccoli, vibrant Asian saw, alu gobi (potato and cauliflower) and a well balanced chickpea based chaat. They all made for a great combination of flavours with lovely hints of spice and were perfectly balanced and extremely fresh both in taste and appearance.
I was also tempted by a tasty fennel seed/pea/potato samosa (£1.50) and an addictive masala pork sausage roll (£2.50) which was a star turn. It was further enlivened by dollops of home-made tamarind and jiggery sauce and tomato and chilli sauce, which sit on tables in attractive glass jars.
A refreshing mango lassi (£2.95) went down well with the food and the portion sizes served are perfect for a healthy lunch. I was even tempted to sample a slice of deliciously moist and yummy chocolate chip and mandarin essence cake (£2.95), which like 70 per cent of what Angela serves is gluten free.
Angela says that food is a sensory experience and is all about sensations in your mouth and her dishes are centred around the five tastes: hot, sweet, sour, salty and umami (savoury) to provide the perfect balance of tastes - and that clearly came across with the lunch I enjoyed.
The deli serves Brit-Asian cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner – to take out or eat in and makes great use of its space with a number of ingredients and other goodies available for customers to buy – all part of Angela's cooking, shopping and eating use and vision of the deli space.
Such is Angela's drive and passion I have little doubt her new venture will wow the lunchtime crowd around the popular Green area and I am also told she serves up some pretty mean curries if you are looking for a dinner treat.
The deli is open Monday-Friday 8.30am-8pm and Saturday (10-8) and Sunday (10-6).
Read more of Adrian's suggestions for good places to dine out.
