Food Review: Indioz Indian, Moseley

Moseley is a great place for a night out, pub crawl or brunch; but is it known for its curry? Sure, there's Zindiya, but that's more popular for its street food bites than bowls of balti.

I headed to Indioz to try out the menu. Described as "well-crafted Indian food", we arrived on time and sat at the bar before heading to the table. Serving soft drinks only, the restaurant is unlicensed meaning it's a great affordable option for anyone who likes a tipple, whilst also avoiding those awkward "who drank what" conversations over the bill.

Promising to cater for allergens, the team was very knowledgable on what was and wasn't gluten free.

The first thing to arrive was a plate of poppadums and dips to go with it, before the starter of Samosa Chaat came out. Although this isn't gluten free, a portion was made up for me without the crispy topping so I could try this too. A mix of chickpeas and onions, this was a fairly spicy dish.

We also tried the Chilli Chicken which was again, fairly spicy, with some sweet flavours that are unusual for an Indian restaurant. The same goes for the main course dish of Zanzibar Chicken, which was an extremely mild coconut based chicken dish, best suited for anyone who would normally order Butter Chicken.

Next, we sampled Lamb Chops and Spiced Cod, both of which were good with plenty to chew on. The lamb chops in particular were meaty and tender, and the cod was also well cooked.

Onto the main courses proper, we were served two large sized Thali's, one vegetarian and one meat, alongside a very traditional Chicken Balti.

This was the highlight of the meal for me, with a fantastic variety of dishes included in the Thali, both of which were well flavoured, varied and filling. Both included naan, rice, raita and an onion chutney, whilst the meat version also included lamb and chicken curry, whilst the vegetarian version included saag, daal and aloo gobi.

The Chicken Balti was also as you would expect, hearty, medium spiced and with good sized chunks of chicken.

All of the main courses were gluten free and there was plenty of rice on offer to go alongside the curry dishes.

For dessert, the rest of the party sampled Halwa, although this is not gluten free. However, I unashamedly headed to the giant box of mint chocolates by the bar to finish off the meal with something sweet.

Indioz in Moseley is a great spot for a reasonably priced meal with friends and family. The more traditional dishes including the Balti and Thali were the most enjoyable dishes on the menu, and the hospitality and service were second to none. The atmosphere is family friendly and suitable for all. making it a great pit stop.

*With thanks to Indioz for the complimentary meal 

Food Review: Indico Street Kitchen, Shirley

Shirley is enjoying something of a renaissance at the moment, with a shiny new shopping centre and host of shiny new restaurants to go with it.

The latest restaurant to open at the Parkgate Centre is Indico Street Kitchen. Another Indian restaurant, you may say, but here's one with a difference.

Inspired by Indian street food vendors, the interior is unlike any Indian restaurant you've seen before. An explosion of primary colour, pop-art inspired paintings adorn the walls, whilst the real talking point is the ceiling covered in red, yellow and blue umbrellas.

Onto the food, we arrived for a midweek meal only to find filming to be taking place by Hajra Lalljee for The Place to Eat on AndTV. After a brief stint being interviewed(!), we returned to the menu's. Starting off with drinks, I opted for a non alcoholic Mumbai Mojito (£4.50) whilst my dining companion went for the Cashew and Banana Smoothie (£4.50). We also tried out the Goa beer (£4.95), recommended to us as it's gluten free.

Although the menu does state which dishes contain nuts, dairy, are spicy or vegetarian, it doesn't state which dishes are gluten free. However, the manager was able to show me a print off of which dishes I could eat.

To start, I picked the Aloo Tikki (£4.50) whilst my dining companion went for the Lollipop Chicken (£4.99). The Aloo Tikki was presented in two large patties, covered in chickpeas and a tamarind chutney sauce. The Aloo Tikki themselves were plain potato with coriander, onion and spices, and I would have liked to have seen these made with peas. However, the addition of the sauce and chickpeas made it a much more substantial starter and stopped it from drying out, as the dish does benefit from a sauce. The Lollipop Chicken was in a league of its own. Attractively served with a clean bone, the chicken itself was soft and encased in a sweet, sticky, crunchy batter. A delicious sweet starter, I see why these are called lollipops!

For our mains, I had the Chicken Biryani £9.50) and a side of Daal Makhani (£5.95), whilst my dining companion had the Mattar Paneer Tiffin Box (£11.50). There was also a huge selection of meat including tandoori chicken, grilled kebabs, salads and kathi rolls. 

A Tiffin Box is a traditional Indian lunch box used by street food vendors to deliver hot lunches to city office workers. At Indico, the Tiffin Box includes a curry, in this case Mattar Paneer, a portion of daal, rice and 2 chapattis as well as salad and raita. For me, this was the star of the show. For the price, it offers excellent value, whilst the novelty of being able to sample a little of everything is something that I'm drawn to. The curry itself was just right, mild and not too creamy, instead offering up tomato flavours.

The biryani was flavoursome, packed with spices and vegetables, it is served with raita, a yoghurt dip. This benefitted from the addition of the lentil Daal as it kept things interesting. If I'd have been hungrier, I would have tried the masala fries too! 

Unbelievably, we still had just a tiny bit of room for desserts. My dining companian opted for the Pistachio Kulfi, which came served on a stick and dressed in chopped pistachios. I opted for the Gajar Ka Halwa, carrot grated and cooked in condensed milk, served with vanilla ice cream. We were both very happy with our desserts, and I recommend ending on a sweet note.

Overall, Indico was a great dining experience. The music and atmosphere when we visited was just right and the decor is eyecatching and a real talking point. I also love the way that the kitchen is open and framed by painted buses to reference the Highway Dhabas who inspired this kind of street food.

Bright, lively and full of fun, Indico is a fabulous addition to the dining scene that's perfect for relaxed midweek meals with friends and family.

Event: Rajdoot's 50th Birthday in Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham

Can you believe that Rajdoot is 50? It's extraordinary to think that celebrities including The Beatles and Princess Margaret have dined at one of Birmingham's oldest Indian restaurants.

Today, Rajdoot sits on the corner of George Street, proudly facing outwards towards the city centre. Serving traditional North Indian cuisine, Rajdoot is family run and always has been since opening in 1967.

Last week, I was invited to celebrate this special occasion with loyal customers and friends of Rajdoot.

Greeted with prosecco and smoked masala nuts, we mingled at the bar whilst listening to the sounds of the sitar and tabla. Creating a heady atmosphere, we were seated at our tables ready for the seven course banquet.

We dined on Papri Chaat, crisp fried dough wafers topped with chickpeas, potatoes, yoghurt and tamarind chutney.

Next up was Dal Puri, fried puffed bread which is pierced and filled with green lentils, potato, tamarind and mint chutney.

Onto some seafood, we dined on Tandoori Prawn Lollipop, marinated in ground spice and and a tomato chutney glaze. This was cooked in a tandoori oven and had a great crisp texture to the exterior. The same could be said of the Paneer and Pepper Kebab that came next, homemade paneer coated in ground spices drizzled in a balsamic vinegar glaze.

Our first main was Rajdoot Butter Chicken. Rather than being served in pieces in a butter chicken sauce, our chicken came out as a quarter chicken, on the bone, marinated in butter, yoghurt and fresh tomato gravy, finished off with Rajdoot's own home roasted spices and garnished with fresh cream. There was no doubting the portion size of this and it was substantial in itself.

However, there was still a traditional Rajdoot 1966 Thali to be served. A mixed spread of Lamb Rogan Josh, Daal Makhani, Stuffed Baby Aubergine and pilau rice with peas, the hgihlight for me was the stuffed baby aubergine. The Lamb Rogan Josh was packed with the kind of flavour that only comes from a substantial amount of time spent in marinating and slow cooking.

Finally, we finished off with a sweet treat, a trio of desserts including Gajrella, Gulab Jamam and Kulfi.

As well as some emotional speeches and a few words from our European MEP, Neena Gill, there was also a raffle with money raised going to Birmingham Children's Hospital.

Thank you for a great evening Rajdoot!

Food Review: Umami Harborne

What's Umami? Umami is the fifth taste after sweet, sour, bitter and salt. It is also the name if the newest Indian restaurant to open in upmarket Birmingham suburb, Harborne.

With a name that's just a bit different, Umami opened up at the end of May promising classic Indian dishes with a modern twist. Leading the kitchen is former itihaas chef Mandeep Bajwa who even came out after our meal for a chat, but more on that later.

Entering via the petite frontage on Lordswood Road, you're immediately inside an open space that resembles a lounge. This is exactly the idea and diners are invited to sit and relax pre-dinner with a drink in the lovely sunlit lounge. 

That's exactly what manager Abdul invited us to do when I arrived with my dining companion and we happily sat in the lounge and had a mocktail each. Once we were suitably relaxed, we were taken into the main dining room past the cocktail bar, which opens out to reveal a 70 cover restaurant. 

Always keen to try out a few dishes, we opted for the Regal Pre Fix Menu (£24.95 per person for three courses) with some adaptations for my Gluten Free diet! The staff were very helpful and were happy to change a few dishes from the starter section around to accommodate; result! Thankfully, the mains were all gluten free with the exception of the naan breads but do check before you dine. 

Poppodums and chutneys are obligatory when dining at an Indian restaurant and ours did not disappoint, arriving with mango chutney made with roasted garlic for depth of flavour, raita made from greek yoghurt that is hung and strained and tomato chutney. All of these chutneys are made in house adding to the freshness of the flavours.

Next up our adapted mixed starter of chilli paneer wah wah, murgh tikka and aloo tikki channa chaat. I adore paneer, and these cubes of pan fried paneer come marinated in indo-chinese spices for an extra kick. The murgh tikka was big hunks of chicken in a mild spicy dry marinade and the aloo tikki potato bites (one of my favourites) came unusually smothered in channa chaat, chickpeas in a rich tomato sauce and the potato bites were thick and soft. Again, we were told that the paneer is homemade.

Onto our mains, the set menu included butter chicken, harra bharra gosht, sabzee milloni handi, dal makhani and sides of zafrani pilau rice, naan and a green salad.

The chicken sauce was creamy and smooth, the dal was exceptionally rich and also creamy, and the lentil dish was an unusual mix of black lentils, cream, kidney beans and yoghurt. The mixed veg made a great accompaniment that held its own as a main and included carrot, cauliflower, paneer, tomato, mushroom, peas, potato and a ginger garnish. 

All of these dishes were flavoursome and well balanced as well as being very generous!

We even managed to find time for dessert and we opted for the unusual Gajar Halwa Samosa which came beautifully presented with a brandy snap basket filled with Cookies and Cream ice cream - yum! 

Mandeep very kindly came out to check on us and talked us through his experience on cruise ships and in some of the best hotels in India. He explained that the spices are ground on site, the pickles are made on site, the paneer is made on site and that they don't use any artificial colours or flavourings in the food; very reassuring. He also explained that the menu is 80% north Indian Punjabi food and 20% local specialties.

The service at Umami was impeccable and we didn't have to wait for anything at all, with enough waiters around to ensure we were well tended to. The food arrived swiftly and hot and the portions were, as previously mentioned, very generous. The quality of the food was also very high, and it was great to hear a chef with such passion talking about the work that goes into making the ingredients on site.

Overall, Umami boasts high quality and thoughtful food in the suburbs. We were impressible with the value of the meal, the portion sizes also, and most of all the impeccable friendly service which was attentive and unobtrusive. 

*I dined at Umami as a guest of the restaurant. With thanks to the team!