Full marks for this award-winningeaterie
Cuisine: “Indo-Pak” Address: 90-94 City Road, Cardiff, 029 2049 2344 Order: Paneer tikka (£4.90), vegetable samosas (two for £2.50), onion bhaji (two for £2.90), garlic and coriander naan (£2.50) fish karahi (£7) and chicken chilli masala (£6.50). Price: £27 Order method: By phone Pick up, collection delivery? Collection Waiting time: We were told 25 minutes on the phone, but it was more like 35 minutes. Service: It was a little chaotic arriving, but I was given a mango lassi to keep me entertained. Did the food arrive hot? Yes Flavours: Oh my! At the third Food Awards Wales earlier this year, Mirchi was named best Indian – and I can see why.
It was the banner advertising its victory which made me look twice or one night as I walked home.
From the outside, it doesn’t look too fancy, but everything we ate was freshly made and you could tell.
It was like proper Indian home cooking but without me having to spend the night in the kitchen.
There was fresh herbs, chilli and care taken with each dish.
The potato filling for the samosa was fluffy and light with a crispy pastry, which wasn’t just ready roll.
The bhaji were crisp on the outside and had plenty of lovely flavours packed inside.
The star of the show was the paneer tikka, huge chunks of creamy cheese served with roasted peppers and tomatoes.
The skewer marks showed me it had been done properly in the oven and the char on the outside gave it a proper smoky taste.
Our mains looked pretty similar. Mine was karahi fish, which was lightly battered white fish in a sauce described as spices, lime and ginger – and it was.
There was plenty of both spice and flavour but not too much heat to make it a challenge to eat.
The chilli chicken was a mix of juicy chunks of meat with plenty of delicious sauce.
It was all mopped up with a garlic and coriander naan which was so powerful I predicted we’d still be tasting it the day after. But, the garlic had been cooked out properly, so while it was incredibly tasty, it wouldn’t have kept vampires at bay! Portion size: We were really hungry so ordered loads, but we finished it. That was mainly because it was so tasty and we didn’t want to leave a morsel.
Value for money wise, I think it was great. Any other comments? The menu has a whole range of things, from kebab rolls to meat on the bone and even lamb trotters.
There are plenty of vegetarian options for both starters and mains and things I’ve never seen advertised anywhere else which I will definitely try on my next visit. Score: 10/10 – I can’t fault anything we ate – it was fabulous and I look forward to going into the actual restaurant.