Believe the hype about Bangladeshi restaurant
HAVING heard brilliant things about this restaurant in Fenham, I wanted to head along myself to see if Rajnagar Bangladeshi Kitchen lives up to the Tripadvisor hype.
Recommendations praised Rajnagar for its range of vegetarian and meat options packed with flavour, its tasteful decor, the friendly service and a bring your own alcohol policy.
On Tripadvisor, Rajnagar is ranked at 4.8/5 stars, with 94% of diners rating it as “excellent”.
So, are the 94% on to something? We checked out Rajnagar to see if it’s worth the hype.
We arrived at Rajnagar, in Two Ball Lonnen, Fenham, at 7.30 on a midweek evening and were relieved we’d taken the step to book.
The pleasantly decked-out 40-seat restaurant was already busy, while takeaway orders seemed to be steady too. This was not surprising, as I’d read reviews from diners who have driven 15 miles to pick up meals.
The friendly staff greeted us warmly and sat us down as we browsed the menu. We were pleased to find a range of options, including dishes we had not seen before in Newcastle. I’m a huge fan of Indian and Bangladeshi food, but can get a bit frustrated at seeing identical menus – however, I also appreciate many diners have their favourites and was glad to see they are catered for too.
While some of your usual staple curries were available, Rajnagar says much of its menu aims to replicate traditional home cooking, which you might not see on a standard Newcastle curry house menu. Encouraged by comments on Tripadvisor, I was keen to try the paneer. My colleague – an out-andout carnivore – ordered meat dishes.
We opened with a paneer tikka kumbi, a sizzling Tandoori platter (for two), along with onion Bhaji. The starters really tempted us, so we decided to order several.
The tikka paneer was full of flavour, which the light cheese took on well. The paneer worked perfectly as an alternative to chicken and was well accompanied by the fragrant spices, while the onions and peppers enhanced the dish instead of just being there for the sake of it.
The bhaji was light and crisp, just as I like them. They didn’t last long.
My friend described the sizzling platter as succulent and full of flavour – just as it should be. We left none of our starters, despite probably (definitely) over-ordering.
For a main course, we plumped for motter paneer; a medium spiced
“Madopuri” chicken; along with pilau rice and (at my friend’s insistence) two naan breads – one garlic and one peshwari. We also added a side order of tarka dhal.
The motter paneer (peas and paneer cooked with medium spices) was full of flavour and tasted fresh. The spices and sprinkling of coriander lifted it, without being powerful. I’d definitely order it again.
My friend’s chicken described as an authentic take on chicken tikka with hints of honey – was flavourful, although he said it was maybe a touch too sweet and rich for his taste. However, he admitted the richness would not have been a problem had we not eaten so much for our starters. And, with honey listed as an ingredient on the menu, it’s fair to expect a sweet flavour.
The dhal was light to eat and provided a delicate accompaniment to the other mains.
The naans were spot-on, particularly the peshwari, which had the right level of sweetness without being sickly. The garlic naan was light and welcomely garnished with coriander. On its menu, Rajnagar says everything is made to order. Both me and my friend agreed that was clear in the dishes we were served. Although it may take a little bit more time, there was obviously a great deal of care put into our meal. The final bill came to £43.45. We could have paid less, had we not been so greedy with the starters and sides, or if we had ordered from the set menu. The waiter even congratulated us on the amount of food we ate. The bar serves soft drinks and diners are free to bring their own alcohol – there is a corner shop down the road. Rajnagar Bangladeshi Kitchen is welcoming, with a relaxed atmosphere and fantastic food. The BYOB policy and varied menu would make it perfect for a group visit, as it provides a more unique menu without overcharging, while the old favourites are still there, although I’d encourage anyone to try something new if they’re visiting for the first time.
The naans were spot-on, particularly the peshwari, which had the right level of sweetness, without being sickly