Nothing Naf about hidden restaurant
NAFIZA’S
11 Belle Vue Grove, Low Fell, Gateshead, NE9 6BX, www.nafizas.com Phone: 0191 447 6465 Open: Monday to Sunday, 5.30pm-11pm
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
You could walk past without noticing the single-level stone building that is Nafiza’s Indian restaurant and takeaway.
At the edge of a car park, which is itself tucked away out of sight behind Low Fell’s main Durham Road, it is easy to overlook.
If you notice it at all, you might imagine – given its position – that the building is a toilet block, a former garage, even a community hall but not a restaurant boasting a menu of “excellence, freshness and seasonality”.
But that’s not the fault of the restaurant whose name sign, window display and smart red and cream colours become clear as you approach.
And, as we all know, first impressions can be misleading – and inside proved something of a revelation.
WHAT’S THE INTERIOR LIKE?
We’d booked a table for two on a wet midweek evening and found that we were the only customers.
The cosy decor – all deep reds and cream – was enhanced by the starry glow cast by wall lights and Indian music playing in the background.
The dining area appeared at first to extend the length of the building but this proved an illusion created by a mirror wall and the restaurant is surprisingly small but perfectly formed.
We were met with a warm welcome and concerns that we might be able to smell fresh paint, not that we could detect any such scent, perhaps because the windows had apparently been open all afternoon to air it ahead of our coming.
Soon a group of diners arrived to fill another table and that’s the way it stayed all evening.
Yet – and this is to the restaurant’s credit – a lovely atmosphere, warm and friendly, existed all evening despite the lack of customers.
DRINKS?
What I should say first up is that Nafiza’s doesn’t have an alcohol licence – nor does it intend to change the situation any time soon.
I’d been alerted to this when scanning the menu online and noticed just soft drinks on offer.
Told when booking that we were welcome to take along our own drinks, we found the tables already set with wine glasses. When we produced bottles of beer, our accommodating waiter – the only one on duty that evening – immediately asked if we would prefer different glasses then brought a bottle opener to the table where it stayed for our use for the rest of the night. The lack of a licence initially gave me pause for thought but I soon saw the perks – not least, as was pointed out, that we were avoiding the usual enormous restaurant mark-up on alcohol cost. It was nice to enjoy the exact drink of our choosing at our own pace and soon the table next to us were really into the spirit of things – quite literally, as we heard the fizz of cans of gin and tonic opening alongside bottles of the wine. The lack of a licence turned out to be a bonus. So why spoil a good thing?
STARTERS
This family-run business, which opened almost exactly three years ago, is described as an Asian fusion restaurant, and takeaway, which uses traditional cooking methods.
And the Bangladeshi and south Indian cuisine on offer features an array of tempting dishes, including Nafiza’s specialities.
Being faced with an extensive main menu as well as three-course special - which is served Thursdays and Sundays - had us struggling to choose.
My guest opted for the special (£12.95) – of starter, main meal and a third course comprising rice or
naan bread – but this menu was supposed to be for a minimum of two people and I had already been tempted by the other menu.
But it proved no problem and we were invited just to order what we liked.
I picked crab lasuni (£6.95), which turned out to be my favourite dish of the evening.
Wrapped pancake-style, this was an aromatic and densely layered mix of white crab meat, garlic and ginger on a spiced coriander base and it was delicious.
My guest, whose great value menu included a prestarter of popadom and pickles, enjoyed his pick of onion bhaji, which you can’t go too far wrong with.
HOW WAS THE MAIN COURSE?
I chose a “highly recommended” dish of salmon khakri (£13.95) – diced fish fried with garlic, ginger, green chillies and spices and garnished with coriander and tomatoes.
The menu features chilli symbols to indicate how hot each dish is. Mine had just one and, sure enough, its multi-layered flavours were no way overpowered by heat.
My guest is unfamiliar with Indian food and had earlier wrestled with seven starter choices and went on to face 14 more.
From mains including chicken, lamb, prawn and vegetables he picked, yes, a korma.
While he does have a sweet tooth and enjoyed what he ate, the ultra-mild, creamy coconut and sultana sauce with the chicken ultimately proved too sweet – as you might expect – even for him.
Portion sizes were generous and, as well as deciding to share the special menu rice and ordering a naan bread as an extra (both came with a range of choices), we simply could not eat it all.
The dishes were nicely presented and service throughout was prompt with just a polite length of time between courses.
AND DESSERTS?
So how come there is always – weirdly – room for dessert? This time the menu did not tax us too much, given that it featured what appeared to be a run-of-the-mill selection of ice cream.
But my choice of matka kulfi proved a welcome change from the usual. Served in a pretty ceramic pot – the matka apparently – this pistachio kulfi (traditional ice cream) contained saffron sauce, chopped almond and pistachio nut.
I much preferred its subtle flavours to the overriding chocolatey cloying sweetness of my guest’s choice of Ferrero Rocher ice cream. Both cost £3.95.
SUITABLE FOR VEGETARIANS?
Yes. There are vegetable (Sabzi) main dishes for around £8 as well as options on the special menu.
OVERALL
Something of a hidden gem. The restaurant’s delivery service seems well known but it would seem a pity to choose this rather than take the opportunity to visit for yourself.
Our total bill – for one special menu plus with my choice of the more expensive menu – came to £44.70. It’s worth keeping eye on their website for offers and new dishes. Its Facebook page is currently advertising an Anguri Chicken meal, saying it is the only Indian restaurant to offer it.