The Press and Journal (Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire)
Indian experience sure to be repeated soon
36 West High Street, Inverurie, AB51 3QR Phone 01467 620200 Web rajpootinverurie.co.uk Price: £77 for two courses for two people plus rice, poppadoms, one side and two lagers
Where to go for a meal in Inverurie on a Tuesday night in January? After a busy festive period at work, I took a week off at the end of January for some much needed R&R. High on my list of things I wanted to do was catch up with an old friend who I hadn’t seen for a couple of years due to Covid.
He usually travels in to Aberdeen from the shire, but on this occasion, I met him halfway for a day out in Inverurie.
I’d had a look at eating options, and they appeared a bit limited in these dark days of winter. Much to my disappointment, Fennel wasn’t open on Tuesdays and La Casa Bella was taking a well-earned winter break.
After a drink or two at Edward’s, we took a walk to see what we could find.
As we sauntered along West High Street, we were met with an incredible smell emanating from a beacon of hope along the road. It turned out to be Rajpoot Indian Restaurant.
A scan of the menu in the window led to the quick decision to go in and ask if they had a table. Thankfully they did, and we settled down in anticipation of a grand feast.
RAJPOOT INDIAN RESTAURANT
The first thing that catches your eye on entry is the restaurant’s wall of fame. Rows upon rows of foodie awards on shelves, accompanied by winners’ photos and newspaper articles extolling the
virtues of the successful eatery. The decor is fresh and modern with nice lighting and music playing in the background. There are free-standing tables as well as individual booths for a bit more privacy.
The restaurant was very busy for a Tuesday night – always a good sign – with couples, families and larger parties in for a warming winter treat.
Our friendly waiter brought us menus, offered us poppadoms and took our drinks order nice and promptly. Shortly after, four poppadoms arrived with accompanying dips, alongside two pints of Kingfisher lager – is there any better drink to go alongside Indian food?
THE FOOD
My dining partner was delighted by the range of seafood on offer and chose the spiced monkfish mela for a starter, which the menu described as lightly spiced monkfish marinated with mustard and olive oil.
It was at this point he revealed he had only previously eaten in two Indian restaurants, and was a touch apprehensive about what was about to unfold.
He needn’t have been, though, as what followed was a masterclass in Indian cuisine, both in terms of flavour and presentation.
His starter was beautifully presented on a large circular plate with chunks of monkfish, salad and ribbons of lemon. He informed me the seared monkish was tender and juicy, and the bed of warm salad on which it was served complemented it beautifully.
A winning start for him.
If I had been eyeing up his monkfish with envy, I needn’t have as my starter was every bit as enjoyable. Ever indecisive, I couldn’t choose between a few tasty sounding starters so went with a combination of a few of them in the form of the fusion platter.
The platter offered chicken, sheek kebab, hopper and vegetable pakora, all served in a Jenga-style tower along with a crisp, fresh salad with a lovely dressing. The chicken was nicely cooked and the pakora had a pleasing crispiness to it, but the star of the show was the sheek kebab. The lightly spiced mince meat had a good texture and a subtle flavour that I loved.
Two out of two so far in terms of happy diners.
It was more delights from the sea for my friend who, although tempted by the spicy seabass and salmon kalia, opted for the seafood cocktail. This boasted king prawns, scallops and more monkfish and, according to the menu, was a dish originally founded by Portuguese settlers.
Again it looked fantastic, and he proclaimed that, although seafood can sometimes be dry and overcooked, this was succulent and cooked to perfection, in a sauce that was hot but which complemented the dish.
If I had been wowed by the look of the food already, I wasn’t prepared for the thing of beauty that was placed in front of me for my main course.
I’m always keen to try new things
I WASN’T PREPARED FOR THE THING OF BEAUTY THAT WAS PLACED IN FRONT OF ME FOR MY MAIN COURSE
when dining out so chose something I had never heard of before.
My bangla voujon is a chef ’s favourite and only available in the restaurant – Rajpoot also does a healthy trade in takeaways – and comes with chicken, king prawn, sheek kebab and lamb cooked with exotic spices.
There was nothing I did not like the sound of in that description, and when it arrived it really had the wow factor. The meat was covered in a delicious sauce and had pretty, colourful flowers scattered over it. On top of the pile was a strip of cucumber, fashioned into the shape of a little dish, with grated, spicy beetroot spilling out of it, again topped with a beautiful flower.
I didn’t know whether to eat it or take a photograph – so I did both.
The mix of meat and seafood worked very well and I loved the amazing flavours of the exotic spices. The butterflied king prawn added another eye-catching element and, despite there being quite a kick, I felt it was just the right amount of spice and never over-powered the flavours.
For reasons of sheer gluttony I also had a side dish of tarka dhal, which offered a touch of sweetness in contrast to the spice of my main course, and I enjoyed the subtle flavour of my garlic rice.
We didn’t have any room for dessert, but did like the look of all the ice cream dishes that seemed popular on other tables.
THE VERDICT
This really was a standout dining experience from start to finish.
The staff were friendly and attentive all night, and I liked the little touches such as bringing sizzling plates of food out on trolleys and also our server opening our sealed warmed wipes for us to use after we had eaten.
I felt the prices were very reasonable for the fantastic food we enjoyed, and the range on the menu catered for every taste – even that of someone who rarely eats Indian food.
Maybe that is about to change now he has discovered Inverurie’s Rajpoot. Food ★★★★★ Service ★★★★★ Surroundings ★★★★★