In with the grin crowd
Punjabi Heaven is an Indian street food restaurant in north Leeds that serves up simple yet special fare, writes Chris Bond, after enjoying an extra helping of chuckles.
WHICHEVER way you look at it, first impressions can make a big difference, whether it’s arriving for a meeting on time or not turning up for an interview drunk (as a celebrity who shall remain nameless once did with me).
The same goes for bars and restaurants. A jolly atmosphere doesn’t guarantee a good time – but it certainly helps. Hence my delight at walking into Punjabi Heaven, an Indian street food restaurant in Oakwood, in north Leeds, on a chilly Friday night to be greeted by the warm buzz of conversation and laughter emanating from the back of the room.
The source of the laughter (which reminded me of Muttley from Wacky Races) was a middle-aged chap who was sitting with his family on the table across from us. They say laughter is the best medicine, but it can also be infectious and it wasn’t long before we were smiling, then grinning, and finally chuckling ourselves.
So atmosphere-wise we were, well, laughing. Now we just needed food to match. South Asian cooking has undergone something of a revolution in this country in the past few years. Yes, those traditional old Indian restaurants that people used to fall into once the pubs had closed still exist. But there’s something genuinely exciting happening now, especially in towns and cities in West Yorkshire that are home to a sizeable South Asian population.
A growing number of chefs and restaurant owners are tapping into their culinary heritage and reflecting the wide regional variations that exist, rather than serving up anglicised versions, and we’re all the better for it. In Punjabi Heaven’s case, the clue is in the name.
Street food, too, is very on trend right now. I’m always a bit wary of fads as they tend to have a whiff of the emperor’s new clothes about them. But Indian street food goes back to ancient times, which does give it that ring of authenticity.
Punjabi Heaven’s menu, which you can view on its website, is blissfully straightforward. I know some kitchens and restaurants change their menus daily, which makes it difficult to update them online, but it’s refreshing to be able to look at a menu on a restaurant’s website, choose what you fancy, and to know it will be available when you get there, rather than being told (as sometimes happens) “sorry, we’ve stopped doing that”.
The menu is basically divided into sections – street bites, tandoori starters and veggie and non-veggie curries – plus a couple of other specialities like dosas and biryanis. We started with the obligatory poppadoms which came with distinctive and tasty chutneys that boded well for what was to follow. We opted for the bhel puri (£5.95) and Punjabi fish pakoras (£6.50) from the street bites section and achari paneer tikka for starters. Bhel puri is a popular Mumbai street snack made with puffed rice, potatoes, onions and various chutneys and spices. Done well, as it was here, it’s the kind of symphony of flavours and textures that makes me want to do a happy dance.
The pakoras were equally good. I’m a sucker for fish that’s served in any kind of batter, but I have a particular weakness when it comes to pakoras. In this instance, they used tilapia fillets flavoured with ginger, caraway (ajwain) and paprika and fried in a spiced flour. They were delicious. So, too, was the Achari paneer tikka (£6.50), homemade paneer marinated with pickles, ginger and garlic that got the balance of spices just right.
For mains, we plumped for slow-cooked lamb madras (£13.50) and saag chicken (£12.50). Anything slow cooked gets me salivating but if it happens to be lamb, then even better. The dish was billed as “hot and tangy” and it was exactly that. The “gravy” was rich and spicy and left a satisfying tingle without blowing your socks off.
The star of the show was the saag chicken. I’m a big fan of saag paneer so I was intrigued to see how this would compare. The moist chicken was lathered in a deep, satisfying
sauce and it was one of those plates of food you’re almost sad to finish because great food is a bit like life, you just want to keep on enjoying it.
I should also give a shout out for the quality of the garlic naan and the pilau rice, in particular. Rice is such a seemingly simple thing to cook and yet it has an endless ability to frustrate even the most assured professional chefs, never mind amateur enthusiasts like me. Here it was fluffy and plump and better than I ever manage to get it. The service, too, was worthy of mention. The young staff were helpful and courteous, overseen by the manager who kept things ticking along nicely.
The drinks menu is concise with something for everyone. The short wine list covers all bases, with five reds and five whites plus a couple of rosés. Gin, vodka and whisky drinkers are well catered for as are those who prefer soft drinks like a masala jeera or a lassi.
For me, however, it’s beer all the way with spicy food and, though the choice is small, it includes Virtuous, a cracking session IPA from the excellent Kirkstall Brewery, on draft, which tells me the same thought and care has gone into the drinks options as into the food menu.
The bill, including three-and-a-half pints of Virtuous, came in at £80.20 for two, which is nothing to be sniffed at. The fact they also do takeaways is a Brucie bonus. Eric Sykes used to say that Ken Dodd’s shows should be prescribed on the NHS because a good laugh made people feel better. Good food can do the same, and if you can marry that with a genial atmosphere and friendly staff, then you really do have a match made in heaven.
Punjabi Heaven, 629 Roundhay Road, Leeds, LS8 4AR. Tel 0113 518 2051. www.punjabiheaven. co.uk