Restaurant Review | Asha Tandoori (Newark)

Asha Tandoori
Newark, Nottinghamshire
(01636) 702870

It’s not often, since the birth of our baby boy, that my partner and I can have an evening to ourselves. While a perfectly normal toddler, Danilo does have an incomprehensible obsession with anything his mamma and papa happen to have in their hands. This means romantic meals often descend into wrestling matches, desperately trying to prize almost toppled glasses of wine, from his vice-like mitts.

Thankfully last night, my eager and loving parents agreed to quarter our inquisitive son. This meant a snowy walk into town with the plan to get royally fed and watered.

A quick pint of Grolsch for me, and a glass of white for the good lady in a buzzing tavern, were enough to bring on an ample appetite. So we promptly left in search of a restaurant. The possibility of a Thai, Italian, and Chinese, were debated and dismissed, before we plumped for an Indian. Asha Tandoori is a medium sized restaurant, which opts for cozy dark corners over the current trend for floodlit open spaces. It’s the sort of place that’s perfect for a romantic meal, or to plan prospective criminal activity.

Asha was busy, and we hadn’t made a reservation, but the friendly staff managed to find a table and we ordered wine and a starter. I chose the Shami Kebab, and my partner practiced ill-advised caution and went with a prawn cocktail. While the prawn cocktail was perfectly satisfactory, a quick taste of my delightful Kebab was enough to convince her of the error of her ways. Predictably this daft writer was persuaded that she would enjoy the kebab more; a brisk swapping of plates was accompanied by a gulp of wine and a cheeky grin.

After I had sulkily finished my substituted starter, the main course arrived punctually and smelling delicious. We shared the house special Biryani, a mixed Balti, a portion of Garlic Keema Pilau rice, and two Pashware naan breads. It was more than enough, and as the Chilean chardonnay began to take effect, we tucked in. The Biryani was a blissful and delicate dish, with perfectly sliced almonds subtlety tempering the spicy sauce.

I rather like nocturnal visits to restaurants to be candle lit and intimate, and in Asha you almost feel you’re eating in perfect privacy; conversation only interrupted by the accommodating waiters asking if everything is satisfactory. Things were better than satisfactory; the Balti was absolutely scrumptious with delicate mouth watering chicken and lamb accompanied by the odd roguish prawn. The Keema rice was equally delectable and the wine was great.

A stylish chardonnay, Hugo Casanova’s Reserva (2004), is from the Maule Valley in Chile. The Maule is a sub-region of Chile’s “Valle Central” viticultural region, and famed for it’s fertile soil. With a bouquet whisking you to sun-drenched olive groves, you could fantasise about lazy days spent sleeping away the hours. Without the grasping hands of our toddler, we managed to polish off two bottles of Casanova’s splendid wine, which had a crisp raspberry taste.

If I had one complaint, I would argue that the Pashware naan was a touch dry, and a more liberal helping of chutney would have been more to my liking, although my partner was perfectly happy with her naan. All in all, the food was fantastic.

Britain has a multitude of splendid Indian restaurants, and Asha is certainly one to add to the list.

****

The meal, including two bottles of wine, cost £66.45