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If there’s one thing that everyone from residents to regeneration chiefs can agree on, it’s that West Bromwich lacks enough things to draw people into the town. But Shalimar Restaurant is one noble exception.

One long-standing customer has been making the trek to the place from Himley twice a week for the past 31 years which can only be a good sign when it comes to the quality of food and service.

On my recent visit a range of accents from far and wide caught the attention of my flapping, journalist ears.

It was also as busy as many places get on a Saturday – a very good sign indeed for a Tuesday night.

Named after the legendary Shalimar Gardens of Lahore, the restauant has been run by Kabir Ahmed for the past 25 years.

However the menu has been frequently updated, and with high-backed chairs, crisp linen tablecloths, modern art on the walls and extensive windows offering a good view across the town centre, the feel is decidedly contemporary.

On my last visit I had a delicious and decidedly veggie food experience that left me hungry for more but this time around it was altogether meatier fare.

My dining partner and I started out with a couple of poppadoms which were crisp, tasty, oil-free and came with ultra-fresh onion salad and mint sauce.

This proved to be a good omen for what was to follow.

For our real starter we decided to share a tandoori sizzler platter, priced at £6.90, which included tandoori lamb chops, malai chicken and sheek kebabs served on a bed of sizzling onions which had been placed on a hot iron dish.

All were good, but the chicken, which I was told was marinated overnight in garlic, ginger, lemon juice and pepper before being cooked in the tandoor clay oven, was the most tender and tasty poultry that I have eaten in a long time.

For our main courses, we went for a £6.20 chicken rezalla, a £7.90 hash bahar duck dish and a £2.80 bhindi bhajee. We also ordered one pilau rice and a large plain nan bread.

Cooked with green chillies, sweet peppers, tomatoes, fresh cream and butter, the chicken rezalla was mild but not sweet and the meat was almost as tender as that in our starter.

Likewise, the pan-fried duck breast served with herbs in a lightly spiced sauce, was fabulously tender and tasty.

The service at Shalimar Restaurant is always exemplary and a good proportion of the customers are frequent visitors.

And one thing that makes me so keen on the food is its relative healthiness.

All too often at Indian restaurants in this country otherwise tasty dishes are ruined by being cooked and served in an excessive quantity of oil.

On our visit, none of our selections were even remotely greasy and the ultra-tasty okra dish was a prime example of the flavour of the prime ingredient being maintained.

With a couple of drinks thrown in, our bill came to barely more than £15 a head which was not bad at all for the quality of food we had.

If we had space left for one or two of the restaurant’s desserts – which unfortunately we didn’t – the price wouldn’t have climbed too much higher. Most of our choices were from the restaurant’s speciality list – with the chicken rezalla being a particularly popular dish among diners.

But Shalimar Restaurant also serves up kormas, dupiazas, dhansaks, madrasses and other meals that can be found on the menus of Indian restaurants.

There is also an impressive selection of starters and side orders. The restaurant has a large selection of seafood dishes which have previously pleased us greatly.

There are set meals priced from £12.90-£17.90, including a vegetarian option. Shalimar Restaurant is open seven days a week from 6pm, with last orders at 11.30pm.

Customers get a 10 per cent discount on take-outs.

ADDRESS
Shalimar Restaurant, 145 High Street, West Bromwich
Tel 0121 5531319

By Jim Dunton