Lal Qila Indian Restaurant

Lal Qila Indian Restaurant
123 Wilmslow Rd
Rusholme
Manchester
M14 5AN
Tel: 0161 224 6443

A first visit to this restaurant and first impressions were quite favourable. It is a smart modern looking double fronted restaurant on a prime corner position on the busy Wilmslow Road in Rusholme. It is decked out in bright red colours so it is not surprising that Lal Qila translates as "Red Fort".

We went in and were greeted immediately and asked if we wanted a smoking or non-smoking table, and we chose the non-smoking. This gained a major plus mark for Lal Qila, as it is the first time I can ever recall being given the option in an Indian restaurant.

We were given a table and presented with menus. Whilst we made our choice, a basket of four poppadums and a tray of chutneys was put on the table. It was also a good choice of chutneys, including a nice coriander one, although there was no chilli or lime pickle though which I do enjoy in moderation.

As it was a special occasion, my birthday, and as I wasn’t paying, I decided to go for the ‘full Monty’ tonight. So I ordered the special mixed tandoori starter, consisting of lamb chop tikka, sheek kebab, chicken tikka and lamb tikka served with a bed of salad. Linda ordered mushroom pakora and the kids ordered sheek kebab and shami kebab.

My mixed starter was wonderful, there were large pieces of chicken and lamb tikka, a healthy portion of sheek kebab and two lovely tandoori lamb chops which had lots of tender meat on. The sheek kebabs were good, although the shami kebab wasn’t to the liking of either of the kids. I don’t think there was a problem with it, they just didn’t like it – although I did when I finished it off for them!

Linda’s mushroom pakora was a big disappointment. It consisted of a plate of button mushrooms in a pink batter. We were expecting something a little more traditional, also there was no evidence of the spinach it was meant to include.

For main course I opted for the lamb karahi, a safe choice and benchmark curry in Rusholme. Linda and the kids decided to share a chicken tikka massala as there appetites aren’t as voracious as mine. We ordered a pillau rice, vegetable pillau rice, an onion nan bread and a plain nan bread and a portion of chips for the kids.

The rice was plentiful and aromatic, the lamb curry was well prepared and not excessively oily, the chicken tikka massala was perhaps a little rich for the kids tastes and was probably not enjoyed to the full. The nan breads were on the small side but good, hot and fresh.

To wash all of this down I had a couple of pints of Cobra lager, the rest of the drinks were water or soft drinks.

The bill came to something in excess of forty pounds (I didn’t know exactly because I wasn’t paying). So altogether a nice meal and good value. I would recommend Lal Qila as one of the better restaurants in Rusholme.

Phil.
August 2001