Nawaab The Nawaab Indian Restaurant 32 Manor Row Bradford BD1 4QE Tel. 01274 720371 Fax. 01274 725479

Phil and I had been invited to meet with the man behind one of the newest and best, magazines majoring on Cuisine, Travel and Culture. Chilli International is the brain-child of Saleem Ahmed, and had caught our attention some months ago. We thought the magazine impressive, so we just had to make contact with Saleem and he graciously arranged to meet us for dinner at the Nawaab. Incidentally, since this review was written we have also reviewed the Nawaab in Manchester , so click through the link for that review.

Given what we'd seen in Chilli International, we were expecting something a little beyond a normal Indian restaurant. We found it easily enough, and, as we parked up outside, we could see the impressive decor, and a goodly number of diners - not bad for a Tuesday evening!

Neil Bell, Chilli's sub-editor, also joined us, and, after introductions, we got right down to business: The Menu.

All your usual favourites are included, but there is a wealth of dishes that are unfamiliar to some of us. Our order was:

Drinks
2 Cokes, 1 and a half pints of Lager, Jug Lassi, 4 coffees
Starters
1 Chicken Pakora, 1 Aloo Chana on Puri ,2 Sheek Kebabs
Main Course
Chicken Haandi, Palak Aloo Masala, Karahi Gosht, Chicken Masala
Accompaniments
3 Plain Naan, 1 Pilau Rice

When the starters arrived, there was a comment that we had expected at least some raita to go with the kebabs and pakoras - no sooner had we attracted the waiter's attention than we found raita, relishes and salad were already on their way.

As soon as I saw my starter (the Aloo Chana) I knew I was in for something special - the presentation was good, and the aroma even better. The spicing was just to my taste, and the chana was cooked just as I like it. The puri had a good texture and I really enjoyed the dish.

I had been suffering a stomach upset for the previous few days, and had not expected to manage to eat much at this dinner, so I was quite pleased that I'd managed this dish and was almost resigned to having to leave most of my main course. Not so! The Palak Aloo Masala was every bit as well prepared as my starter, and I polished it off, along with most of one of the excellent Naans. The others all commented on their dishes - the Kebabs were particularly liked ("sheek kebabs were large and subtly spiced with just enough green chilli to add some heat without it being overpowering."), and when I tried some of the Chicken Haandi, I knew I was destined to return.

Too bad I didn't get a look-in at the Karahi Gosht - I'm just too slow an eater and was beaten to it!

Phil's comments: "The Karahi Gosht was a tender mixture of lamb pieces in a delicately, but not hotly spiced sauce and was extremely good. The nan breads were excellent, the lassi was just what was needed to offset the spicy food. I also particularly liked the chicken dish, it was a little special, and would make sure that was included on the order next time I visit"

By the time we were ready to leave, the restaurant was practically full - a testament to the obvious popularity of the establishment.

What a pleasant evening, and what an interesting time we had with Saleem and Neil, our new friends in the Eating and Drinking business. Keep an eye out for Chilli International - you won't be disappointed.

The whole evening came to £56.85! We all thought this represented remarkable value.

Recommended

Sandro Melkuhn & Phil Bradley