"Daraz one of the curry house in Newcastle"

A review of Daraz by Geoff Laws written on Sunday 27th of July 2008

Jul 11 2008 by Geoff Laws, The Journal

I WAS at home one afternoon last week, when, at 3pm I heard the front door open as she returned from work. She’d planned a short working day, to be home for lunch, and had not taken any food with her.

She was now well past the point of eating because any hunger pangs had long given up the ghost. However, by 6pm they had kicked in again and she was ravenous. Unfortunately, our table at Daraz in West Jesmond, Newcastle, was booked for 7pm, so there was an hour to kill.

There was some tetchy pacing about and insisting that arriving half an hour early was fine, until I gave in and we set off to walk, at what I tried to keep to a leisurely pace, the mile or so to the restaurant. Paula Radcliffe would have struggled to keep up with the woman as she power-walked a direct route to Daraz’s front door. Needless to say, we arrived 15 minutes early, but my argument about timing was shot to ribbons when she saw at least three tables already enjoying their main courses.

Without wasting any time she scanned the menu, made her choices and mine and ordered a couple of drinks. The next minutes were a new form of torture as the kitchen door kept swinging open and steaming plates emerged only to be delivered elsewhere. Her little face alternately lit up and died each time, until it was our turn.

Her special duck served with pancake covered the plate. The bubble fresh pancake was wrapped around a huge serving of shredded duck meat in a powerful sauce that teetered towards sweet, but just held back at the last step. I received the smallest of tasters in a tiny window of opportunity before the plate was as clean as a whistle.

My approach to my mussel milen was more sedate, not least because I searched diligently in the rich tomato sauce for any sign of mussels. Calamari and tiny shrimps were present but no mussels. Bizarre! She, of course, needed proof, liberally tested my dish and finally agreed there was a complete absence once my plate was as bare of the evidence as hers.

Although the edge had been taken off her appetite, she was not completely at peace. More plates steamed by to other tables. After a few anxious minutes our main courses arrived and an audible sigh of relief went up.

First on the scene was the Peshwari naan, which was an absolute beauty, puffed up proudly and packed full of ground almonds. She ripped off a good-sized piece and it disappeared accompanied by contented murmurings. This satisfying chunk of naan slowed her down a little and she began to savour rather than bolt the food, which is not a pretty sight.

We both agreed the badshahi king prawn dish was a lovely version of this classic recipe, with butterfly prawns twisting and turning in a rich, tomato-spiced sauce and sliced aubergine and potato bulking up the mix. It would have been enough on its own, but we’d also ordered the Daraz special mosomon, which turned out to be a collection of triangular chunks of chicken breast rearing up out of a ghee-rich, bean-laden sauce. This tenderness of the meat and the balance of the spices in the sauce gave this dish a well-rounded finish.

The side dish of saag bhaji was lack-lustre in comparison, which turned out to be a blessing because of the hefty punch of the main dishes and the fluffy pilau rice did its job of sitting comfortably alongside everything else.

By the end of this course she was completely full and, indeed, struggled a little in the waistband area. With her centre of gravity shifted in the best possible way, the walk home was, thankfully, a lot slower.

FACTS

Tel: (0191) 281-8431

Open: Monday-Saturday 12-2pm; 5.30pm-12am; Sunday 6-11.30pm.

Where is it?: On a side street off the main Osbourne Road strip of bars and restaurants.

First impressions: Clean and spacious layout.

Welcome: Warm and friendly enough.

Style, design and furnishings: Neutral shades of cream and cool grey with bland lighting fighting against the crimson carpet and honey yellow chairs.

Cuisine: Indian.

Wine: Strongbow cider. Dry and apple crisp worked well with the mix of spices.

Service: Perfunctory and bored.

Value: A filling meal even without dessert at £49.70.

Parking: Limited street parking.

Disabled facilities: Fully accessible..

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