Akbar’s, Unit 1, City Quadrant, Westmorland Rd, Newcastle, NE1 4DP
http://www.akbars.co.uk
*****
“Akbar’s, the King of Curry” the adverts claim. “I know, I know” was my response, “when can I go?”. I have a long-standing love affair with Akbar’s. I lived in Leeds for 9 years and was a regular visitor to their two Leeds restaurants and the original Bradford paan house from whence the empire sprung.
It’s fair to say that Newcastle isn’t synonymous with good curry. In fact, with the exception of a couple of more fine-dining-oriented restaurants, it’s a pretty poor state of affairs. Homogenous meat in homogenous sauces, heavily coloured and massively disappointing. I’ve been recommended lots of restaurants, but not one has lived up to its billing.
Akbar’s is synonymous with excellent, authentic and great value food, in luscious surroundings, so the latest Newcastle restaurant, just opened in City Quadrant, close to the Centre for Life, had a great deal to live up to. Could it live up to my own expectations and its own hype?
For those unaccustomed to the Akbar’s experience, there are some things to get used to. Firstly you cannot book, however as a 300 seat restaurant you aren’t likely to be waiting for long. Secondly they operate what can only be described as a ‘zonal’ seating system. When you arrive, the waiter who collects you from reception determines where you sit – as you will be in their waiting ‘zone’. Thirdly the environment is far more opulent than anything you’ve probably ever experienced.
A bit more on the restaurant itself – opulent really is an understatement. We’re not talking Michelin-starred understated luxury, we’re talking Versace – and lots of it. The entire restaurant is clad in inch-thick Versace carpet with chandeliers and massive Versace wall-hangings abound. It must have cost them a fortune to dress the place, but given that this is a new restaurant in a new city where they have no history or presence, it was still fairly busy, so it isn’t going to take them long to recoup the cost.
The restaurant is on 3 levels, entering from the street you come into the reception and large bar area from where you go up a short staircase to the enormous main restaurant level. The layout here is slightly awkward given that it is split level, with a slightly sunken round area in the middle. It means that walking round you are always on the edge of a couple of steps – not a problem per-se, just a little unconventional. Also on this level are some raised sections overlooking the main dining area, where we were fortunate to be seated – a little more private with a great view of the restaurant. There is another floor above the main level as well, up another flight of stairs – this area also looked quite substantial although we didn’t take a close look.
Onto the food. The menu at Akbar’s is extensive, but not particularly mainstream. A small section is set over to ‘old school favourites’ (Korma, Rogan Josh, Madras, etc) but they very much take second billing to more traditional Pakistani and Punjabi cuisine. There is even a dedicated section for Lahori cuisine. Everything is presented in traditional Karahi cooking pans, and served in a way that encourages you to eat from your own dish rather than share (although you can of course request plates!).
The meal began with poppadoms with a standard selection of pickles and accompaniments. In Akbars this means an onion salad, mango chutney, raita and a spicy coriander pickle. All thick, fresh and very tasty.
If this was going to be a fair comparison with the Leeds and Bradford restaurants, I had to go with some of my personal favourites, so I chose dishes I knew well. My starter was Masala Fish (£3.45) – a large piece of beautifully cooked fish coated and fried in a mixtures of spices, whilst my wife started with Chicken and Prawn on Poori (£3.25) – a wonderfully light but rich curry on a crispy Indian pancake. Both were expertly cooked, delicate, but very filling – it was at this point I remembered how generous portions were at Akbars – the main course might be a challenge to finish!
Main course were a Karahi Fish (£7.95) and Karahi Keema and Matter (£7.45) for my wife and I respectively. The Karahi Fish was presented in a thick sauce that looked muscular but was actually incredibly light and fragrant. The Keema and Matter consisted of minced lamb cooked with vegetables, peas and chilli, and was more robust than the fish but again fantastically flavoured.
At this point we were both full, but I couldn’t pass up dessert and opted for the Kulfi (£2.65) which was presented rather originally as a large lollipop with cream and pistachios.
In total, the bill, including accompaniments, with a bottle of house wine came to a touch over £50.
So did it match the hype? Most definitely. It doesn’t seem to matter how far Akbar’s strays from its Bradford roots, the quality and value of both food and service never ceases to disappoint. Although the restaurant was only half full on our visit, it was a cold, wet Tuesday night in a restaurant that’s barely been open for 3 weeks. I’d advise getting your first visit in quickly – the queues are show to grow once word gets out.
