Red Rose Cuisine, Great Bridge

Alok in the town has previously delighted the Express & Star's tastebuds and now the newly-refurbished Red Rose Cuisine across the road has thrown its hat into the ring.

Refurbished and reopened with new management a few weeks ago, the restaurant makes a bold statement with its modern, striking red and white decor.

Most importantly, though, its food is first rate.

Last week our four-man tasting delegation tucked into some downright delicious delicacies - starting with poppadoms.

My heart often sinks when all seems to be going well at a new culinary find only for staff to deliver bizarrely and unnaturally coloured poppadom condiments.

No such problems with our pre-starter course at the Red Rose. The lime pickle, mango chutney, and yogurt dips looked and tasted as they should and the poppadoms were deliciously grease-free. It was a good indication of the fine food that was to follow.

Chris was the happiest I have seen him for weeks when his sizzling special mixed kebab selection was wheeled to our table, along with an accompanying plate of fresh salad.

He had nothing but praise for the chunks of tandoor-cooked lamb and chicken, and the accompanying sheek kebab.

Our main courses arrived promptly, fragrantly, and colourfully, too. We also went for a side order of Bombay potato, an interestingly green mustard-leaf rice, a pilau rice, and a peshwari nan.

Familiar curry house staples like madras, vindaloo, dhansak and dupiaza take up barely one-third of the Red Rose's main course options list - and with the exception of one Chicken Tikka Masala, itself deemed a triumph, we walked on the wild side.

I don't go in for competitions on who can eat the hottest food. Not anymore, anyway. But I am a fan of the chilli pepper, and the spicy garlicky combination on offer with my roshunee chilli dish made it my top choice.

The older I get, the less oily I like my food, and the dish came in a pleasingly pure tomato sauce.

Best of all, there were four raw green chillis served as a garnish allowing you to decide for yourself exactly how hot you'd like your platter. Two were sufficient for me.

Leon was a fan of his chef's delight balti, which came with a huge selection of vegetables, including chick peas and his choice of chicken.

Fish-lover David, meanwhile, was generally happy with his salmon tandoori masala, although he did lament afterwards that the sauce appeared to have been sweetened.

Chris had nothing but praise for the Red Rose's take on Britain's favourite dish - the chicken tikka masala.

We polished off virtually all of our main courses and sundries - which is another glowing indictment of their quality, but that left little room for dessert other than a coffee and a chat with the friendly staff.

Because the restaurant doesn't have a liquor licence, you'll need to remember to pick up a supply of your favourite tipple to go with your meal - assuming soft drinks, mineral water or alcohol free lager don't light your fire.

However, there is no shortage of off-licenses in Great Bridge, and you'll probably be glad of the chance to bring your own booze by the time the bill arrives - minus the £4 some places charge for a pint of Cobra or the £12 for a bottle of house wine.

Our group of four ate like wolves and still only notched up a bill that worked out to well under £15 a head - including soft drinks.

We couldn't find a single thorn with this Red Rose.

ADDRESS

Red Rose Cuisine, 71 Market Place, Great Bridge Street, Great Bridge, Tipton

Telephone: 0121 557 8899

By Jim Dunton