Sanam Balti, Chadsmoor, Cannock - food review

The Sanam Balti has been a favourite with my family since I was a little girl. And it's somewhere my family always heads to – for any excuse really, but primarily celebrations.

This meal was to mark my other half's birthday – and it most certainly did not disappoint.

And, as I had been so many times before, when a venue is repeatedly good, expectations are always high. This time though I was keeping a keener eye on things than I would have usually.

Admittedly, this eatery is not the most glamorous you'll find.

Though the place has been decorated nicely, with attractive jewelled lights, comfy leather seats, and a pleasant conservatory extension at the front, its toilets are very basic – one out of two cubicles was even missing a light.

Also, be careful if you enter wearing heels, especially after a few drinks, as the floor can often be slippery.

But the value for money here is unlike anywhere else I know of.

On this mid-week evening there were six of eating. We had a two-course meal each – three, if you count poppadoms – and the total bill came in at £56.70.

And the food was delicious; of a superbly high standard and more generous portions than we could manage.

So how do they manage to keep the cost so low?

There's a few ways. First of all – and best of all, in my humble opinion – is the lack of a licensed bar; meaning customers can bring their own alcohol and drinks. There's also a cheap off-licence a few doors up, just in case you forget (or run out).

They also run a deal on Mondays and Tuesdays, which entitles diners to a starter from the specials menu (except king prawn dishes, which cost extra), a main with rice, naan or chips, and a coffee or tea for just £8.95.

I have since called the restaurant regarding this offer – and they stated this will soon go up to £9.50. It also may no longer include a hot beverage, so do be sure to check this before ordering. Either way, it's great value for money.

Luckily for us we had come on a Monday and so ordered with this in mind.

I opted for the chicken tikka starter, as did my mum and my uncle, while my other half, my dad and my aunt chose the mixed starter, consisting of chunks of chicken tikka, a sheesh kebab and an onion bhaji.

The chicken tikka was delicious – tender, juicy and seasoned to perfection; an ideal beginning to a wonderful meal. And, unlike in some restaurants where you'll get two tiny scraps of chicken for a starter, this was generous – each of us with the chicken tikka starter receiving around four hefty hunks each.

The sheesh kebab, meanwhile, was tasty and meaty, while the onion bhaji was crispy, moist and moreish.

For mains, I chose the tandoori mixed grill – which comes with chicken tikka, a sheesh kebab, a chicken tandoori leg and tandoori king prawns.

This dish, for £9.95, also comes with a naan bread or rice and a curry sauce; so I went for a pilau rice and a dansak sauce to accompany it.

My mum, meanwhile, chose the chicken balti ceylon, my aunt the Persian chicken biryani, my dad the chicken jalfrezi and my uncle the chicken tikka dupiaza.

My other half – having similar tastes in curry to myself – also went for a dansak, but he chose to have his as a curry dish with chicken pieces.

My mixed grill was gorgeous. This is a firm favourite with my family and I – and we order this more often than not, as it is so reasonable and so filling.

And this time was no different. Though the meat on the tandoori leg was a little sparse, the remainder of the meal was very generous – with each of the items cooked wonderfully; producing a moist, and meaty flavour. My only criticism here is that the chicken tikka was slightly dry and overcooked – bizarre, as the tikka starter had been great. The king prawns, tandoori and kebab were all juicy and delicious though. The pilau rice I had chosen to accompany it was lovely too; with multi colored grains decorating the tasty, juicy rice.

The dansak sauce, meanwhile, was very sweet – perhaps too sweet, but then I had asked that it be cooked with pineapple (those not too keen can ask for it to be cooked without) so that was perhaps my fault.

The consistency of the curry though, was to die for; the lentils, chillies and pineapple creating a wonderfully thick, sweet, fragrant sauce.

The only flaw here was that the curry could have perhaps done with a little added kick of spice.

The chicken balti ceylon was a winner too. Though the dish was not as sweet as other restaurants serve, it was every bit as tasty – and spicy too. The heat of the dish was also accentuated by the zesty lemon, which complemented the spiced chicken wonderfully.

Dad's chicken jalfrezi, meanwhile, was a real highlight; a fiery dish packed with tangy, fresh flavours of tomatoes, peppers and onions. It was packed with tender hunks of chicken too – and was polished off at great speed, despite its heat.

He had opted for a garlic and keema naan to accompany his curry which, again, went down a treat. A doughy bread, spiced with chunks of delicious garlic and stuffed with tasty, meaty minced keema.

My aunt's Persian chicken biryani was a very unusual dish: a dry rice-based meal seasoned with saffron, almonds, sultanas and tomatoes, served with banana and a delicious curry sauce. Very tasty – and not too spicy, for those who don't like their food too hot.

Lastly, my uncle's chicken tikka dupiaza was packed with meat and served in an exquisite sauce. His curry, though only medium, had a delightful spice to it; with an added sweetness, thanks to the added cinnamon and cardamom.

The fresh onions in the sauce were delicious too and gave an added crunch to the curry.

He opted for a garlic and onion naan to go with it; which, again, was really lovely.

After scoffing all of the above, we were more than a little stuffed – so decided against puddings, as we had brought a cake for my partner's birthday.

The friendly staff were more than happy to hide the cake beneath the bar as we ate, so it was a lovely surprise for him when they brought it out after dinner.

Once the singing and present-giving was out of the way, we requested the bill – to find all six of us had eaten for just £9.45 each (with all our added extras).

For the huge amounts of delicious food this bought us, you'd be hard pushed to find anywhere which delivers the same high quality and huge portions for such a low price.

It's no wonder we keep going back.

By Kirsten Rawlins