Cafe India, Watling Street

goes for a curry and finds the converstaion is saucy and spicy too!

The conversation on the table next to ours' was decidedly spicy. Two couples were talking over their samosas when one lady turned conspiratorially to the other.

She leant in, whispered quietly in her friend's ear and then rocked back in her chair before bellowing: "Nah, then he went up the swingers' club, ahahahahaha."

My friend and I almost choked on our bhindi bhajee. We looked at the table, they looked at us. There was a moment's silence and then we laughed. The smiles on their faces suggested they'd been joking – we think.

The maitre 'd, Zilla, had been hovering while the women spoke. He expertly turned the conversation onto safer ground.

"We've not seen you here before," he said to our 'friendly' neighbours. They seized the opportunity to tell him about the merits of their home town, Merry Hill.

"Ah, Merry Hill, near Dudley," said Zilla.

"Nah, Wolvurhamptun. On the estate. It's nice." Zilla's furrowed brow betrayed his confusion.

"So not near the shopping centre?"

"Nah, near Penn."

Zilla nodded his approval. "Very nice, very nice. More drinks?" And off he popped to fetch their glasses of Cobra.

Cafe India has been on my list of must-visit restaurants for some months. It had been recommended to me by a distinguished gentleman who lives nearby and whose knowledge of good food extends far beyond our region's borders.

The said advocate has also served as a judge of national food contests and has a particular interest in all things curry-related. In short, he's a man who knows his onions. My friend, too, would prove a redoubtable customer for Cafe India. As the owner of a region-wide food business, he hobnobs with some of the region's best chefs and eats out at least five times each week.

Cafe India, therefore, had its work cut out if it wanted to impress.

The restaurant is located on the side of the A5, on the Shropshire and Staffordshire border, just past Weston Park.

It is a curious restaurant, sitting beside a former petrol filling station and being located in a former Little Chef building. Unsurprisingly, therefore, it has the ambience of a roadside diner miles from the nearest town.

Cafe India has worked hard to soften the building's square edges, investing in good quality lighting and pleasant music that creates a warm and inviting ambience.

During our visit, Zilla also worked tirelessly, visiting the numerous tables to make polite enquiries to respective diners. Zilla's slick patter made our evening more pleasant than it might otherwise have been. He answered detailed questions about the Cafe India menu, explaining the nuances of flavour that characterise dishes from India and his family's native Bangladesh.

"In Bangladeshi cuisine, you can taste every single ingredient," he said. "The spice, the vegetables, the herbs, the meat: everything has its own taste, it's not drowned out by chilli or curry."

The menu was longer than the A5 itself. There were traditional curries, a long list of vegetable sides, endless rice and bread combinations and English dishes for the confused or simply unadventurous.

The Cafe India appetiser selection ran to 14 dishes, the traditional appetisers were similar in number while the Cafe India speciality main courses occupied the best part of a page.

Zilla told us: "Our customers inspire a lot of our dishes. We listen to what they like – hot, spicy, sweet, dry, creamy or sour – and we make dishes that we think they will like."

There were more than enough dishes for us to go at. My friend opted for the maachli chaat, which comprised pieces of mackerel cooked in garlic, tomato and capsicum. He devoured every morsel, delighting at the way the flavours of the strong, oily fish had been enhanced by the sweet and savoury sauce.

He also enjoyed a small platter of pan fried cod in light spices, which again ticked all of the right boxes for flavour, succulence and taste.

I opted for the vegetable samosa, which was served with a hot, spicy chick pea relish. The relish was delish, combining heat and piquancy, though the samosa lacked the crispy, fried outer that would have made the dish complete.

My friend opted for a relatively fiery main course main course of Goan chicken curry, comprising a zing-zangy mix of garlic, ginger, chilli, hot curry paste, creamed coconut, coriander and lemon. In terms of heat, it was slightly milder than a madras. He spoke happily about the combination of flavours, professing them to have been well balanced.

I opted for the Cafe India Chicken, which was subtly spicy, reasonably mild and very more-ish. We stacked our table with sides, marvelling at the wonderful bhindi bhajee, al dente vegetable bhajee, the savoury aubergine bhajee and the fragrant rice and fluffy naan.

Cafe India almost met expectation. Zilla was an exceptional talent who offered polished service while the food was above average. It lacked the wow factor, but made for a pleasant evening – and, no, thankfully, we weren't invited to a Merry Hill swinger's club for afters . . .

ADDRESS

Cafe India, A5, 1 Ivetsey Bank, Watling Street, Staffordshire ST19 9QT

Telephone: 01785 841144

Tasting Notes:

Food: Above average. There are interesting specialities and a degree of subtlety and sophistication.

You really must try: One of the numerous curried fish dishes – the mackerel is delicious.

Service: Exemplary. Neighbourhood curry house customers have never had it so good.

Local/seasonal: Not particularly.

Lasting impressions: Great service and pleasantly subtle Indian and Banladeshi cuisine.