Akbar's, Edgbaston

The name Akbar's might not mean much to people in these parts, but in the north of England, you'll find it is as much a part of culinary culture as Yorkshire pudding,

.

Birthdays, anniversaries, work gatherings or for just plain pigging out - whatever the occasion, people come from far and wide to make the pilgrimage to Akbar's in Bradford to celebrate in style.

It has now become such a success it has branched out across the country, the latest opening being in Birmingham.

The business in Edgbaston, on the busy Hagley Road just half a mile from Bearwood and a 10-minute journey from Halesowen, opened last year, bringing the chain up to a total of nine.

The story of Akbar's is a fascinating one. It started off as a dream of a hard-working 18-year-old, Shabir Hussain, who fantasised about opening his own restaurant and naming it after his father, Akbar. In 1995, the dream was realised, with a 28-seater restaurant opening in Leeds Road, Bradford. It soon became one of the city's most popular eating spots, renowned for its fabulous food and atmosphere.

Eight years later, the second opened in Leeds. Since then Mr Hussain and his team have not looked back, with an Akbar's popping up nearly every year since including in Manchester, York and Middlesborough, securing its status as one of the highest-profile Indian restaurant chains.

Birmingham is its furthest south incarnation, but the dream doesn't stop here. With designs on taking Akbar's to London's West End and even Milan, the success story is on track to go global. They've picked a prime spot in Brum. Formerly Liberty's nightclub, it was once one of Birmingham's most popular venues, and before its closure a few years back, was known for offering a '£15 in, drink for free' booze buster of a party night.

Today, other than the imposing, grand entrance, there's not a scrap of evidence of its hedonistic past. A huge amount of cash has been spent transforming it, because in place of sticky, beer sodden floors and tired seating is a sumptuous banqueting hall, decked out with rich, luxurious furnishings that ooze decadence.

Walking in, there's no immediate hint of what lies within, as there's a large corridor to walk down before you get to the main event. A huge bar allows you to have drink first, but we headed straight up a ramp to the dining area, and were stunned by its size. The place is colossal. No wonder the car park is big - the restaurant seats at least 200.

Red chandeliers and shimmering glass light fittings hover over tables, while glittery curtains of glass sparkle at one side of the room. Where we were seated, flock wallpaper and a cream leather bench dominated one side of the wall.

Our waiter introduced himself as Umer, and I detected Yorkshire tones in his soft voice. Turns out he came down from Bradford last year with around 15 others to bring their expertise to the latest venture.

The restaurant, for a Monday, was busy, with a mixed bunch of diners.

The four of us were flanked by two young families, while a group of around six women giggled their way through dinner nearby. We ordered a bottle of French sauvignon blanc and nibbled on poppadoms while looking at the menu.

There's a large selection of traditional, vegetarian and seafood starters, then an even more detailed list of original baltis, veggie dishes and chef's specialities. There's also a variety of desi-apna delights, which are all cooked in traditional Punjabi style, in a thick rich dry sauce using green chillies, spices, lemon and fresh coriander.

Umer helped us along with our dining decisions, suggesting that the karahi chicken and spinach might be a bit too hot for me, suggesting chicken and spinach balti instead.

I chose an old favourite of mine to start - prawn and chicken poori, which is cooked in a rich masala sauce and served in a crispy fried bread. It was scrumptious - just the right side of spicy and a good portion to boot.

What was a nice touch was the side salad that accompanied it. No limp lettuce here - it was a delicious mix of tomatoes, peppers, onion and olives in a tangy dressing.

The rest of the table enjoyed masala fish and chicken tikka, both of which were beautifully presented and came with the same tasty salad.

Umer informed us there'd be a 15-minute wait before our mains arrived, a breather we were pleased to get.

We ordered a plain naan, and had delivered to our table the largest single piece of bread I've ever seen, and not only that, it was displayed on a huge stand that when placed on the table, shielded me from my friends sitting opposite. It was more than enough for the four of us and the bread was fresh and soft.

Turns out Umer was right, the chicken and spinach balti was spicy enough for me, and it was absolutely delightful. It wasn't too heavy, and was wonderfully fresh.

My pals dined on chicken tikka madras, lamb balti and chana and paneer balti - chick peas and Indian cheese - and all agreed it was fantastic fare. In a restaurant of this size it could be easy to let standards slip but the care and attention that went into the preparation of our meals meant it felt like we were the only people dining.

After declining desserts, we were given that typically Indian after-dinner treat - a, er, Vimto lolly. The bill came to £91 for the four of us, which included four bottles of Cobra, the wine, pilau rice and chutney tray - which seemed very reasonable for the banquet we'd devoured.

I'­m pleased to conclude that Akbar's Birmingham is a great night out. In fact, two of our group visited the Michelin-starred restaurant of one of Britain's best known chefs a couple of nights later and while they had an enjoyable time, commented the food at Akbar's was better. I'm pretty sure that in a while, "going for an Akbar's" will be as popular with diners around here as it is around its Northern home.

ADDRESS

Akbar's 181 Hagley Road, Edgbaston B16 9NY

Phone: 0121 452 1862

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Chicken nambali - breast of chicken pieces marinated, grilled and finally garnished with melting cheese. Served with fried onions, peppers, tomatoes and potatoes, £3.45; Rabbit tikka - Boneless rabbit marinated, cooked over a charcoal grill, served with salad and strawberry chutney (subject to availability), £5.95; Smoked salmon - lightly spiced fine Scottish salmon served with a fresh crisp salad and garnished with lemon wedge, £3.25.

MAIN COURSES

Akbar-e-Balti - chicken, lamb, mushroom and potatoes cooked with spices and garnished with coriander, £8.95; Balti dhal tarka - lentils cooked in a balti with fresh ingredients, £7.45; Roshan lal - a spicy lamb dish with onions, tomatoes and peppers in a rich sauce, garnished with onions and coriander, £8.45.