Glyn Mon Hughes discovers an excellent addition to the Wirral dining scene

ABOUT a year ago, a banner appeared above an empty local shop unit announcing that a new Indian restaurant was on its way. And then nothing happened – until a friend said that the new place was to be an up-market offering.

Then, suddenly, Vindaloo was open for business and everything Kate had heard was true. Up-market it certainly is, both in terms of ambience and food offering. It’s not one of those places which makes money out of the lager-fuelled louts whose sole knowledge of Indian cuisine is to swallow throat-searing concoctions in the early hours.

ŠAnd the decor is quietly refined, modern minimalism and a far cry from wildly patterned carpets, flock wallpaper and murals of grinning tigers leering at diners as though sizing them up as tasty morsels for an evening snack.

ŠEven better, this place is a minute or so walk from our home, which means that we’ve already been three times – once to sample the a la carte, once to try out the buffet, and once to order a take-away. So far, we’ve not been disappointed.

ŠOn our first visit, we did make the mistake of failing to realise the place is not licensed, and that Sainsbury’s directly opposite had already closed. However, one member of staff offered to go to a nearby off-licence and bought us some wine and, thinking that was above the call of duty, the restaurant then didn’t even charge corkage.

ŠI really wish more places did BYO, since wine lists are frequently restricted and expensive. But with that Sainsbury’s, and an Aldi just seconds away, diners at Vindaloo have a highly comprehensive and indisputably good value wine list available.

Our first visit sized the place up, and we were impressed with the fast and attentive service as well, for a place which looks set to do well on the quality of the offerings and value for money.

ŠInitial strategy was risky, however, as we asked for pappadoms and the chutney and pickles tray (£1.60), which included onion salad, a delightfully subtle mint yoghurt, garlic mayonnaise – somewhat unusual for an Indian restaurant, perhaps – as well as an excellent sweet chilli chutney and lime pickle which actually tasted of something rather just than leaving your mouth in need of a fire extinguisher.

ŠRisky because pappadoms, often fatty and salty, can leave you bloated and ready to turn away subsequent courses. But these were light and chutneys subtly different and tantalising.

ŠHedging our bets, we chose to share starters, tucking into shami kebab (£2.75) which was dense with finely minced lamb, not overpowered with chillies but with some fragrant herbs which brought the meat alive. Mark asked for vegetable samosas (£2.20) which were, again, light and full of vegetables. Most of the usual offerings one will encounter at an Indian restaurant were there, though the chaf bee-ran sounded delightful: lamb chops smothered in ginger, garlic and mixed spices grilled until the spices have been absorbed and then wrapped in thin white bread.

ŠOn this occasion, for main course, I opted for king prawn dhansak (£7.95), a massively generous portion of prawns and a sauce which was fruity, hot and sour but not overly spicy, which would kill the delicate flavour of the prawns.

ŠMark went for murghi masala (£7.95) in which tandoori chicken is served on the bone with minced meat and egg in a medium spiced sauce. “Again, delicate,” he said, “and far from the blow your brains out variety of curry. This would not offend anyone. It’s great for lovers of Indian food and someone keen to venture into new tastes would find this good.”

ŠWe did ask for boiled rice (£1.50) and pilau rice (£1.75) along with chanaa bhajee as a side order (£2.25) – a combination of chickpeas with onions and tomatoes in a lightly-spiced sauce.

On another occasion, we shared the chef’s signature dish – nawabi raan (£8.95) – in which two large lamb shanks, both generous in proportion and cooked to perfection as they fell off the bone, were served in a delicate spice-based sauce, with finely chopped onions, peppers, coriander, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. The result is a finely balanced combination of special and subtle tastes expertly combined and a must-have if visiting this place.

ŠMost produce is locally sourced, and the chef seems to make adventurous use of fruit in his cooking. “I also use herbs which I grow in my own garden and bring in every day,” said one manager, “and we grind and combine all our own spices.”

ŠAnother time, we went for the buffet (£9.95 per person) although this is a little unpredictable. Each dish is delivered in only small quantities, so everything is freshly prepared, but there’s no indication what you’re eating. “Some indication would be good,” said Mark, “and there should be a chilli strength indicator of the hotness of the dish.” That came after he’d bitten into a green bean, only to splutter over a particularly lethal green chilli.

ŠDishes on offer – and this varies – include chicken madras, tikka masala, korma, dansak, pathia, though there seems to be a preponderance of poultry with neither beef nor prawns. There are also mixed vegetables, chickpeas, Bombay potatoes, lentils, rices and a range of popular starters.

There’s no doubt this is an excellent addition to the Wirral dining scene and daring to be that bit different should serve it in good stead in the future.

Notes

Location: VINDALOO, 387 Woodchurch Road, Prenton, Wirral, CH42 8PF. Tel: 0151 609 0666.

Service: Fast, courteous.

Ambience: Refined and uncluttered.

Value for money: Buffet (£9.95 per person) excellent, a la carte good.

Menu: Much the same as anywhere else, but with some interesting "signature" dishes hidden in there – and well worth sampling.

The bill: On this occasion, £27.95, not including the wine, which came from elsewhere.