Restaurant Name: Gulshan
Location: Aigburth Road
Link to their website:
http://www.gulshan-liverpool.com/How many went:
3 ordered takeaway
What was [roughly] ordered:
Chicken Green Balti Massala (House special apparently), Lamb Dopiaza, Lamb Tika Karhai, Pilau Rice, Peshwari Nan, Garlic Nan
Review of the Food:
Decent sized portions, one rice managed 3 people (just) there was some nan left over and the currys had plenty of meat (decent sized chunks too) and had to be spooned out twice. Everyone tasted everything and although we all agreed the green balti was the nicest (which was mine
) the other two were also top notch. The dopiaza was good with a clear distinction between the two different types of onions and had an almost roasted flavour. The Karahi seemed a touch hotter than the others (all were supposedly medium, and had a nice heat that stayed at the back of the mouth) but that could have been because the lamb was tika marinaded, but was still great and as with the others, you could taste some individual flavours instead of just anonymous spicyness.
The pilau rice was possibly the best I've ever had. It was packed with flavours (bay leaves and cassia bark left in the carton) and had a slight sweetness to it that complimented the sauces brilliantly. Unfortunately, the nan bread had gone slightly soggy (as is always the case with take aways) but they were nice, with the garlic one in particular being flavoursome.
Review of the venue:
Although we only popped in to collect, the place looked nice, with well laid tables and a simple, smart decor. Admittedly it was early and nowere near full, but I can't imagine it being an unplesant place to sit. Apparently the toilets are something of an attraction, although I can't comment.
As for the service, we were told 20 minutes on the phone, so set off straight away (from Childwall). When we arrived, we waited about 5 or so minutes and heared from the kitchen the encouraging sound of food being transfered from pans to containers. This was a good sign as it proves that the meals hadn't been going cold on the side for god knows how long. When the waiter emerged (we paid while we waited) we were handed a carefully stacked bag of clearly labeled and (more importantly) correct dishes. The food benefited from being fresh as it didn't cool down too much during the drive home and the hot plates we had on standby were hardly needed. Also worth noting was the 3 free poppadoms we recieved. They were decent and came with a pots of mango chutney and chopped cucumber, although I usually expect these with some of the lower quality places (to sweeten the deal) I don't expect this with food of this quality, which was nice.
Would you go again?:
Planning to dine in fairly soon.
Would you recommend it to friends and family?
Without a shadow of a doubt.
Any known offers of fixed menus?:
Set meals for between 2-4 people.
Price Paid:
£24 for 3 currys, 1 portion of rice and 2 nan.
Overall score out of 10: 9/10 one point knocked off for the peshwari nan (somethign I usually look forward to) being a bit "meh".