Eat My Words: We try Banff’s Indian Garden restaurant
For a treat, I headed to the Indian Garden in Banff - a restaurant I have rarely allowed myself to experience.
I decided to change that and I very quickly realised I had been missing out for the many years the eatery has been established in the town.
It was a chilly Bonfire Night when my mum and I went to the restaurant where we were warmly welcomed by the waiters.
As we were shown to our table I was immediately struck by the bright and relaxing atmosphere for dining.
The menu has a varied selection of dishes for all tastes, which are handily separated into how hot they are and what the diner can handle in spiciness.
For a starter, I went for the onion bhajis, while my mum chose the garlic mushrooms.
I decided to go for the classic chicken tikka masala curry for my main course and my mum was braver with her selection, a hotter chicken methi curry. We shared sides of pilau rice and garlic naan.
The attentive and friendly waiting staff served our starters quickly and I was impressed with the onion bhajis, which were full of flavour.
My mum was equally happy with the garlic mushrooms which she said were very tasty. Both starters came with salad and a dip to share.
After they were cleared a hot tray was put in the middle of the table to hold our curries.
When they were served we both noticed the large and generous portion sizes.
They were not just a feast for the eyes but also in taste as my delicious tikka masala had the right balance of ingredients, it wasn’t too heavy and had succulent chicken.
My mum enjoyed the spice of her curry which she said was “just right and very flavourful”.
The pilau rice accompanying the curries was cooked to perfection and the garlic naan was great, not too overpowering. The whole order filled the table so it was more than enough for the both of us.
By the time we got to the end of our meals, we were both satisfied and were unable to find room for any desserts.
My mum still had some of her curry left by the time she was full, so the waiters provided a container so she could take it home to enjoy later.
As we were paying for the meal the staff gave us some After Eight chocolate mints to top off what was an excellent experience.
I will certainly be making my visits to the restaurant a lot more frequent than I did in the past.
Food: The menu had a huge variety of authentic and infused Indian dishes which caters for all tastes and how spicy diners want their meals. *****
Decor: The restaurant is bright and has a welcoming atmosphere for a relaxed dining experience. *****
Staff: The waiters were very friendly and quick to serve us. *****
Price: I paid £52.80 for our starters of onion bhajis and garlic mushrooms, our main courses of chicken tikka masala and chicken methi curries, garlic naan, pilau rice, a glass of white wine and a cola. *****
