Raja Monkey

1 Reviews on “Raja Monkey”

• Dine Birmingham

  Sitting on the site of the former Lasan Eatery, youll now find Raja Monkey, the latest venture from the group behind Lasan and Fiesta Del Asado. Rebranded, renovated and rejuvenated, Raja Monkey attempts to offer something somewhat new to Birmingham: an Indian street food caf. Does it work?AtmosphereAlthough other restaurants such as Itihaas offer this style of rustic food, Raja Monkey has created a whole restaurant around the concept, complete with open plan kitchen, rustic interiors and authentic music. Taking our seats on the banquette at the rear of the restaurant, we noted the warm, colourful interior and retro photographs adorning the walls.StartersTurning our attention to the menu, we saw that the selection of light bites, starters, curries and thali is small, well chosen and purposefully simple.We kicked things off with the Mini Masala Attappam, a fluffy pancake flavoured with spicy chillies, coriander, tomatoes and onions. Then we ordered the Tandoori Chicken and Galouti Kebab. Although my companion was sceptical about the chicken, it turned out to be one of the best tandoori chickens Ive ever eaten. Tender, melt-in-the-mouth chicken with a spicy tandoori paste on top was served with a tomato salad and cucumber raita to cool down the spices.The Galouti Kebab was something else altogether. Presented as little patties and consisting of lamb and lentils, their texture was unreal, incredibly fine and almost like a dough or pastry with a short crumb. MainsFor the mains we opted for a thali each. These are like Indian bento boxes; compartmentalised meal platters, comprising many small dishes. Raja Monkey seems to specialise in these.I opted for the mild Moghuls Korma Thali, which came served with a boiled egg in a rich, very mild and creamy sauce. The quality of the meat was evident as a whole breast and wing came in the dish, along with smaller plates of rice topped with crisped onion, a creamy lentil dhal, a subtly flavoured aubergine curry, a fresh tomato and onion salad and chapatti.My companion went for the not-so-mild Nawabi Kebab Thali, the king of thali with Salmon Mahi, Galouti Kebab, Chicken Banjara and Nilgiri Tikka. This was also served with the dhal and aubergine curry but with raita instead of rice and naan instead of chapatti. The cooling cucumber raita comes with a purpose; it provides welcome contrast to this spicy dish. A word on the vegetables: the aubergine curry and lentil dhal that accompanied our meals are subject to change and created based on whats fresh. The Sag Aloo simply sang with flavour, and is a must-try in my book.As a number of our dishes were quite spicy, Id recommend you check before you order if your heat threshold is low. The waiters were friendly and helpful (special thanks to Sangar who served us on the night) so dont be afraid to ask.Drinks The drinks menu is quite small; the selection of wine, beer and juices is adequate and reasonable rather than fantastic. Cobra beer is on the menu at a very pocket-friendly 2.49, and lassi, a refreshing Indian speciality, comes in at 1.99.PricingStarters = Up to 4 eachThali = 11-12OverallAs a casual dining restaurant, Raja Monkey has a relaxed, unstuffy atmosphere. Its clear from the service and from the quality and preparation of the food that the staff take pride in what they do. The open kitchen adds an element of excitement and keeps the place feeling bustling rather than staid, making it a great spot to eat any day of the week. dinebirmingham.co.uk

  September 4, 2014, 4:25 pm

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