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READER
REVIEW:
The
Mem Saab
357
Wellingborough Road Northampton
NN1 4EU
Tel 01604 630214
By
Paul Motley |
It has been
approximately 12 months since we last visited this Punjabi upmarket
restaurant which has now been open for five years. The last time we
ate at The Mem Saab was on a Sunday afternoon when we experienced the
buffet lunch with the added experience of live background jazz which
gave the ambiance an added dimension. My conclusion was an
adventurous and well presented array of Indian cuisine which far
exceeded the boundaries and my expectations. The experience had
changed my preconceptions that the eat as much as you like buffet
need not be bland and boring targeting the lowest common denominator
in respect of not too spicy or exotic.
The Mem Saab
is situated approximately a mile out from the centre of town and has
its own private electronically gated car park which gives access to
both the restaurant and its trendy champagne bar "Corkers".
Although situated next to each other they have their own separate
entrances and are not interconnected. We entered via the rear door
from the car park and our presence was promptly and warmly
acknowledged. We were shown the lounge area, which consisted of cream
leather sofas in a relaxing and informal layout, then the waiter
efficiently and quickly returned with our drinks order and the menu
and wine list were offered for our perusal. It was nice to notice
that its clean crisp minimal décor was not one bit tarnished
after five years and looked just as fresh as it did when we first
visited the restaurant a few days after it first opened its doors. A
few improvements had also been added including its custom-made
personalised blinds and a few modern wall furnishings strategically
placed as not to clutter or overpower the simple neutral coloured
environment offset with just a hint of blue and red.
The menu had
changed a little but retained the few standard heat graded dishes so
as not to take some of the English public away from their comfort
zone, but they are complimented by a choice of regional authentic
Punjabi cuisine. After about 20minutes we were shown to our table
where the popadoms we had ordered were already waiting for us
together with an array of home-made pickles and chutneys namely
tamarind, piquant onions, apple and mint plus of course the good old
sweet mango chutney because people expect it. The main course arrived
promptly after we had finished the appetisers. I think we would have
all have preferred perhaps a fifteen gap between these courses but
that is personal preference as other people quite like the efficiency
of that timing. I had ordered Lamb Nihari. This wasn't on the menu
any longer but they were happy to oblige with what is essentially a
Punjabi breakfast dish of lamb in a thin very aromatic gravy
garnished with juliennes of fresh ginger. The other diners in my
party had ordered Lamb Rogan Josh, which was full bodied with typical
Kashmiri blend spices, King Prawn Palak, Palak Ghost and a light
chicken dish concluded the non vegetarian selection. Now whilst most
restaurants bulk their dishes with a very generous amount of gravy to
make it seem you are getting good value for money, The Mem Saabs
portions were exceedingly large with the main ingredient being far
more plentiful than expected. In fact the lamb and chickens chunks
were also twice the size of the norm plus the lamb was very high
quality lamb (not mutton) and the chicken was of the same high
quality which was very tender and retained its natural moistness. The
king prawn dish was cooked to perfection and again they were more
than plentiful. We had also ordered side dishes of Brinjal Bharta,
Paneer in creamy gravy and baby new potatoes in masala gravy, two
lemon rice were ample between the five of us and Pashwari Naan plus
chapattis completed our feast.
We had all ate
far more than we should have done and most except myself (I wonder
why I'm putting on weight) declined a sweet course but who could
resist home made Rasmalai, being sweet cheese like discs boiled in
syrup and served in cream flavoured with pistachio nuts and a hint of
cardamom. The night almost complete we returned to the lounge area to
enjoy tea, coffee and masala tea as to each individual's choice.
These were accompanied by pieces of fresh fruit part coated with
chocolate, a nice finishing touch.
For a
Wednesday night the Restaurant was very well patronised as it is most
nights with the weekends usually full house so it is advisable to
advance book. The Mem Saab is a very successful venue and its
popularity is mainly by word of mouth and very little advertising.
The food and service is consistently of a very high standard and
shows the other ethnic restaurants in the town how it should be done.
The menu is adventurous and for the wine list is very well put
together with some excellent choices albeit at a price. However our
overall bill was only a little higher than the average, and the
overall experience in a class of its own where average was not an option.
Incidentally
The Mem Saab has other family owned units, the original one being in
Glasgow. An award-winning restaurant in Nottingham and Leicester is
currently undergoing a major re-vamp and reopens very soon. |
