Mumtaz Khan Akbar, is well-known in Yorkshire, as one of the counties richest men, with a personal wealth of £25 million. The Mumtaz chain is huge, owning two restaurants, an array of supermarket products and the take-away chain, Jaldi Jaldi. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the new Clarence dock restaurant, as I’ve never visited such a renowned Indian restaurant before. Even the Queen and Mr Cameron have eaten here!
Compared to most other Indian restaurants, this is like going to Jamie's over Bella Italia. You get less food with more flavour, better ingredients but at a higher price. So, if you're after a stodgy curry after a night on tiles, this isn't for you. After 30 years of having a beer with his curry, my dad was shocked to discover they didn’t serve alcohol. There was even talk of paying for the popadoms and leaving, but we stuck it out.
We had the Karahi Gosht and Chilli Paneer and they were excellent. Now, I'm a fan of spicy food, but I asked for medium strength and it was more than enough heat. If you're not used to a spicy dish, I'd advice you ask for mild. A cheesy chilli curry is not something that I would go for but the large chunks of flavoured paneer in a thick chilli sauce was delicious.
After our meal the head waitress, who was very accommodating, offered me a box of Indian desserts to take away. I had the pleasure of picking four different semolina treats from the counter and they were presented in a gorgeous box. Again, I never usually go for Indian desserts, as I'm usually so full, but I kept these for the next day. I thought they were delicious and the carrot and date one was great. However, two of my flatmates tried them and said they tasted like sandy rice-pudding so the semolina treats are something for you to decide yourself!
Bill for two curries with Poppadoms, Mango Lassi, Nann bread, Rice and Semolina treats = Around £38
Students get 15% off, so don't forget to show your NUS.
