|
Rajdhani is one of the longest established Indian
restaurants in Milton Keynes. We were greeted by a warm
smile and duly accepted an invitation to take a seat in
the raised drinking area where we were able to relax and
cast our eyes over the extensive menu.
Food
We
started in the traditional way with some popadums which
we can both normally take or leave. These however, were
much more pleasant than some we have tasted. A little
thicker and crispier, they had no trace of that oily
coating and their dry texture worked brilliantly with
the chutneys.
We
ordered a bottle of the Pinot Grigio Veneto. This was a
fresh, light Pino which was pale in colour with a
lingering fruity taste. This wine is very quaffable!
Prawn
puree, spiced prawns in a thick sauce, served with a
deep fried puffy bread was my choice to start. This
tasty and colourful starter was simply a delight. The
bread had a wonderful, light texture and the sauce was
nicely spiced. My partner’s choice of Chicken chatt,
diced chicken coated with chatt massala, finely chopped
cucumber served on puffy bread was equally well
received. The chicken had a lovely melt in the mouth
texture and the combination of spices formed what is an
immensely tasty dish.
We
requested a short break before our mains which we
decided to share. We chose two chicken dishes of which
our favourite was the chicken korai – served with
peppers, onions and tomatoes tossed with herbs and
spices. This was not overly spiced – but was full of
amazing flavours and the unbelievably tender chicken was
sublime. The other chicken dish – the laziz, medium
spiced, cooked with peppers and flamed in brandy may not
have been our favourite, but was still a quality dish.
The brandy is added when the dish arrives at your table
and the ensuing fire is always an eye catcher in any
restaurant.
We had
also ordered peas paneer – peas cooked with cheese, a
preshwari naan and pilau rice. The cheese dish was
something I had never tried before. It took me a while
to get used to its very strong flavours which, I think,
you need to savour on its own or else you risk
overpowering your other dishes. Adding this to our plate
did however, look very pretty and the mixture of colours
and the smell of the spices all added to an enjoyable
culinary experience.
We
could not resist sharing the pistachio kulfi. This is a
traditional Indian dessert and if you like pistachios,
you’ll love this!
Décor
Rajdhani has a classical feel to it. I like the under
lighting to the bar area which, added to the subdued
lighting in the rest of the restaurant helps create a
cosy environment.
Atmosphere
The
quality of the cuisine always helps to create a good
atmosphere and the restaurant was reasonably busy for a
weekday evening. The Indian music played gently and with
smells of Indian spices wafting through the restaurant,
there was a chilled ambience.
Service
The
service was impressive. All the waiters seem to work as
one and it’s always nice to be served with a smile. They
were friendly, attentive and helpful. |
