Latest Restaurant Review (Taj Mahal)
I have always been intrigued by the Taj Mahal, sitting at the junction waiting to turn and thinking how good it looks from the outside and that I really should give it a try.
Situated on the main Wellington ring road with its own private secure parking at the rear, ideally located and only a couple of minutes from the M54, it was time to explore further!
What a welcome! There is nothing worse than arriving at a restaurant and being ignored, but not at the Taj Mahal, throughout our dining experience we were made to feel extremely welcome and nothing was too much trouble. We were told all of the food is freshly prepared so they can prepare our meals to suit our preference, a relief for my wife Ann who finds anything other than a Korma too hot! Many of the ingredients are sourced locally.
It was 7.30pm and the restaurant was surprisingly busy, a good sign, the decor was very bright, clean and very well presented and we were seated in the front window in a smaller alcove of the restaurant, this was ideal for us. The building has lots of character, over 300 years old and owners Raja Khan and Tariq Mehmood who have been in the industry for many years have worked very hard to provide diners with a quality authentic evening. Raja and Tariq have diners come from as far as Ludlow, Shrewsbury and Bridgnorth and they believe customer service and quality food plays a very big part of attracting people from all over the county. Their chefs have been carefully selected from the well-known Manchester curry mile.
A Tanners Wine list is available with a varierty of wines to choose from. On the food menu there are a wide selection of Indian dishes on offer, I was overwhelmed and was tempted by so many dishes, Raja could see we were finding it difficult to decide, therefore he offered to choose for us, a risky offer but why not, the gamble paid off!
Whilst waiting for our starters to arrive, we were presented with Papadums with a selection of dips all homemade, not your usual Chutney, they were delicious, we wanted more but had to be sensible!
The starters arrived and looked great, sizzling hot, Ann had three pieces of grilled fish coated in Tikka spices, and I had a Gulshan Kebab, which was a kebab wrapped in a thinly sliced pastry. A good choice Raja! We sampled each other’s dishes and both were exceptional, the fish cooked so perfectly and full of flavour. A kebab in pastry I hear you say? You have to try it!
For mains we told Raja we both liked Lamb, he presented me with Shahi Stir Fry Lamb, which is one of the restaurants most popular dishes, presentation again exceptional, the shredded pieces of lamb were very tender and the dish, certainly one of my favourite Indian dishes so far, you won’t be disappointed. Ann had Mase Terko, cutlets of lamb once again cooked perfectly, not too spicy for Ann as he had promised, goodbye Korma!
Rather than have your standard Naan bread we decided to try a Paratha, which is Flaky Pastry fried and was much lighter than a Naan, and very similar to pancakes, definitely worth a try.
The Taj Mahal cater for any occasion, including Christmas day at only £24.95 per head for a 14 dish banquet, excellent value! They can cater for 100 guests. Lunch is also available 7 days a week between 12 and 3pm, 3 courses for £7.95. Why not book for your Christmas party with your work colleagues, birthday parties, hen nights or family night out?
The restaurant was extremely busy the night we dined, the staff were calm and professional and made sure every diner had the attention they deserved, considering each meal is freshly prepared I felt that this was a great accomplishment ensuring the quality of the food remained exceptional.
I would highly recommend the Taj Mahal for a real Indian Cuisine experience; the staff are very friendly, the food excellent and it was obvious many diners return time after time, which speaks volumes for any restaurant.
