What’s the point of another Indian (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

What’s the point of another Indian

11:57am Friday 15th January 2010

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ANOTHER Indian restaurant has opened in Darlington. Nothing particularly remarkable about that, perhaps, but you have to wonder how many the town can take.

Google lists ten. We’ve got a feeling there may be more than that.

So what is the point of another?

Will it offer anything beyond the standard Bangladeshi-influenced fare offered by the majority of Indian establishments? Will it set a new standard in style and comfort?

Rani opened in what was a shoe shop in Blackwellgate just before Christmas. It is owned by the same people who have Reema just up the street in Coniscliffe Road, an Indian which has perhaps 25 covers at most and can be very busy on weekends. The last time we ate there, a booking made for 9pm turned into a table at 10pm as they seemed to have difficulty in turning away customers. Rani may be just an overspill for Reema.

The place has a slight air of mystery owing to the use of misted glass which blocks any view of the interior. But inside there are no great surprises.

A bar and reception area gives away to few steps up to the main dining area, a brightly-lit space chiefly notable for a red, black and grey textured wall at the far end – post-modern flock wallpaper.

The high-backed chairs are black leather; everything else is white or cream. Overall, it feels a bit clinical, but that may be just because it’s very new.

We were the only folk in, but it was early doors on Friday evening, after work, and the snow was still plentiful underfoot.

Thankfully, our table was placed next to a radiator.

Predictably, the menu is long, with extensive sections devoted to tandoori dishes, poultry (mainly chicken, but some duck), lamb and seafood (mainly prawns) plus the usual baltis, bhunas, birianis, dansaks, dupiazas and kormas.

I skipped a starter in favour of a couple of crisp poppodums and a pickle tray that featured a tumeric raita, a mango chutney, onion salad but no lime pickle. The pickle tray with no pickle.

Sylvia’s starter, Paanch Mishali (£4.95), was pieces of chicken and lamb tikka, sheek kebab, king prawn plus a large onion bhaji. She thought this excellent, particularly the tender chicken and the deep-fried prawn. The lamb was on the tough side, but the bhaji was beautifully light and crispy. I could confirm all this in part because I was presented with a complimentary starter of a small piece of chicken tikka and a bhaji.

Sylvia’s chicken balti was on the dry side. A balti purist eating it with a nan would probably suggest it wasn’t a true balti because the sauce was too thick, but Sylvia was impressed with its gentle heat and garlicky richness.

My chicken delhi karahi (£7.95) was less well received.

Although the chicken was tender, the other predominant ingredients were onion and green pepper. I could detect no trace of the green chilli traditionally included, just tomato and garlic and the mixed spices. It lacked oomph, despite being billed as “fairly hot”.

Our shared garlic rice (£2.90) and green salad (£1.50) were perfectly OK, as was a side dish of sag aloo (spinach and potato curry – £3.95).

Desserts were the usual Indian restaurant offering – a range of bought-in frozen ice creams, including kulfi, depicted in garish colour on the dessert menu. We skipped those, enjoyed the hot towels and asked for the bill and the remaining curry to be cartooned up for the short journey home.

A pint of Kingfisher lager and two soft drinks were included in the £34 bill – very average for an average meal. Sylvia’s a dissenting voice here; she felt it was better than that.

But I still don’t see the point of Rani – other than as an overspill for its partner establishment up the road.

There’s just no reason to go there unless you can’t get in at Reema.

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