On the whole I am not a huge fan of the Rusholme area. It is far too busy and trying to park is like trying to avoid the rain in Manchester – a near impossibility. It’s a shame because there are some great little spots and I have heard nothing but amazing things about Mughli. It is somewhere on my ‘must eat’ list for 2016. Virtually next door is a restaurant I had never heard of but was invited to dine at recently, Ziya Grill. Promising fine dining and modern Indian cuisine I was looking forward to seeing what they had to offer.
The interior is clean, modern and simple with an open kitchen at the back and a first floor dining area too. The bar is incredibly well stocked so we started with some cocktails.
For Charlie, well it was near Christmas, a Snowball, and for me a Rum and Raisin. Both were incredibly good and we were surprised. Rusholme isn’t somewhere known for its drinks especially with many people in the area following the Muslim faith. That said we were reliably informed that their mocktails are just as good. None of this ‘mix a couple of juices together’ malarkey. They muddle, shake and strain the same way they would had they added alcohol. I love this touch and it is perfect for anyone doing Dry January this month, no one likes to miss out and why should you?
Anyway, onto the food and we started with obligatory poppadoms and dips. These were a bit different though. The crisps were a selection rather than the standard large, greasy discs you get from the takeaway. And the dips? God they were good. So good we had two lots of some of them including the beautiful herb paste on the far right of the picture. Fragrant and light with a pesto style consistency we fought over ever last bit of it.
The lovely staff recommended the Salmon Tikka and Peshwari Lamb Chops so we took their advice, and I’m so glad we did. Salmon isn’t something I would normally order in an Indian restaurant and I was dubious as to how the strong and spicy flavours of the tikka would work with the delicate fish. I needn’t have worried as the two togethe work beautifully and this is something I really need to try and recreate at home. The Lamb Chops were just as good reminding me of the Chicken Lollipops I’ve had so many times at Indian Tiffin Room in Cheadle. The marinade was similar – fragrant with just enough heat to flavour rather than spoil the lamb, it enhanced it in fact. The addition of a little soft cheese mellowed out the spice levels too.
The Dosa is in fact on their lunch menu which has some really great street food dishes for lunchtime. I really need to go back and indulge in more of their Indo-Chinese options as it is my favourite style of food at the moment. The Masala Dosa had a lovely crispy crepe with a rich and spicy potato centre that complimented the sour taste of the crepe itself. When I worked in Ashton Under Lyne and needed a fix I’d often wander over to Lily’s for this exact dish and this one didn’t disappoint.
The star of the show were these schezwan chips. Slightly sweet yet fiery the potato itself somehow manages to keep a light and fluffy centre with a crispy coating. The sauce is incredible and Indo-Chinese style at its best. We picked at these long after we had said we couldn’t eat any more.
After such hefty starters perhaps cream based curries weren’t the best option for us but Charlie was wooed by the Goan Fish Curry and I had to see what they could do with my old favourite, Chicken Tikka Masala. I know, I am a stereotype waiting to happen.
The Goan Fish Curry was a huge hit with meaty chunks of fish which held together surprisingly well. The sauce, although creamy, had a fair old kick of heat with slight sour notes from the addition of tamarind. My Masala was one of the best I’ve eaten with juicy chunks of chicken in a lightly spiced, more fragrant than I’m used to, sauce and a swirl of cream for a bit of decadence. We chose Boiled Rice which was as you would expect and a piece of Garlic Naan which had a slight crunch to it. Something I prefer as I am not a fan of a soggy bottom.
Far too full to even consider dessert chef made us some wonderfully creamy, sweet and fragrant chai tea to settle our bloated tummies. It was just what we needed and we nursed those cups for quite some time before finding the energy to move our food babies from the table.
Ziya Grill is a hidden gem in my eyes, the staff are incredibly friendly and happy to make recommendations as well as chat you through their restaurant, its style and what they do here. The cocktails are impressive and the menu, if you look properly, actually has some lower calorie and clean eating options which are great for those who don’t want to give up a good night out with friends without spoiling the diet. Ziya Grill are changing the ‘norm’ that is an Indian restaurant for me, and turning it into something much more unique. Give it a go and let me know what you think but promise me you won’t eat all those rum soaked raisins, save some for me.
Images courtesy of Charlie at Ginfuelled Blue Stocking. We were invited to dine as guests of Ziya Grill and weren’t asked to pay for our meals.
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