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Magazine Review
Lynn
Grainger, July 2004
The
Mango Tree at Stonnall needs little publicity. Since
opening last November this exceptional Indian restaurant
on the Chester Road already has an enviable word-of-mouth
reputation, with diners returning again and again to
enjoy the unique dishes on offer.
The
reason for this well-deserved reputation is simple -
the restaurant could not have a higher culinary pedigree.
Co-owner Raj Ram is a television producer who worked
with Keith Floyd on his successful series Floyd's India.
And Head Chef Murray Sethurajapillai was the chef who
advised Keith on the dishes he prepared as he travelled
around the continent.
Raj
is incredibly proud of the pedigree of his new restaurant.
He said: "Murray joined the restaurant after working
for the prestigious Veeraswamy restaurant in London.
It's said to be the oldest Indian restaurant in the
UK and was regularly visited by Indian and British nobility."
He added: "Our customers are returning again and
again. We also have a high proportion of Indian diners
and I think that is always the sign of a successful
Indian restaurant."
Head
Chef Murray, who specialises in coastal seafood and
South Indian cuisine, has conjured up a unique menu,
making the restaurant one of the only establishments
in the area specialising in these dishes. No additives,
preservatives and colourings are used by the chefs.
As
soon as diners enter this exceptional Indian restaurant,
they realise they are in for a unique experience. The
interior has a contemporary feel, with its white walls,
minimal decoration and simple lighting cleverly letting
the food and the diners take centre stage. The atmosphere
is warm and welcoming and the service second to none.
The
food sounds tantalising on the menu and when served
looks incredible. The starters I sampled included the
delicious Dahi Puri - puffed light crispy pastries filled
with chickpeas and spicey potato, splashed with yoghurt
and fresh chutneys. Another mouth-watering variation
on these flavoursome pastries were Pani Puri, which
were served with a chilled tangy tamarind cocktail.
For
a main, I chose the Seabass Balchao. This was a superb
dish of whole seabass served with shrimp marinated with
vinegar, red chilli and black peppercorn and was certainly
the best fish I have ever tasted in an Indian restaurant.
My
partner, a vegetarian, was spoilt for choice and tried
a range of dishes including Sag Paneer, fresh cottage
cheese cooked in fresh spinach, and Tadka Dal, a delicious
mix of lentils slowly cooked and tempered with aromatic
spices.
Diners
may think they have sampled the best in Indian food
but the Mango Tree offers the authentic taste of India.
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