Simply the Raj (Raj Indian Cuisine)

Member Name: Cheuk

Product:	Raj Indian Cuisine
Date:	26/07/01 (159 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great consistent service, Good food, the Massala was outstanding, Great Value

Disadvantages: Small naan!!, Korma lack that edge

Update 9/8/01
-------------

For more details about the place check out the op below. This update is about my second visit.

Well i decided to go back on a Sunday evening to dine at this place after my disappointment with another place in Oxford so my expectations were high after the previous experience. I also expected to be disappointed. The same old waiter was there and another young waiter was working also. I'm afraid he still has a lot to learn from the old man, but his attitude was promising. Again service was friendly with a warm smile all the time. Service was nto as attentive as the previous occasion but still good, which is understandable as the place was alot busier than on my previous visit so maybe it was dooyoo members eating there!!

The food I ordered this time was a tandoori chicken and lamb tikka massala. The tandoori chicken is a chicken leg marinated and served on fresh salad, with a yogurt and herb sauce. The chicken leg was off a reasonable size and was brought to my table on a sizzling plate before being transffered on to my plate of salad. The smell was sensational. The old man also placed all the onions onto my plate which another place did not do. He then came back with the sauce. The chicken was full of flavour with the marinade outstanding. The yoghurt sauce was slightly disappointing though in compariosn with the other place but to be honest the chicken didn't really need it.

I then decided to add a keema naan as well, which is naan bread stuffed with meat.

The lamb tikka massala and rice came next and again the portion was generous but presentation is bland, rather reminescent of home cooking. But this simply is rather misleading as the dish was superb. Unlike the previous dish I had last time, the lamb was tender and full of flavour. The sauce was rich and brings out even more flavour from the lamb as well as adding flavour of almonds and herbs. The flavour wa
s so good that my taste bud was overloaded to pick out all the delicate and subtle flavours. Some may find there is too much going on in the flavours, but this is how I like it. The only problem was that my naan bread hadn't come and I was half way through ravishing the dish. The young waiter came and asked me if everything was OK and I told him about the naan bread. He came back and told me that it was on its way. The old waiter then came back and apologised saying there was a mix up with him and the kitchen. Soon the naan bread came to my table and it was piping hot bursting with flavours of garlic and the meat and spices used, though I couldn't pick the flavours out. Again the naan was small, but unlike a lot of places including in Manchester and Birmingham where the special naans are smaller than the plain one this one was of the same size. Well I suppose if it was any smaller there won't be much left.

Unfortunately I couldn't finish the naan bread so asked if they could put in a bag so I can finish it off later, which they did. The old waiter apologised again about the mistake and we had a chat, in which I praised him about the service and food. Make no mistake this is the best service I have encountered. Right up there with the best and it seems to be consistent. True the mistake looses some mark, but the remedies and apologies well makes up for it. I can certainly recommend this place, and the dish this time was also outstanding. Well what are you waiting for? Tell them I sent you!!

Previous Op
---------------
This is situated outside the City Centre in St Clements, the road parallel is Cowley Road which is famed for its curry houses, but I was disappointed with one I attended before. This is on the main road, with other restaurants along the same street. There is a car park nearby, but parking on the road itself is not possible. The shop looks different and not exactly appealing. To be honest it
was a rather brave decision to actually enter the restaurant as you can’t see inside through the window. However the menu looked appealing and the decision proved to be a good one. Entering the restaurant requires going up some steps and opening a small door to finally see what it was like.


The restaurant was small and the decoration was surprisingly good, plain but simple and pictures hanging off the wall. Any feelings of queasiness with the slight sleaziness was quickly dispelled by the very friendly waiter with a good smile to his face and was quickly seated. There was only one other table in at the time and he was the only waiter on, though there were a few take away orders. The menu was small but with the typical range of dishes. I did not notice the wine list though. One thing that stands out about the restaurant is the cheap range of dishes. This was unsettling, when other restaurants are much more in Oxford. The starters were priced reasonably from around two pounds for an onion baji to much more for the chicken tikka and tandoori chicken. I had a lamb tikka which was very good, with salad and a yoghurt sauce with mint. Portion size was reasonable and the salad was fresh. The dish was good and wetted my appetite for the main course. The main course starts from 4 pounds upwards. The usual dishes are there but balti is missing however. I settled for a Chicken korma with naan bread. The portion of korma was very good, the chicken quite tender. The naan bread was quartered and much smaller than I was used, so I ordered an extra portion of rice which was of a good size. Maybe I’ve had it too good in Manchester, Birmingham and Harrogate with the naan bread left whole and much bigger, than I have got in Oxford. The sauce was creamy and full of almonds. However though good. there was something missing that took the edge of it slightly, though I just don’t know what. It was just missing something that would give
it a bit more flavour. The naan bread was good though, but shame there wasn’t much of it. Though I mopped up the rest of the sauce with the rice.

However what topped it up was the service from the waiter. This was simply some of the best waitering I have had, with just the right amount of attentiveness and always with a warm smile on his face. In fact I felt guilty about not leaving enough of tip and it was good to see service charge wasn’t added on to the bill. Overall for the price this was excellent for money, although the main dish lacked something it was still good. The service was excellent so I have no hesistation to visit this small undiscovered piece of India in Oxford.

Summary: