David Adamson turns to early evening curry and perhaps even the lives of parents
Since my nephew was born last August, I have had to adjust in certain ways. The first and most punishing, smoking. Fair enough, I nodded and bought the vape.
Second, cursing, something I often do between scrolls. Understood again. It’s just white noise to kids until it’s not, when you see their eyes light up, synapse and you know it’s only a matter of time before it ruins this and that shit. Fun, but not a great parents night out.
However, the most confusing thing has been when we eat dinner as a family. But then, if, like my sister and her husband, I envied the sleep rhythm of a Guantanamo Bay prisoner, I would also like the evening to end by 7:00 p.m.
And so it was on an autumnal Saturday night when I found myself sitting down for a curry at the previously unheard of time of 5pm, just as the doors of Eastern Revive opened in Wilmslow.
At first we had the place to ourselves, which isn’t necessarily the atmosphere you’d expect. It was nice not having to order over incoming tables, endless trays of Cobras, and around increasingly busy wait staff. We had the Cobra and explored the menu.
Inside, Eastern Revive’s decor is that tricky mix of understated decor while maintaining a slightly plush feel (this is Wilmslow, after all). The walls are lined with weathered wood panels, while the color comes from small trees scattered around the place, which somehow manage to be, if not understated, at least not too grand. Just a little fun.
The brushed metal and elegantly furnished tables are a nice alternative to the tablecloth option, but they still couldn’t compete with the bright earthy color of the nephew’s various pimples. His favorite distraction, the somehow described crook, was largely ignored as he spent the next hour taping everyone who walked through the door.
It almost goes without saying that we started with the poppadoms and the chutney tray, which were devoured within minutes. I’d had the lightest of lunches and an afternoon in the garden, so even a few plate-sized poppadoms didn’t make a dent in my appetite. However, we decided to keep it light for starters, opting simply for onion bhajis (£5.50 for three).
These were exactly the type I was hoping for and delivered with a cheeky kick instead of just being loaded with onions. They were crispy and that lovely shade of yellow-brown. Squeezed and dipped in chutneys, it’s just enough to whet the appetite without ruining the whole thing you’re there for in the first place, the curries.
It was a good job so we started off easy as we repaired it with mains power. You tend to try to cover a few bases when it comes to Indian restaurant reputations, but still play the biggest hits. So it was the tandoori mixed grill (£17.50 tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, seekh kebab and lamb chop), king prawn karahi (£19.90), bombay fries (£7.50) and finally, most importantly, tandoori butter chicken (£13. 90 pounds) ).
Along with garlic and mushroom rice (both £4.90) and garlic and peshwari naan (£3.90 and £5.50), you’ve got yourself a feast for three, plus some naan for the nephew. nose up and play instead.
I’ll start with the top of the order – the butter chicken was the best I’ve had in a long time. I put this down to Eastern Revive for the inevitable flavor that makes this dish so much more than a creamier curry – the sweet, tangy note of almonds and raisins cuts through.
When the butter chicken disappoints, you push through with a sense of duty, and when it’s done well, you step on each other to make sure you get your fair share. This was definitely the latter, chicken in juicy smaller strips rather than skewered in ping pong ball sized chunks which, while lovely, don’t leave enough room for the sauce, which is why we’re all here.
The King Prawn in Karahi had plump and tasty prawns, but it wasn’t spicy enough for my taste. If you hit the velvety heights of a fine butter chicken, you’ll want to compensate with something that hits between the eyes, and the karahi is the best for that. So while it was an absolutely lovely curry, it could have done with another chilli or two.
The tandoori mix grill, which arrived with an audible sizzle, ticked all the boxes you could hope for: the tikka is a deep orange with hints of charred grill, but still tender; the seekh lamb kebab is succulent and full of garlic; the mutton chop was a deep purple and considered tender on the right side, far from tough and chewy; and the tandoori chicken remained extra tender due to the serving still attached to the bone, making for a dish to return to towards the end of the meal – or even later in the evening when I gave in to temptation and searched for my leftovers.
The parties, though always a bridesmaid in Indian restaurants, were each a winner in their own way. The Bombay fries were brought to the brink of crumbly and served with a sauce that must have sat with the spices for a long time. The garlic naan was the right combination of bready, chewy and snappy, but the peshwari took the crown. The mix of almonds, sultanas and coconut was an ideal accompaniment to the butter chicken and in fact all of the above. Then when you add rice and garlic to the cooked toffee, it’s just a bunch of flavors and textures you want in a meal like this.
When we finished at 7pm, the place filled up quickly. When I came back from the pub around 9:00pm to pick up Ed’s forgotten coat, it was absolutely awful. Whenever I’m in my neck of the woods and walking by, it’s almost always.
Although I’ll probably be at least a few years off from having my own kids, I might get ahead of schedule and start sitting in Indian restaurants before 7pm, when I often said dismissively only to toddlers and seniors.
It takes a little longer to kick the cigarettes and even longer to swear, but the early evening curry is a revelation, and when it’s the quality of the Eastern Revive served on Saturday, I can happily call myself a convert.
Eastern Revive5-6 Warham Street, Wilmslow, SK9 1BT
Score
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If you would like to see the receipt as proof that this magazine paid for the meal, a copy is available upon request.
16/20
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Food
Onion bhajis 8, tandoori mixed grill 8, king prawn karahi 7.5, tandoori butter chicken 9, Bombay fries 8, garlic naan 8, peshwari naan 8.5, garlic pilau 8, mushroom pilau 8
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Service
Incredibly well oiled and attentive
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Atmosphere
Started quietly, but not for long. Saturday night was in full swing.