Many of us who are fans of desi food now know what to expect when we go to a typical Indian restaurant. Often many of the dishes will have a similar taste, as they use the same curry base or ‘thurka’ as it’s natively known.
However, one eatery in Salford is proud of its authentic roots and the fact that it incorporates the original flavours of Punjabi cuisines across its menu.
Based on Blackfriars Street, eastZeast is a 300-seater fine fining venue offering customers delicious traditional dishes from Punjab and its surrounding regions, such as Lahori lamb chop handi, Peshwari chicken, karahi fish, and daal makhani – all made using only high-quality ingredients and spices sourced both locally and natively.
In fact, the restaurant gets its grass-fed lamb from the valleys of Cheshire and Lancashire, and fresh whole chickens from Cumbrian farms, which are prepared by expert butchers for its in-house trained chefs. It also uses natural rock salt from the Himalayan hills to season its food, so customers can sample the true taste of the east.
Thanks to its mouth-watering menu, it’s no surprise that the restaurant has been in business for two decades. EastZeast was first established in Manchester in 2004, but the family-owned chain has since gone on to open popular branches in Preston and Liverpool.
Today, the business is overseen by cousins Kabir, Ashfaq, Kay, Jay, and Kalil. They have plenty of experience under their belts, having watched their family manage restaurants in Bradford, after Kabir’s parents joined the hospitality business in 1976.
Kabir Rayman, owner of eastZeast, said: “I first founded eastZeast’s Manchester branch around 20 years ago with my cousins. Although I graduated in IT and I was working in that field for around four to five years, I decided to quit my job and go into the hospitality business like my parents because I felt that Manchester was lacking a lot of traditional northern Indian/Pakistani cuisine.
“We quickly grew from there and went on to win Restaurant of the Year award at the Manchester Food and Drink Festival in 2006, and we were later nominated for the British Curry Awards 2016 in the Best of Manchester category.
“Our riverside restaurant in Manchester has lots of Kashmiri influence as that’s the area of Pakistan where my parents came from. Due to the way the Indian border is placed with the Pakistani border, the region has also experienced a lot of culinary inspiration from Punjabi and Rajasthan which we’ve incorporated into our menu.”
Fine dining just got finer
Those who visit eastZeast’s Manchester branch can take advantage of a unique dining experience. The restaurant is located next to the Lowry Hotel on the edge of Salford Bridge, overlooking the River Irwell.
It often attracts many celebrities from far and wide, who are featured on its ‘wall of fame’, as well as corporate clients.
Customers can dine in style in a tranquil setting with ambient lighting, featuring private booths and waterfalls, as well as comfortable seating. There’s even greenery hanging from the ceiling, and a selfie wall with neon signage and artificial flowers where guests can take a snap to remember their visit.
The venue also has two bars and a mixologist, serving a selection of alcoholic drinks and freshly crafted fruit mocktails.
From April 2024, customers will even be able to enjoy fantastic live entertainment from a visiting DJ in eastZeast Manchester’s upstairs bar area. Special tribute nights will be held on the first Friday of every month, playing some of the most popular hits from legendary singers such as Elton John, Adele, Dolly Parton and more.
The true taste of Punjab and beyond
EastZeast Manchester boasts a large menu, which features a variety of dishes and is regularly updated, so that food lovers can try something new every time they visit.
There are plenty of halal, vegetarian and vegan options available, and each dish can also be made in varying spice levels ranging from mild to medium and hot, depending on customers’ individual palates.
Fresh, traditional dishes on the menu include the aloo tikka, seek kebab, salmon fish pakora, butter chicken and lamb kofta.
The eatery also has a wide grill section with unique options such as the chicken steak, which includes cheese or two fried eggs, or the salmon steak tikka and paneer shashlik – all of which are served on a sizzler with fresh mushrooms, peppers and baby potatoes.
Those who specifically visit for a taste of Lahori cooking can order from the menu’s exquisite karahi section, which features dishes like murgh chicken tikka jalfrazi, keema aloo matar, aloo gobi and sarson-da-saag, freshly prepared with onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and a blend of eastZeast spices before being garnished with fresh coriander.
Since the restaurant primarily focuses on north Indian cuisine, it also offers speciality ‘thalis’ inspired by the state of Rajasthan, where people usually incorporate a starter dish, two or three curries and a bed of rice and pickles into one plate. Diners can choose from various thali options, including the vegan thali, Rajput thali, and Jatt de thali, inspired by the various communities of north India and their eating habits.
Book your table
EastZeast is located at Blackfriars Street, Salford, M3 5BQ. The restaurant is open seven days a week, 365 days a year, from 5pm until 11.30pm on Monday to Thursday, 5pm until 12am on Friday to Saturday, and 3pm to 10.30pm on Sunday.
Since the restaurant is based across two floors, there’s also plenty of room for private bookings such as birthdays, anniversaries and other special events.
Customers can also order food to their doorstep through Uber Eats and Deliveroo, or collect their order directly from the restaurant.
