Kasturi Indian Restaurant, Mansfield Road, Sherwood

I like to vary where I eat so every week is different. I work long hours so tend to have a mid-week treat maybe Wednesday or Thursday. But where can you go in the week that’s not too far and won’t be empty is always something of a dilemma, so I’m always on the lookout for somewhere different to try.

One place I had spotted on my travels was ‘Kasturi’, a family owned Indian Restaurant on Mansfield Road about a mile from the City Centre.  It is, as their website says  ‘housed in an attractive period building’ but located within the Cotswold Hotel and nestled between other hotels and shops, it is easy to miss on a trip into town.

You access the restaurant via the main hotel reception. When we arrive there is no one behind the desk so we’re not quite sure if to wait or walk through to the restaurant so we wait.  We manage to get the attention of a passing waiter who leads us to a table.

The Restaurant itself looks pretty much like every dining room in almost every B&B I’ve ever been to.  You can almost imagine them offering you a full English breakfast but I’ve read good things about this place on Trip Advisor so at the end of the day the proof, as they say, is in the pudding  – or in this case the curry.

The Restaurant is busy, which is always a good sign on a Thursday night and the clientele is mixed.  The ambience could be improved with subtle lighting, a few ethnic trinkets adorning the walls and instead of the vertical blinds wide open with a view of Lidl, some dark wooden blinds at a tilt would improve the overall impression.

The Waiter hands us the menu and a separate drinks menu.  He also offers us poppadums and a pickle tray which we accept.  The Pickle tray comes with the usual mango and mint yoghurt dips although both are tasty.  My favourite though, and not one I’d had in an Indian or Nepalese restaurant before was a carrot dip.  Usually you get the standard onion but this was fresh tasty grated carrot seasoned, I’m guessing with ginger, lime and chilli: a recipe I must try to recreate.

From the drinks menu we choose a bottle of Kingfisher but we’re told that they are out of stock.  As an alternative we’re offered ‘Gurkha’ which we try but at 4.8% is a lower alcohol offering in a bigger bottle.

The food menu is divided into sections offering unique and authentic appetisers, Spicy Kasturi Grill, Chefs Specialities, Traditional Choice, Biryani Dishes, Fresh Naan Bread/Roti, Rice and Sundries.

From the Appetisers section we choose the Chicken Tikka  – Succulent tender pieces of boneless chicken marinated in a tandoori masala, mild herbs and cooked in a tandoori  clay oven along with the Vegetable Platter – Golden and tasty Onion Bhaji, a rich Vegetable Samosa and Paneer Tikka -Soft, juicy chunks of Paneer marinated  in tandoori masala, mild herbs and spices cooked in a clay oven. Both meals arrive at our table served on large dark plates, both with a fresh crispy side salad.

For our main course we chose the Tawa Chicken – A Chefs special cooked in an iron pan with mixed peppers, cabbage, tomatoes and Kasturi’s spices along with a portion of pilau rice.  Once more, the chicken is tender and with each mouthful you can taste the fresh spices and ingredients used in the rich accompanying sauce.

The chef visited our table during the meal to ensure we were enjoying our food, a nice touch and something you don’t often get nowadays. Competitors take note!

To finish we were offered dessert.  We sampled the ice cream and the rice pudding.  The ice cream was unimpressive but the rice pudding is a must.  A small amount of cold rice pudding exquisitely flavoured with cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon.

The hand towels at the end of the evening were presented in a unique way, being rolled up inside a little porcelain type dish on to which the waiter pours hot water.

The Kasturi website states that the restaurant has been ‘created to give guests a fresh approach to everything that is good about Indian style food and hospitality’. I would agree that the quality of the food is excellent and cooked beautifully. The dishes are without doubt some of the freshest tasting curries I have tried.  The depth of flavour also makes a refreshing change from a lot of the tomato based curries which are served in many Indian restaurants.

If you fancy an out-of-town meal then the food at Kasturi offer what is possibly some of the most authentic Nepalese flavours you’ll find but the decor just leaves a little to be desired to make it a special occasion.

To book your table call: 0115 9603500  or visit: nottinghamkasturi.co.uk

Tanya Raybould