This week, Pub Grubber had an absolute ball trying out the culinary delights at The Spice Of Life restaurant, in Grimsby's town centre ...
IN OUR search for an Indian meal in Grimsby The Spice Of Life in Wellowgate is at the top of the list for assurance of quality of food, good value and a friendly welcome.
The comfortable surroundings, aromas, ambience, cleanliness and a guarantee of quality were the ingredients for a pleasant evening meal.
There is little hesitation in choosing The Spice Of Life when you are looking for a good meal in town and want to impress a dining partner.
There has been a modernisation of the interior since I last visited. But it was the same feeling of letting down all the pressures of modern life as you walk in the door.
We were greeted by the owner, who is also a qualified doctor, with his chef's apron and ushered to our table. It was a delight to hear the Spice Of Life's regular charity evening, the previous night, was a success and helped raise hundreds of pounds for a mission to Bangladesh.
Supporters paid for an evening banquet meal in the knowledge their money would be going to help poorly people in the underdeveloped world.
Not only does the owner run one of the best restaurants in town, but he also has a passion for improving the quality of life for his countrymen and women who suffer from cataracts.
Each year he travels back to his native Bangladesh to perform eye operations to remove the sight disorder.
The transformation in the lives of people is immeasurable. Such operations heal those plagued by poor eyesight. It enables them to read more clearly and in this way study to improve their lives. Clearer eyesight prevents accidents and falls for the elderly.
So it is no wonder the food at The Spice Of Life tastes wonderful, when you know the support is going to such a worthy cause.
It is a bit like Fair Trade foods always tasting better because consuming them provides a warm glow in the knowledge there is someone elsewhere in the world benefiting from your custom.
My dining partner and I spent a good two hours discussing a range of topics over our two course meal.
The pickle tray and popodoms were lovely and set us up nicely for our starters of onion bhaji and lamb tikka. They were well presented and tasty.
Our main dishes were chicken satkora and chicken jalfrezi. The lamb tikka starter was delightfully presented, served on a long, sleek, modern plate.
It came with two dips, a thick brown curry-flavoured sauce and a light green minty sauce, providing a nice contrast of colours and flavours.
The thick chunks of lamb were nice and tender, and the fried onions proved to be a wonderful accompaniment to the dish, which also came with lettuce and tomato.
For the main course my guest decided to experiment and steered away from his usual choice of jalfrezi or rogan josh, and opted for something from the specials menu.
He eventually plumped for the chicken satkora, a traditional dish of the Bangladeshi region in which a pickled bitter lemon is used to give a hit and tangy flavour.
The dish certainly had a real zest to it, the sauce was rich and thick and the chicken delicious. Definitely worth a try.
In my jalfrezi, the chillies and mix of herbs were excellent – one of the best I have ever had. The pilau rice was spot on. We both also enjoyed a Cobra lager with our meals.
I should also praise the standard of cleanliness in the restaurant's rest rooms.
Overall, there is an impressive attention to detail and this contributed to a first-class dining experience.
