Raja Monkey
CURRY ON UP THE KYBOSH
There are some mates I only really see when there’s football involved; some usually when there is live music involved. Either way there’s normally quite a lot of booze involved. With both of those options currently unavailable three of us have decided to eat out as a springboard for an overlong catch up. We’ve had it in the diary for a couple of weeks but we’ve been well and truly kyboshed by it being the first day of the 10pm curfew.
We’ve agreed on Raja Monkey in Hall Green as it’s roughly halfway for me coming from Moseley and them coming from Solihull. It puts itself out there as an Indian street café although, since a recent expansion and refurbishment, it’s very much a smart restaurant experience.
Interior - end of the night
We’re brought a papadom basket with chutney and raita, along with three bottles of Cobra and the menus. We’re discussing going for a tapas sharing approach until Roger throws us a curveball by being temporarily veggie. Nick and I immediately pair up and cut him adrift to enjoy his vegetarian voyage in solitude.
Popadoms
More Cobras arrive with the starters and first up is a Frankie dosa—a fermented rice and lentil crepe filled with slow cooked, shredded mutton and pickled onion with accompanying tomato chutney—that’s nothing short of a well spiced joy.
Masala & Frankie dosas
Roger gives the thumbs up on his masala aloo dosa, filled with crushed masala turmeric potatoes. I’m happy to take his word for it.
The malai tangri tikka are wonderfully juicy, lightly chargrilled chicken thighs, but I just can’t pick up any spice. It’s a shame because the creamy, subtle cardamom sauce is just begging for more attitude from the main event.
Chicken malai tangri tikka
For the main course I’d wanted the slow cooked oxtail with Kashmiri chillies, but the waiter drops the bomb that there’s none left, eventually steering me towards the braised mutton chops with chilli and prunes. It’s rich, spicy and sweet with the meat plentiful and meltingly soft, but a lot drier ‘sauce’ than I was expecting. It’s not right for my Peshawari naan I’d forgotten about when changing my order. I’ve now got double sweetness going on and nothing to mop up. A wet veggie side dish would have been perfect.
Braised mutton chops with chilli and prunes
I exchange a chop for one of Nick’s fried in breadcrumbs paneer koftas and a scoop of the vibrant green sauce. It’s a great combination of textures and flavours with the fragrance of the spinach palak sauce, crunch and sweetness from the paneer koftas and with saltiness and bite from the samphire.
Paneer kofta
Roger gives the thumbs up on his baighan thali with aubergine curry. I’m happy to take his word for it.
Baighan thali
We pass on desserts, deciding instead on another round of Cobras to squeeze out the last opportunity for reminiscing about the ‘good old days’. With the clock seemingly accelerating towards 10pm we settle the bill of £108 plus tip and head home. At least my liver is grateful.
WORTH A TRY
1355 Stratford Road, Hall Green B28 9HW
