Aysha's reviews
Review of Mint Cuisine
13 Nov 07, 19:16
Mint 
Mint is another local curry house with pretensions of grandeur. Sure, it's nice to eat your curry in a contemporary space with lots of new-fangled art work on the walls and a giant fish tank, but really is all that necessary? The food is pretty good for a small restaurant, but it's not really anything special. It is very popular with the local Yardley/Yew Tree crowd, and as such is often full of people who are loudly declaring their passion for curry whilst ordering a Vindaloo and four more lagers. Mint is the kind of place you'd go to for something to eat as a kind of stop-gap- the food isn't bad, the service is average and the prices are relatively reasonable, but to be honest it's worth going that extra distance just to find somewhere a bit better!
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Review of Lasan
13 Nov 07, 17:22
Lasan 
Another'new' Indian restaurant, Lasan could easily have gone down the route of serving the same old curries in a contemporary environment with square plates and sparkly cutlery. However, Lasan has innovation on its side, and a team of chefs that know how to construct a curry properly, with maximum taste and minimum fuss. I'm half-Pakistani, so know what a curry should taste like, and Lasan have it. Each dish I have had there has been fresh and delightful- no extra ghee or oil floating on the top, and extra helpings of dhal or veggie curry on the side to complement the main dishes. The service in Lasan is excellent, and I have never had a bad experience here. The owners regularly go around the restaurant talking to diners to hear their comments, and I can honestly say I've never heard a bad one. It's a fantastic place to go to for a curry, the food is lovely, the atmosphere's fabulous and the overwhelming feeling you'll get from eating here is one of utter contentment.
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Review of Zeb's Mirpuri Cuisine
13 Nov 07, 14:14
Zeb's Manipuri 
Seriously one of the best balti restaurants in Birmingham, I am a devotee of Zeb's and defy anyone not to have a fantastic meal there. There's a very diverse mix of dishes on the menu, and some particularly good and unusual ones, such as Lamb Hydrabadi, which is absolutely exceptional. All of the dishes I have tried have been lovely, and they taste like real curries, as opposed to chicken or meat cooked with the sauce added later. The setting is ambient and clean, and the decor suggests a rather more upmarket experience than perhaps some other restaurants on the Ladypool Rd. However, the service is just as friendly as most other rival establishments, but the food is by far and away exceptional.
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Review of Aloka
13 Nov 07, 14:07
Aloka
Another curry house in Birmingham, but one with a good reputation and a concise menu which means that food is good, fresh, and not overloaded with ingredients. I went here for lunch recently, and was pleasantly surprised by the service and the food. It was really tasty and very reasonably priced- my friend and I paid around £8 each for a meal and drink, which is not bad for Brum. It's a bit off the beaten track this one, and doesn't really warrant the extra mileage you may have to go to get to it, but it's definitely one to keep in mind if you're in that neck of the woods and you fancy an inexpensive meal in a nice environment.
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Review of Shimla Pinks
13 Nov 07, 13:58
Shimla Pinks 
Not entirely sure why this place is still open to be honest, as it charges obscene prices for its sub-standard food and the service is atrocious. Went here a couple of weeks ago on the recommendation of a friend and really wished I hadn't. It's a very basic curry restaurant which I suspect used to be a great one, but its presence on Broad St has been brought down by the scallies that now seem to populate the place, and as a result, Shimla Pinks is really just another shabby curry restaurant in need of a facelift. It's not the worst place in the world- the food was okay, but the service was rubbish and the decor is out of date and makes you feel like you're on the set of a 1980s comedy. I wouldn't recommend this place- I'm not convinced it's the right way to go if you're in Birmingham and you want a curry. Head to the Ladypool Rd in Sparkbrook instead and see how a curry should really be made.
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Review of Shabar Brasserie
13 Nov 07, 12:59
Shabar Restaurant
Yet another restaurant on the Coventry Rd in Sheldon- this place has been serving hungry locals for ages, and does a pretty good job of it. Probably the best thing Shabar has going for it is its service- very friendly and helpful staff who are attentive and make sure you get your food pretty quickly. However, the upshot of this can be food which tastes a little bland- I prefer my food to taste a bit more marinated than most though! Overall, a good little restaurant, with your average selection of curries and baltis- dishes cost around the £6.00 mark which is pretty standard, drinks around £2.50 each, so you can get a decent meal for two with change from £30! Plenty of parking in the side roads around the place too, so you should be fine to go with a big group of people- there's even a function room upstairs for the more private among you!
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Review of B26
01 Nov 07, 13:38
B26 Curry House
This fab little curry house on the A45 (Coventry Rd) near Sheldon is a fab little place for a quick bite at a very cheap price. If you're on your way back from work one night and you fancy popping in, they do a weekday special- £8.95 for a starter, main and drink, and you can pick virtually anything off the menu- sweet! I wouldn't recommend this place for a romantic meal- it's too busy for that, and the atmosphere isn't what you'd necessarily class as'romantic', but the food is great, the service is excellent, and it's dirt cheap. One word of warning- nowhere to park around the restaurant at busy times. If you're lucky, you'll bag a space on the road outside, but these spaces tend to be taken all day every day. There is a residential road just around the corner with some parking though if you get stuck. Overall, well recommended to anyone who likes their food hot, tasty and cheap!
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Review of Shiraz
03 Oct 07, 10:42
Shiraz
Shiraz is one of my favourite restaurants in Birmingham. Located on the busy Hagley Road just outside the city centre, Shiraz is a family run restaurant that specialises in authentic Persian cuisine. The food is, quite simply, outstanding. Meat is cooked to absolute perfection, rice is tender and flavoursome, and everything is served with such enthusiasm and delight that you'd be forgiven for thinking you've stepped into the family's own house. Alcohol is not sold or permitted as the family are Islamic, but there is a wide range of soft drinks available for thirsty customers. Meals are served in large portions- you have been warned! I have tried virtually everything on the menu and can thoroughly recommend some of the Chello Khoresht Ghorme Sabzi, which is a kind of lamb stew infused with tarragon and full of different beans and pulses- the lamb is cooked for so long, and so well, that it practically falls apart in your mouth- incredible. Its location is probably the worst thing about Shiraz- the Hagley Road is notoriously difficult to negotiate, and it can be a pain to find a parking space. It is also in a row of businesses that includes a massage parlour- this is some way up the road, fear not, but it does mean don't loiter outside if you don't want to be hassled by the white van drivers of this world, as I was whilst waiting for some friends not too long ago. However, it might be that because of its location, Shiraz had been able to maintain its charm and its steady flow of regular customers- I have been there several times and seen the same faces enjoying their food. It is very popular with the Persian community, and can get busy, especially on weekends. Shiraz is used to catering for different sized groups, and I have been there with up to 15 people before and they haven't even batted an eyelid. Service is swift and friendly, and meals are finished off with authentic Persian tea and pastries- you can also smoke some hookah if you feel so inclined. Probably one of the most original and enjoyable restaurants in Birmingham- enjoy!
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