That Mrs Hinch has a lot to answer for…
Her obsession with white and grey decor might look great on Instagram but here in the real world, it can be rather, well, stark.
Not for a second that I’m suggesting the popular influencer had a hand in decking out The Nawaabs on Aberdeen’s Summer Street, but the white walls and ceiling and bright uplights didn’t exactly ooze “hello and welcome in” on the blustery night we rocked up.
Not even the rich red carpet brought the sort of opulence you might expect from a restaurant named for the nobility of the Mughal empire.
Still, the austere surrounds were more than compensated for by the friendly warmth of the welcome, as we were ushered to our table for two with its crisp – and very white – tablecloth and napkins and elegant high-back wooden chairs.
Nawaabs
As for opulence, well there it is right there in the menu with a dizzying array of dishes to choose from. So many, in fact, that we were a good way through the obligatory popadums before we finally made up our minds.
Partly because every time a wee cart laden with food trundled past on its way to fellow diners, I kept looking at what was on the plates and thinking “ooh, nice… what’s that then” and turning to the extensive menu for a good guess.
This just ended up distracting me as I was wondering what exactly a Shahee Nawibi might be about, or would a Naga Morris Bhoona, billed as hot, be the dish that finally defeats even my hankering for chilli with a bit more chilli and some chilli on the side.
In the end, my missus and I decided to go with a couple of old favourites for starters, which also happen to be the benchmark for how a curry kitchen is doing.
The food
The chicken tikka that arrived was plentiful and almost the same rich red as the carpet. Tender and tasty, it also was sitting at the squishy end of the spectrum for texture. Not so much as to be off-putting, but I prefer a bit more bite for that style of starter.
Meanwhile, the seek kebab was a stellar offering. Sausage-shaped minced lamb, kept its shape nicely as I sliced through, dodging the dread dryness that can afflict some of these.
It was delightfully fiery, too, a full-on chilli attack. Sitting behind that, though, was an equally powerful blast of salt. A lighter hand would have been more appreciated.
Both starters polished off and a good glug of Cobra in, we relaxed a bit more into the surroundings. Okay, so maybe not as harsh as I first thought – the paintings were nice and the atmosphere was building as more diners piled in.
The constant stream of food delivery coves also spoke volumes about the popularity of Nawaabs among the couch cognoscenti.
And then our mains arrived on one of the cute wooden trolleys and in a blaze of colour – red is a theme on the food front, clearly.
Forget the surrounds, it’s all about the food. This was where Nawaabs came absolutely into its own.
My other half had ordered the Utter Pardeshi Masali with chicken. It was a vibrant plate of food that had an aroma designed to make you salivate, what with its hints of garlic and ginger and, what’s that, oh yes. Mint.
The first forkful confirmed all of those were, indeed, present and correct. So, too, was the tang of spring onions and the dark spice of cumin, all bound up in a rich tomato base. The chicken was just perfect, too.
And once you slopped that on to some fluffy pilau and started working it over with a garlic naan, you had a dish that warmed your soul.
Meanwhile, I was getting stuck in about my Dulhani Bhoona with lamb. The same rich red as the other main course, this was distinguished by the liberal introduction of urri-daal, the chunky legumes that are a cross between outsize lentils and chickpeas.
They added welcome bite, in contrast to the soft as silk lamb that you could mash with a fork before it melted on your tongue. And what depth of flavour.
While we’re on the topic of flavour this bhoona had it by the bagful. Delightfully garlicky – look, look, whole cloves – it was also subtly fiery. Running through everything was a sizzle of lemon that offered a bright citrus burst.
We cleared the lot… and I was still dabbing away at the empty serving bowls with scraps of naan I could find when the waiter came across to ask if we were enjoying. Yes. Yes, we were.
The verdict
So, first impressions can be misleading. Nawaabs isn’t cold and austere – okay, mibbe the decor is a tad. It is actually a warm, welcoming spot with super friendly staff.
It’s also a place that lets the food do the talking, with a skill and passion that translates to the plate in a riot of taste and colour.
All of this at a price of £57.90 which is pretty good for dining of this standard with a couple of beers in the mix.
As we headed off into the night – a couch was in our future – the pair of us agreed that Nawaabs actually is a prince among Aberdeen’s curry houses.
Information
Address: The Nawaabs, 33 Summer St, Aberdeen AB10 1SB
T: 01224 621800
Price: £57.90 for two starters, two mains, pilau rice, garlic naan and three drinks
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