Salaam Namaste review by dawnage
My dining experience at Salaam Namaste did not begin well, as we were seated right next to the door - there is no shielding interior door - and I anticipated the cold on a December night. Then, when we placed our order, we had to ask for a jug of water three times (the wine we ordered at the same time as the water came immediately).
However, after this disappointing beginning, I am pleased to say that things improved rapidly. The waiter was apologetic at having forgotten the water and, from this point, I found the service to be courteous and alert. In some restaurants, serving staff avoid the eyes of diners, particularly if they are not the member allocated to your table; this is not so at Salaam Namaste, I am pleased to say.
We were brought complimentary poppadums and chutneys... although pleasant, the poppadums had a real tendency to stick to the teeth (I could see people subtly trying to dislodge bits of poppadum all around the restaurant, whenever a new diner was seated!).
My ambivalence towards the poppadums paled when presented with our main courses. Our anticipation was building, as we waited more than half an hour for our main courses (certainly our own fault for foregoing starters, as I wouldn't want our meals to be anything other than prepared freshly). I opted for a dish from the speciality menu: a chicken breast stuffed with minced lamb and spinach, served with a mild sauce and mushroom pilau rice. It was absolutely divine. It was cooked to perfection and it was worth waiting a while for it. The description suggested it would be a mild dish and I am not sure I would entirely agree with this, as it certainly had some kick, but I can tolerate a certain amount of spice and thought it was a fantastic dish.
My husband opted for a chili paneer dish which incorporated various vegetables - he liked his dish as much as I liked mine. However, he was a bit envious of the cashew nuts that accompanied my meal and thought that his dish could also do with some! A minor suggestion though, as he really loved his dinner.
We ordered some mushrooms and a dhal makhani as side orders and ended up bringing them home with us, as we barely made a dent on them in the restaurant, thanks to decent portion sizes. They have tasted good for lunch today, though!
Salaam Namaste is a gem and we will definitely go back - even without the 30% discount which made the meal such excellent value. I'd advise anyone who goes to try the speciality menu, rather than the tried-and-tested favourites which are also available - it makes for a fantastic dining experience.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Overall rating 
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 9
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