Last week I was invited along to Vujon - an Indian cuisine restaurant tucked away in Queen Street, Newcastle below the structure of the Tyne Bridge. I always find that certain area of Newcastle to hold a beautiful intimacy that is rare in a city.
On entry we were shown downstairs to the room we'd be occupying for the evening and offered drinks from the bar. The staff were lovely and served us promptly. We were left to chat, which I'm pleased because there was lots of new faces! So we nattered and found our seats and the table was set. As a huge foodie, I have to admit, Indian food is something I'm not overly keen on.
All of the dipping action went on with the starter section! Popadoms with mango chutney & mint yoghurt dip.
A 2nd round of starters (maybe the popadoms were just to wet our appetities, but I wasn't complaining.) These included the Angari Tikka, Kathi Kebab & Veg Pakora. My favourite from these was hands down the Kathi Kebab closely followed by the Veg Pakora. The kebab consists of finely diced lamb which has been tender roasted and tossed with onions, tomatoes and spices served in a butter chapatti. Delicious! The Pakora were light and fluffy and the perfect little vegetable package.
On to the mains, with another varied selection. This time it was Murgh Makhani Dehli Style, which is dried chicken cooked in a tomato and onion sauce. I must say this gave me a very nostalgic moment of tomato soup! It was very flavoursome and hearty!
Next to make it to my plate was the Railway Lamb Curry. Now, admittedly I am not a huge fan of lamb unless it is cooked to my specific liking so I was apprehensive . And this did not disappoint, tender, slow-cooked and succulent. Literally the perfect, melt - in - your - mouth dish. I would totally recommend this!
As a veggie lover the Tarkari Handi (seasonal vegetables with cumin, peppers and crushed peppercorns) was a delight to see. These were yummy and a lovely side if you're not keen on rice. Sides for the main was pilaw rice and a mixture of naan bread (made for dipping in the delish sauces!)
Our hosts were very attentive, and hey, they say a good host always keeps your glass topped up!
To finish off was a very refreshing pistachio ice cream. The perfect palette cleanser after the big mix of flavours I had just experienced. So crispand light. At this point I was so happily full but this finished the meal beautifully. The staff explained that they are more than happy to accommodate and dietry requirements as well as meet any specific needs you may have. So if you'd like a certain dish with the addition of something or without something to meet your taste this is great news.
After such a delicious meal, we were then offered coffee and an Indian treat after the feast we had just devoured. I didn't want to spoil myself by gorging, but this was a lovely gesture from our hosts.
If you're apprehensive to try Indian cuisine I would really recommend Vujon to dip your toe in the foodie fountain!
Until next time...
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