A TASTE of the east has gone West to spice up the lives of villagers in Clayton and district.
A brand new Indian restaurant has just been launched in High Street, Clayton West, bringing eastern promise to the former mining village.
The Zafflong Indian and Bangladeshi Balti Restaurant and Takeaway is next to Bar 21.
The grand opening was on Wednesday, August 8 and now the operation is in full swing opening seven days a week from 5 to 11pm.
On Monday this week we called in to savour their fare.
The Zafflong Restaurant area is attractively done out in minimalistic style with pastel shades on the painted walls, functional square tables and comfortable seating, upholstered in white and red. It is below Bar 21 and the two operations are run in tandem.
Around five years ago, the premises – originally the Commercial pub, on High Street – was converted into an ‘eco-friendly’ restaurant and renamed The Green Man to convey a ‘rural, organic’ image. But this venture closed in the spring of 2010.
A further transformation was undertaken when No 21 was created, but this too failed to pass the test of time.
So enter Zafflong and new management of Bar 21.
We ordered drinks at the bar, put them on the meal ‘tab’ and took them down the steps into the restaurant where we were shown to a table for two and given menus.
We were hugely impressed by the wide variety of dishes on offer and it took us quite some time to make our choices. In the meantime we ordered papodoms and the pickle tray. Always a tester, I still contend that an Indian meal can hinge quite simply on the quality of the papodoms. A cold soggy papo can sound a warning of what’s to follow. The Zafflong offerings passed the test with flying colours – sizeable, warm, crisp, melt-in-the-mouth offerings.
For starters I went for the vegetable Pakora, deep fried, crispy-tasting, spicy-battered rounds served with a salad and a mint raita (£2.45). Carol chose the fish Boti, small pieces of haddock in dry spices with chopped potatoes, onions, capsicum herbs and spices (£2.95).
Both the starters were of generous proportions, but were delicately prepared and presented so that we were not over faced and were left ready and waiting for the main courses.
My choice was from the chef’s recommended list – the garlic, chilli chicken, cooked with garlic, ginger, coriander and chopped onions blended with the chef’s special herbs and spices (£6.95). The chicken was expertly cooked and the sauce just to my taste. Yes, it was hot, but not too hot – a fine dish. Carol too found that her selection of main course met fully with her approval. She had Sylheti king prawns, cooked with Bangladeshi beans, garlic, spring onions, tomatoes, capsicum, herbs and spices. It was ‘medium hot’ and just to her liking.
All in all this a pleasant evening at this new family-run restaurant. The food was outstanding and front-of- house Rash and the staff were most pleasant and attentive – and the prices at Zafflong (named after a town in Bangladesh) are highly competitive. This was great value for money.
There is a diverse selection of starters – vegetarian and non-vegetarian and seafood, Tandoori ‘sizzling’ dishes, Biryani, Balti, delicate and mild dishes, chef’s recommended dishes, a mouth-watering selection of ‘healthy option: Catch of the Day fish specialities, vegetarian main specialities, traditional home-style cooking specialities. popular curry dishes Korma, Madras, Vindaloo, Bhuna, Dansak, Dopiaza, Rogan Josh, Pathia (with a choice of chicken, meat, prawn, king prawn or keema) and vegetable and mushroom with spinach. There is also a range of English selections.
Special offers include a manager’s four-course banquet offer: papodoms and pickle tray, choice of any starters, choice of any main course and any sundries Monday to Wednesday 5-10pm starting at £11,95. Children under 12, £5.95.
There is also a set meal for two at £26.95 – two popadoms and pickle tray, starters Chicken Tikka and onion bhaji, mains chicken Tikka Massala/chicken Tikka Karahi, with side dishes of mixed vegetable bhaji and pilau rice and plain nan; or a set meal for four at £46.95 – four papodoms and pickle tray, starters of Seekh Kebab, onion bhaji, chicken Tikka Massala, lamb Balti, prawn Bhuna, lamb Jalfrezi, and dishes of mixed vegetable bhaji and Bombay Aloo and sundries of pilau rice and plain and garlic nan bread.
I counted a dozen different rice dishes, half a dozen assorted fresh nan and a host of sundries. With the exception of the set meal offers, all these dishes are available on the Zafflong takeaway service with free delivery on orders over £10 within a three mile radius or £1 extra for each additional mile.
