After a late in the month visit last month due to holidays and other commitments we blinked and it was suddenly time for our eagerly anticipated September expedition to yet another of the wide range of excellent Indian restaurants available to the inhabitants of our fine county and visitors alike. We have no barriers or exclusions here; everybody is welcome, we consider ourselves to be exclusively inclusive!

So, our host had selected a visit to Amirul in the lively village of Quorn having read several good reviews and deciding that it sounded like a restaurant that was more than worthy of a visit and an assessment by our canny crew of curry connoisseurs.

The restaurant is on the crossroads bisecting High Street and Leicester Road where street parking is plentiful with the additional comfort of a large free car park in Station Road, which is also a spur off the crossroads. Amirul is unimposing from the exterior, but it opens up into a long funnel of tables, which provides plenty of accommodation, but it loses a little atmosphere, as the tables are somewhat isolated. The interior is nicely appointed, comfortable and clean, so all first impressions were favourable.

The menu is extensive with something to cater for a variety of tastes and personal preferences. It is the usual mix of chicken, lamb and prawn dishes, both traditional and special, with a wide variety of side dishes, breads and rice to accompany them. There is also a selection of English dishes, but we’re not here to discuss them!

We started with the prerequisite serving of papadoms with the pickle and chutney tray to enhance them while considering the menu. Our drinks had been ordered and were quickly served by our friendly and welcoming waiter who was also busy attending to other customers as well.

Our collective settled upon two chicken Jalfrezi’s, one normal strength and the other Vindaloo strength, one Special Tawali Madras strength, one Garlic Chicken Chilly Punjab Madras strength, one Chicken Tikka Chana Saag, one plain nan, one cheese and tomato nan, one cheese and garlic nan, one plain rice, one vegetable rice and one keema rice.
We do not order starters, because the portions that are generally served are usually more than sufficient after leisurely enjoying our papadoms, so it was a surprise and a nice treat to have a complimentary dish of vegetable pakora brought out for us to share while we waited for the main courses.

When the main courses arrived, they were fresh, hot and plentiful, the chicken in my dish were large chunks which were tender and moist, it was generally agreed that the food was good and the equal to many of the other restaurants that we have been lucky enough to appraise.

We don’t ever have a dessert, but we were offered a complimentary drink to finish by our amiable waiter, which our members were keen to accept graciously.

The points that are awarded by the members are always a topic for discussion, as we all allocate our scores based upon subjective views with some members giving points based purely upon the food while others take into account the venue, the ambience, the service and the price, as well as the quality of the food. It is interesting to note that this year with one exception, the scores have all been within a two-point window, so it has been a very close run, consistent and competitive twelve months for us to date and there has been little to choose between most of the restaurants visited.

This is a pleasant reflection on the fine standard that we have experienced so far this year and as such most of the venues would merit a recommendation by the club as being worth a visit and Amirul is certainly no exception.