Reviews

The WHICH? Good food guide 2006

Bastion of the Leeds indian scene for two decades, in an asian neighbourhood a short ride from the city centre. Lobster and sea food are delivered fresh each day (the fish curry is haddock),and the menu is a long haul through north indian and punjabi dishes, taking in aloo tikka (£1), assorted tandooris, curry house stalwarts, and specials such as handi gosht (pot roast lamb :£6), plus a variety of vegetables (around £3.50). House wine is £10.25, otherwise drink beer or lassi.

The WHICH? Good food guide 2007

Raja's puts its popularity and longevity (it has been going for more than 20 years) down to a policy of openness: you can watch your meal being freshly prepared in the open kitchen, a sure way to inspire confidence. Low prices are another draw (most main courses are £5.95, most starters are under £2). The menu amounts to a list of curry house standards - rogan josh, chicken korma et al - but a handful of more interesting options includes desi chicken (cooked with limes, chillies and coriander) and khas biryani (rice with lamb, chicken, prawns and vegetables).

 Yorkshire Post

by Frederic Manby

They say you cannot judge a book by looking at the cover.

That was true in the days when you either bought an orange and white paperback or a cloth bound hardback, or unless you knew the authors work.Now you know that a gauidly embossed paperback is likely to be tosh, a brazen attempt to lure you between the covers. They also say that when choosing a bride, you should look at her mother because thats what you are going to get 30 years down the line. Appearances can be deceptive, some say. How right they are sometimes.

For example, you are driving into a northern city from Harrogate, and you pass some monster houses with more garages than chimneysand you console yourself with the words "new money" and wonder where your own plan went wrong and then, bam, you are in the streets where stopping the car to ask directions could be dangerous, but there aren't any signs to tell you this. You are back with books and covers again.

You make your own judgment. Leeds's Roundhay Road, borderland, where Raja's is located, is where you shouldn't judge a book by looking at some of the other ones on the shelf. If you want salubrious, then go to street lane. If you want a great, genuine "curry", then walk into Raja's. The exterior has been modernised since i first went, and the welcome is still warm and sincere. The decor is comfortable rather than new Asian flash.

The staff are impeccable and tables are laid with decent glasses and linen. Behind the serving counter there is the open fronted kitchen. Over the years i have been through the card and never had anything that wasn't memorable and very good indeed. This has a lot to do with genuine home cooking style. I do not eat meat but in the interests of research still taste it, and Raja's cooks a stand out bitter sweet dish called Desi Chicken, one of the "specials", which is so good than one wants to stop being a card carrying vegetarian.

Ever since the day 25 years ago when i asked the maitre d' at Bradford's karachi about a recipe and got the dim illumination of spices and things, i have been scared of getting a similar rebuff. So i don't ask. I can confirm that desi chicken has slices of lime, whole green chillies and coriander, plus spices and things. Try it with one of the breads: roti, the stouter couisin of chapati, baked in the tandoori oven are ideal.

What you will notice here is a distinct and identifiable variation between recipes: no sign of those general purpose curried sauces which carry the same consistency through from dopiaza to rogan josh to jalfrezi.

Restaurant-guide.com

Located in an Asian neighbourhood, a short ride from the city centre in Leeds, Raja's Tandoor has been ruling the Indian restaurant scene for the last couple of decades. An unassuming façade, authentic Indian cuisine and sincerely warm service, have earned this restaurant its rightful spot as one of the top 10 Indian restaurants in the UK, according to The Times 2007 and 2008. The ambience is simple, warm and comfortable, unlike the loud Asian interiors that are part of so many new restaurants.

The curries at Raja's are often unequalled in authenticity, and with more than twenty years in the food business, it isn't that surprising. Begin with the prawn or fish pakoras and alu tikkis, followed by the classic tandoori chicken and lamb biriyani. If you'd like to deviate from the regulars, try dahi chicken which is chicken cooked with creamy yoghurt, malai kofta and onion kulchas. There are drinks on the menu as well - go for lassi, an Indian favourite, if you're feeling adventurous. Sumptuous meals, impeccable service and great value, set Raja's Tandoor apart from the pack.