Andy’s Balti Blog

SHEREEN KADAH (543 Moseley Road, Balsall Heath)

01-07-2009

No frills but plenty of thrills reports Andy Munro in the latest instalment of his tongue tingling adventures.

The Shereen Kadah has been around in the Balti Triangle for sometime and has outlasted its long term rival opposite, Nirala, which has now metamorphosised sadly into ‘Dixie Chix’ which you can be sure is unlikely to be the purveyor of organic and free range produce.

The restaurant has been fully refurbished baltihouse style ie.it’s had its walls repainted and thankfully retained its glass topped tables. Musak is Pakistani instead of bland or rap and that helps give it some atmosphere.

Service was friendly and efficient and we were soon bought disappointingly flat and dry poppadoms and watery dips. However things were about to radically improve from thereon.

Shereen Kadah has always been known for its charcoaled grilled starters so to order anything else would have been culinary treason. Consequently the wife had Chicken Tikka which she described as distinctively flavoured and tender without being searingly hot. My bargain priced Sheekh Kebab was similarly enjoyable and managed that balance of having a strong charcoaled taste without being overdone.

Main courses were Balti Chicken Korma and Mushroom and chosen on the basis that the restaurant had a reputation for being a bit hot on the balti front…it was pronounced as thoroughly enjoyable being thick and creamy.

My Balti Chicken Masala was quite superb…rich well spiced and tomatoey with the latter almost sundried in its delightful richness. Both dishes were served up in silver bowls rather than authentic ‘balti-style’ but I think that this can be forgiven on the basis of their quality. Incidentally the accompaniment was a wonderfully fluffy Mushroom Naan.

No After Eights, no frills but plenty of thrills (on the culinary front).

Tel: 0121-440-4641