PROMOTION
THERE'S a city centre restaurant which has the town as its front room.
Out from the terrace the view takes in a sweet curve of the Bridgewater Canal packed with jolly narrowboats, strolling residents and visitors, sandstone outcrops, Beetham Tower and the city centre's most graceful weeping willow.
Try the superb fish dish, the spicy Salmon Jalbiran, which comes with chopped onions, peppers, chillies, garlic, olives and coriander, partly stir-fried and fully flavoured.
The terrace of The Saffron Room is a wonderful place to pass the time with wine, beer, tea, coffee or maybe a glorious 'exotic garlic masala'. The latter comes with colour and richness. The dish delivered a powerful combination of spices and herbs laid over generous fillets of chicken giving the mouth a happy tingle.
The garlic wasn't as overbearing as the name of the dish implied, but while having a presence, joined in with the flavour festivities. The cardomom pods livened things as well. Meanwhile the basmati rice was timed to perfection, a dish of that on its own would almost have sufficed.
Many people may remember The Saffron Room as the home of Choice Restaurant for many years. The new Indian restaurant has taken the handsome bones of the Grade II listed canal warehouse and warmed it up playing to the orginal building's brick strengths. There's both handsome booth seating plus a good bar for pre-meal and post-meal drinks.
The food reflects the warm mood of the building. Try the superb fish dish, the spicy Salmon Jalbiran (main picture above), which comes with chopped onions, peppers, chillies, garlic, olives and coriander, partly stir-fried and fully flavoured. Get your hands on a balti jalfrezi for a fight with heat.
The haandis are prepared in a typical earthen-ware pot thus sealing in all the flavours as the dish cooks, locking into meat or fish the essence of the herbs and spices. Confidential sampled the lamb version and adored the way it broke under the knife into gloriously tender and aromatic strips.
Next time we might tuck into a couple of other likely looking candidates such as Benghali Blussi fish, a menu option which promises 'monkfish cooked in fresh mango with green chillies, herbs and coriander to give a sweet and hot taste'.
Indian food now brackets Castlefield, Akbars to the north and The Saffron Room to the south. This works for Castlefield, adding variety to decent food at The Wharf, Albert's Shed, The Ox and so on. With a meal setting guests back around £20 for three courses - although there are plenty of deals on offer - readers might want to seek out The Saffron Room for an alternative that delivers the complete package, strong flavours, polite service and a very pleasant atmosphere.
Oh and one of the very best terraces in the city.
The Saffron Room, Castle Quay, Castlefield, City, M15 4NT. 0161 834 7578
