Restaurants / Reviews
The Raj, King Street: ‘I wonder if I’ve ever eaten a vegetable this good’
The Raj isn’t just a restaurant; it’s a legacy.
It’s the last remaining in what was once a portfolio of Indian restaurants owned by Feroze Ahmed, a man who invested in good food and knew how hospitality should be, raising the bar for all Indian restaurants in Bristol and further afield.
Although Feroze passed in 2000, the King Street restaurant was passed down to his son who ensured that his legacy lives on.
is needed now More than ever
You cannot have a good dining experience without good hospitality and this is a quality that is immediately noticeable about the Raj.
We had to restrain ourselves from ordering more as everything sounded so delightful.
The patient waiters give us plenty of time to think, offering a recommendation to my friend as she decides what meat she wants with her lucknow pasanda – the hostess recommends chicken to compliment the mild thick sauce, cooked generously with cream, almonds and coconut (£10.75).
I opt for a vegetable sunamgonj saag (£9.95).
My sunamgonj saag (£9.95) hits the taste buds beautifully. A mixture of potatoes, peas and carrots melt sumptuously in my mouth. I wonder if I’ve ever eaten a vegetable this good.
The Raj Restaurant was originally established by Feroze Ahmed in 1981.
The onions are soft with just enough crunch that all the vegetables still have a distinctive texture to them, with a sprinkling of caraway seeds that gives a warm and earthy note.
The frugal addition of coriander tells me that the Raj has experience serving some of those poor, genetically cursed, people who can only taste soap but I say splash the herbs.
My friend is less of a fan of her dish.
While her chicken was tender and well cooked, she finds the cardamom overwhelmed the already soft and gently flavoured dish.
But the price made up for it and she was smitten on the pickle dips and continued to happily fill up on them with the fluffy and light naan at this restaurant that has stood the test of time.
During the 80s King Street was pedestrianised.
The Raj, 35 King Street, BS1 4DZ
www.raj-bristol.co.uk
All photos: Hannah Massoudi
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