Worthy rival to curries I’ve noshed up north (From Echo)

Worthy rival to curries I’ve noshed up north

9:10pm Wednesday 17th June 2009 in

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HAVING spent six years trawling Manchester's curry mile, I find it difficult to find an Indian restaurant which lives up to expectations.

To my surprise, I found the Bay of Bengal as good as the curry houses in the heart of Rusholme, which I’ve spent way too many hours in.

I found it to be a cosy little restaurant with decorated glass dividers to separate the diners from one another’s conversations.

We started with a chicken pakora which was light and crispy, a tender chicken tikka, and a lightly-spiced chana on puri.

For main course I went for a chicken saag. The meat was juicy and the spinach was bursting with flavour.

We also tried a king prawn dansak, which had a smoky taste and a real spicy kick to it.

The chicken tikka dupiaza came with a smooth sauce which was not at all greasy and packed full of onions and peppers. The garlic naan was light and fluffy. The bombay potato was pleasant, although not mind-blowing.

The restaurant also offers some pretty good deals with a £7.95 all-you- can eat buffet on a Sunday, which includes a pint of lager or a glass of house wine.

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays there is a two-for-one deal on starters and mains, while on Friday and Saturday you can mix and match for £10.95. This includes a starter, main course, side dish and rice or naan bread. The restaurant was taken over in 1997 by Dipu Miah and his family, and since then has had an extension which means there is seating for up to 50 people.

The portion sizes are quite substantial and there is a large selection of dishes including balti and korai. These can also be ordered as a takeaway.

We found it was a place for a pleasant, relaxing meal which could rival some of the best Rusholme has to offer.

What we ate

Popadoms £3.60 Chicken tikka £2.75 Chicken pakora £2.95 Chana on puri £2.65 Mains Chicken tikka dupiaza £6.95 Chicken saag £4.95 King prawn dansak £7.95 Bombay aloo £2.45 Mushroom rice £2.75 Pilau rice £2.25 Garlic naan £1.95

Our verdict. Out of Five

Atmosphere 3; Food4; Decor 3; Value 5; Service 4; Disabled access, No.