Raja Monkey, Hall Green - 15/10/14

I was lucky enough to get invited to eat at The Raja Monkey in Hall Green, the latest venture behind Lasan and Fiesta Del Asado. Raja Monkey attempts to offer something new to Birmingham, an Indian Street Food Cafe. But, does it work? 

Well, I was given the opportunity to find out thanks to the Ed James Group and I couldn't wait to try it!

The atmosphere - although many other restaurants off this type of food, Raja Monkey is a whole new concept, complete with an open plan kitchen, rustic wooden interiors and authentic music.                                                

We took our seat in the booths near the front of the restaurant over looking the open plan kitchen. I noticed the warm interior, colourful but not too bright interior and many wooden paintings and statues. 

The service was fantastic from start to finish, we were shown our table quickly and ordered drinks straight away. I had a glass of Rose £3.89 and Tom had a traditional Cobra beer. 

Next, we turned our attention to the menu - they even had a special board, an unusual feature at Indian restaurants. The menu was delightfully simple, a few light bites, starters, curries and Thali. The menu was certainly well chosen and thought about. 

We decided to kick things off with some Papadoms served with the traditional Indian crunchy onion salad, mango chutney and yoghurt dip.
£1.49

 






They were very good, and the traditional Indian sauces and dips were served in stunning silver dishes. Great start!

Starters - 

I went for the Masala Aloo Dosa £3.29 - a fluffy pancake called a 'Dosa' in Indian cuisine made from rice batter and black lentils. This particular Dosa was filled with crushed potatoes, fragranced with turmeric, mustard seeds and curry leaves.  

I was very skeptical about the Dosa, as I had never tried one before but this was delicious. The pancake was so light and crispy, with the filling being spicy but also flavoursome. The dish was served with two different sauces - helping to cool your mouth down from the spiciness. I adored this starter.

 My partner, Tom had Samosa £3.50 but this wasn't like any typical Samosa, it was from the special board. It was a deconstructed Samosa - all the components together minus the pastry case. Very unusual but delicious - so many different textures, flavours and colours. 

Mains -

 For the mains I opted for a Thali whilst Tom went for a Classic Curry. Thali meals are like Indian Bento boxes made up of different dishes. Raja Monkey seems to specalise in these, offering 6 different types. 

I opted for the Moghuls Korma Thali £11.49. Beautifully presented and so colourful! The was made up of a mild chicken korma with a hard boiled egg, an aubergine curry in a cardamom and braised onion sauce, a creamy lentil dhal, rice topped with onions, a chopped tomato and onion salad and a coriander chapatti. The quality of meat was evident as the chicken was served as the whole breast and wing. Each component was delicious - the Korma was very tasty and mild, with very authentic flavours. The aurbergine curry was quite spicy and the lentil dhal was a yummy dipping sauce for the chapatti. Stunning dish full of flavour and character. I had never tried a Thali meal before but I will be going back to the Raja Monkey to try their others!

Tom went for a more traditional curry Murgh Makhani £7.99 - Chicken tikka marinated in hung yoghurt, simmered in light tangy tomato and cashew nut makhani sauce. A speciality of Punjab. He ordered rice and a plain nan to compliment it. 

This dish was very similar to chicken tikka masala but, Tom noted how it tasted much more authentic than the usual masala you get at Indian restaurants. He said it was a fantastic dish and full of flavour. 

A number of the dishes at the Raja Monkey are quite spicy so be prepared, however, the waiters are so friendly and helpful and will guide you to find a dish perfectly suited to your needs. 

Tempted as we were, we both couldn't manage any desserts but I can safely say I intend to make the Raja Monkey a regular visit. 

Pricing -

Drinks are very cheap, a small menu but enough soft drinks and juices to satisfy. Cobra beer at a very reasonable £2.49 and another refreshing Indian beer, Lasan at £1.99.

Starters up to £5 each

Mains £6-£10

Thali £10-£14

Overall, a laid back, relaxed, friendly atmosphere. It's clear how passionate both the chefs are the staff are about their food and they take pride in the preparation, presentation and taste of every single dish. The open plan kitchen adds an element of excitement to the meal and keeps the place looking busy and feeling inviting. Raja Monkey is a fantastic spot to eat any day or night of the week.