YOU NEED some warmth on a cold January evening, so with that in mind, me and my family headed to Droitwich’s award-winning Vasaanti restaurant.
Having read some very wonderful reviews on several sites, including TripAdvisor and Google, this Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant was one we had been wanting to try for a long time.
There is always a dilemma when you are a family of four of where to go to eat out as you want a venue that suits all tastes in the group so everyone has an enjoyable night.
On entering, the staff could not have been more friendlier and welcoming, including Aki the owner and Baz who served us for the evening.
The floral decor also provided a beautiful ambience for our evening ahead.
Poppadoms and starters
We each had a poppadom, along with a selection of dips – mint, mango, chilli, lime chutney and onion salad. My eldest daughter said it was the sweetest and best mango chutney she had ever tasted and I loved the lime pickle. It was nice to have a variety of flavours to add to the crispy poppadoms.
For the starters, I had the Chicken Tikka Pakora which came with salad – the chicken was nicely marinated and the batter added a beautifully contrasting layer of crispiness (pictured above and below).
My wife likes Indian food but not too spicy. She had the Miah Masala Chaat – chicken tikka cubes, cooked in a special mild creamy masala sauce, served on a paratha (soft bread). She said it was one of the best starters she had ever had in any restaurant.
My eldest daughter is a vegetarian and opted for the Garlic Mushroom Chaat – lightly spiced mushrooms cooked in garlic and a chat masala sauce, served on a fluffy bread. She loved the way it was presented and said she really enjoyed the different textures offered through the combination of the mushrooms and the bread.
My youngest – who can be a fussy eater – had the chicken tikka and finished every bite. This is not something we see often.
Our mains
I usually go for a jalfrezi but wanted to try one of the signature dishes unique to The Vasaanti. On Baz’s recommendation, I went for the Zahra Laziz – named after Aki’s daughter – and consisting of a cooked chicken breast, stripped with minced meat and onions and peppers (including green chillis), in a garlic infused sauce. This was nothing like I had ever tried before – with a jalfrezi, you usually just get the chicken as the meat offering but incorporating the mince beef into the tomato-based sauce was a master-stroke. This is a hot dish, so if you like your food spicy, I would definitely recommend it. I love a garlic and coriander naan and the Vasaanti’s was among the best I had tasted.
My wife went for the Vasaanti Deluxe – exclusive of course to this restaurant – and combining chicken tikka, sheek kebab and tandori chicken on the bone – all in a bhuna sauce. She also liked the idea of the main courses not being confined to having one meat in the dish and enjoyed the option of having this variety all in the same sauce. She said all of the meats were beautifully marinated and she loved the fluffiness of the garlic naan she had to accompany it.
My eldest had the mixed vegetable korma and loved the creaminess of the dish and the sweetness of the coconut. She is a bit of a foodie and went for a spiced potato naan as she had never seen or had one before – she thoroughly enjoyed it and the different textures the layers provided.
My youngest (the fussy one) had a chicken tikka balti with a cheese naan. She ate all of the chicken and absolutely loved the naan, so that is a thumbs up there.
At this point, I must mention the range of naan breads available at the Vasaanti – we had four different ones between us but there are 15 to choose from – these range from plain, peshwari, garlic and keema to some new offerings – garlic chilli cheese naan, chilli naan and chicken tikka cheese naan. On top of that, there are parathas (another soft indian bread), roti, chappati, chips, curried chips and 18 different types of rice (including six new varieties) – an impressive list, I’m sure you will agree.
For those who just do not like spicy food, there is also a selection of English dishes, including different omelettes, fish fingers and chicken nuggets (all served with chips). This could come in handy if you have younger children or unadventurous diners in your party.
And dessert
Like the starters, mains and sundries, the dessert menu also has an array of options to choose from but, because of the generous portions offered at The Vasaanti, we were all full by this point.
We will definitely be heading back to this amazing restaurant soon and when we do, we will make sure we leave some room for dessert so we can try them next time.
When we entered, The Vasaanti was quiet as it had not long opened but it soon filled up with diners while others collected takeaways and orders were sent out to be delivered – and I can see why.
Our night at The Vasaanti was amazing and I would say, if you have not yet been, get yourself down there for a meal with family or friends and sample some of the best Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine around.
Visit: vasaanti.co.uk for more information and to book.
