It’s a bit of a doo-dah when you get invited to somewhere on your turf and actually don’t know where it is! The Man and I were invited to Rikshawaz Asian Bar and Grill in Clay Cross, a town that I know very well (and still have relatives living there), but I think it speaks volumes about how rapidly expansion has transformed its layout when a venue’s location isn’t instantly envisionable. Eventually, it did dawn on me that this restaurant is located near Tesco car park’s mini roundabout, with a small number of other commercial units. One plus, is that there is plenty of parking to be had.
Before you even enter Rikshawaz, you can’t help but admire the outdoor seating area in one of the venue’s signature colours, Merlot. Dogs are permitted here, but not inside; children are welcome both inside and out, with highchairs available for smaller ones. Privacy for both alfresco and inside diners comes in the guise of a swish, frosted glass, logo’d half window height panel.
All I can say about the interior’s first impression is “Wow! T’ Cross has had a proper ‘glow up’ job done!”. Dead swish and swanky, this is the sort of place that you’d come on date-night, as well as just for a meal with friends or family, and is a great addition to the dining scene in the town. Beautiful wood floors are echoed by the lacquered wood tables, though it’s the seating and ceiling that really grab the attention. Each [glam] long wall has a continuous banquette seat: one is a rich Emerald green, the other that aforementioned Merlot/Burgundy shade. The accompanying free-standing tub-chairs are in the same hues, with their backs being in velvet fabric in chunky arm-knitted style: very tactile and comfy. One wall has glossy, Emerald green tiles on it, the other side (and along the front wall) is painted in that sultry berry tone. Brushed gold accents lift the look and bring a refined edge to Rikshawaz, along with a large mirror.
The ceiling makes you believe that you’re dining in the deepest, lushly tropical jungles of India. If I tapped into my childhood, I could imagine that this would be what The Jungle Book looked like! Cascading faux foliage of many types created a sensorial treat with the multitude of colours and textures, and gentle lighting came via the raffia light pendants and their warm-toned bulbs. As I say, very striking.
Our server let us settle in and then took our drinks order: New Zealand Sauv Blanc from Petal and Stem for me, pint of Cobra for The Man. We also ordered the Poppadom and Pickle Tray (£5.95) to graze on whilst we studied the extensive menu. The Poppadoms were lovely and crisp; not oily in the slightest, just gorgeously crunchy and light. There was a tangy Tamarind Chutney on the Pickle Tray, which grabbed the attention of us both; I paired it with the fiery Lime Pickle to good effect, His Nibs added some texture by combining it with the Onion Salad. Fruity, sweet Mango Chutney brought a mellower angle to the pickle selection.
Tapas and Small Plates give you the option to mix-and-match your dining options; one person could happily have a sizeable meal from this section of the menu whilst their dining partner went the ‘normal’ route; friend groups could have a ‘drink and graze’ approach or, as we did, you could have a dish as your starter. I really liked the sound of the Murgh Mali Chicken (£9.95): Chicken Breast marinated in Cardamom, and His Nibs opted for Garlic and Chilli Squid (£8.95).
You all know that I love an open kitchen; I just like to see, smell and hear the pulse of a busy team. At Rikshawaz, you certainly get to experience the heat and energy of the Chefs, becoming fully immersed in the buzz. Before long, we could see our starters on the pass and one of the team quickly brought them over to us.
Presented on a banana leaf decorated, rectangular, white platter both dishes looked superb, their bright colours popping nicely. A whole Chicken breast had been cut into four smaller pieces, and each one was tantalising in its tenderness and juiciness. There was the gentle waft of Cardamom at the periphery which, if you know how intense this spice is, is no mean skill from the Chef! Complex and richly aromatic, Cardamom has notes of Pepper, Citrus and Mint that it combines with sweet and herbal tones; like I said, this needs skill to get the quantity of it just right in a dish so that it doesn’t dominate. A simple pot of Minted Yoghurt came with the chicken, so needless to say, some dunking got done!
It's safe to say that Rikshawaz doesn’t skimp on its portion size: The Man was delighted to see so many batter-covered rings of seafood on his platter. Beautifully light in texture, the batter allowed the Squid to take the spotlight, meaning His Nibs’ palate could really savour the mild, sweet, gentle taste of the cooked-to-tender-perfection Calamari. Pungent Garlic and fiery Chilli bounced brilliantly against the clean taste canvas the Squid had provided, making this an incredibly tasty starter.
For mains, we chose the Rikshawaz Special Lamb Biryani cooked dum-style (£15.95, my choice), and the Old Delhi-style Keema Bhuna (£12.95, The Man’s order), and a really nice touch was that we were asked what spice level we’d like. Both of us went for medium spice, playing safe in the middle ground. My Biryani comes with rice as part of it, so The Man ordered some Saffron Rice (£3.95) to accompany his meal, and we ordered a Kerala Paratha (£3.45) to share. In case you’re wondering, the difference between a Kerala Paratha and ‘regular’ [northern India] Paratha is that the [southern] Kerala version uses a finer flour, producing a lighter bread.
Biryani is where meat and/or vegetables are layered with rice and cooked together, and Dum-style is a technique where the elements are slow-cooked over a very low heat in a sealed, heavy-bottomed pan. The resulting trapped steam and moisture ensures that the rice, meat and vegetables absorb all the juices, herbs and spices meaning that we (the hungry diners) get to enjoy a ridiculously tasty meal. I was so looking forward to trying this, as it’s been literally years since I last had a Biryani!
As I opened the lidded pot steam billowed forth, carrying a plethora of aromas on its tendrils and my mouth began to water in anticipation. Whenever we visit a new venue, we always order the Lamb; it’s an odd habit of ours in that we say that if a kitchen can’t cook tender Lamb, then they have no business being open! I am very happy to say that each and every chunk of my Lamb was sublimely soft and rich in flavour. There were intensely flavoursome crispy Onions among the fluffy rice grains, as well as whole spices. This was a seriously good dish, and one I’d happily have again.
Across the table, The Man was enthusiastically chowing down on his Old Delhi-style Keema Bhuna, saying how delicious it was (did anyone else just skip back to Smithy in that iconic ’Gavin and Stacey’ episode then?!). The central character was the minced Lamb (Keema), but it was the texture of this curry that stole the show; beyond velvety, this rich Tomato and Onion-based dish melted in the mouth, flooding the palate with its multiple layers of spice. Paired with the generous portion of fluffy, Clove- and Saffron-infused Rice, His Nibs was in gastro paradise. Both of us fell in love with the superbly flaky Kerala Paratha; this was literally the bread equivalent of Filo pastry! Indulgently buttery and soft, my only complaint was that it simply wasn’t big enough.
You’d think that we wouldn’t be in the market for dessert, wouldn’t you, given all the food we’d already eaten? Well, in truth, we weren’t; however, we’d spied the scrummy-sounding Honeycomb (£5.95) and Rose and Pistachio (£6.95), both Ice Cream-based morsels.
My Rose and Pistachio choice comprised layers of Rose- and Pistachio- Ice Creams garnished with Rose Petals and swirls of ground Pistachio and Almond. This was so delicate in the mouth, and I loved the balance of the creamy Pistachio and floral Rose elements. Imagine classic Rose Turkish Delight in cold, creamy form and you’re not far off the mark; this was utterly marvellous. Honestly, this was a genius pairing in terms of taste, and layered together, the pastel Ice Creams looked wonderful, too. This was a subtle way to finish off my meal, and one that was thoroughly enjoyable.
Equally good was His Nibs’ Honeycomb dessert. In the mouth, the honey was gently sweet and fragrant and, combined with the creaminess of its dairy partner, made for a totally superb conclusion to The Man’s meal. Crunchy pieces of Honeycomb added texture and a blast of sticky sweetness; a touch that was greatly appreciated by my sweet-toothed man.
I couldn’t resist having Masala Chai as a very, very last part of my meal and, never to be left out, The Man had a black coffee. It always amazes me how different Masala Chai can be in restaurants; here at Rikshawaz, it was like a regular cup of tea but with the distinct tang of aromatic spices such as Clove within it. In other venues, it has been much sweeter and richer, made with condensed milk or cream, and with other combinations of spices. I find the variety fascinating, I really do.
Throughout our time at Rikshawaz Asian Bar and Grill, the service had been very attentive and professional; the team checked to make sure we were happy with the spice levels of our curries and asked if we needed more drinks. I was a smidge disappointed that water wasn’t offered, as I think that this is a nice service touch, but it may be one that’s added in the future? Hot Wings happily given to this fantastic Clay Cross restaurant.
To book a table call 01246 586275. or visit www.rikshawaz.co.uk and hit the ‘book a table’ tab that’s centre screen. Rikshawaz Asian Bar and Grill is open Sun-Thurs Noon-10pm, and Fri-Sat Noon-11pm.
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