Al Faisals

This place has surely had a few face lifts over the years and each time it gets bigger and better.
I remember when it was just a small room with paper table cloths and steel chairs.
What I loved on this visit was the open kitchen. You can watch the chefs cook everything and serve it up before your eyes. We had a table right at the front (see pictures).
Very friendly staff, food was tasty but just a tad rich and it was presented beautifully
Parking is anywhere on Stoney Lane however there is a small free carpark opposite.
The toilets could of been better!

In Balsall Heath lies Al Faisal which mixes authentic Asian cooking with a contemporary setting (including an open-​plan kitchen).
Starters are tasty, come in neat portions and are served with bottomless raita to quench the fiery mix of spice and chilli.
I’ve written plenty about this type of food in Birmingham for Unilocal,but have yet to mention the Second City’s famous baltis — itself a misnomer as technically balti refers to the vessel in which food is served. During the last 30 years locally, it became the word applied to the food in a dish allowing a scoop-​to-​taste naan action.
Generally, I find baltis a little unadventurous and prefer a fully-​fledged, hardcore curry. But, when in Rome, or Balsall Heath (although not everyone would consider the area part of the Balti Belt), you have to try it. I can confirm the balti here is a taste revelation. The Lamb Dupathia also stood out.
The naan may too take you aback. Thin and crispy, it looked like the fluffy naan, with which I’m more familiar, on a diet. I am now sold on this variation.
Personally, I think the ‘Belt’ of inner-​city Brum is overrated and largely driven by a media, beyond the city borders, looking to trot out the easy angle. I was happy enough here, but I think Boldmere remain’s Brum’s best (and under appreciated) strip.

I was so glad to have been recommended this place by a close friend of mine. Me and 2 of my friends who are jetting off to India decided to catch up over their last British take on Indian food.
It doesn’t get much better than this place for a curry. Before even sitting down we had been given poppadoms and a selection of dips and they were quick to top us up when we were getting low. What great service!
We shared 3 vegetarian starters and of them the tikka paneer really stood out as delicious! For main I ordered a lamb saag. It was spicier than others I’ve tried but it was perfectly tender and luxurious. Naan bread is usually a side line you dip into your curry and don’t pay much attention to. Well the naan bread here demands attention. I don’t know what they do but they’re doing something right!
The mango kulfi I justified to myself as a palate cleanser (even though half of my main had to go in a doggy bag) was also beautiful and not too sweet. Price is reasonable especially considering you can bring your own (cheap) wine. Go– you will not be disappointed!

This is one of my favourite Kashmiri Restaurant on the famous balti triangle in Birmingham.
I have been here very regularly with family and friends. The food is a mixture traditionally home-​cooked kashmiri cuisine with a classic Indian twist.
The staff have always been friendly, helpful and very attentive. ITs fairly pricey but for the quality of food that arrives at your table it is worth every penny. Also note that all main dishes are quite large portions so one curry between two people is more than ample.
I can recommend the Samosa chat as a starter which is addictive combination of spicy meat/​veg filled crispy pastry under a mountain of light yougurt. For main course i have always swayed between aloo saag and the unique tak tak (shredded chicken in light tomato sauce) chicken. Both can be enjoyed with rice or naan.
Please do check this place out if you happen to be around Birmingham.

Excellent food, cooked in front of you, free poppadoms & loads of different dips. Would highly recommend the Chicken Boti (tikka) it’s to die for.
Cons It’s so good that it gets really busy at weekends so recommend Monday to Wednesday nite I you don’t wanna wait :)
Tomo

To be honest i had really high expectations for this place, since i heard a few people talking about it but also seeing it advertised on tv in one of the asian channels.
I went in lunch time with my partner. First impressions are that its very nicely decorated outside and in, with a very high standard in the toilet as its always good to check.
Anyways, the service was not great to be honest, the waiter who was at our service was not brilliant maybe he was inexpreienced as he looked nervous, and did not know an awful lot about the menu. Now the poor lad did not know that much, but why hasnt the management trained him before putting him on the job?
The good thing about the place is the open kitchen which has its advantages but also disadvantages. As you can see how they cook your food.
Now our starters where cooked fresh we had a lamb and chicken boti which was cooked nice however main course was nothing more than diabolical.
If Pre-​cooked dishes which are reheated in a pan then garnished with a bit of the old corrieander then served to you is that acceptable?
Even further, when i asked the waiter if they had any lamb achari he said they ran out of the dish, its important to point out he did not say ingredients, how can you run out of a dish???
When i asked further questions to the waiter thats when HE… thats right HE told me they cook a batch every so often, so how old can a dish be?
So the lamb bhuna which was ordered not to my suprise tasted old, i mean atleast 2 days.
Now some people may be saying alot of places in the ladypool area serve curries which are pre made, as its easily viewable in the front counter but i dont go to those places as you get a bad stomach…
but would you pay £8.30 for a pre cooked lamb bhuna??? Where is the skill to appreciate of the chef… the whole beauty of a curry is the fresh spices and seeing the chef use his skill. Infact even though its a open plan kitchen you can hardly smell any fresh spice infusing to the restaurant.
The other disgusting thing was they charged 10% service charge which is small printed on menu, i dont mind paying service charge if the service is good but here the waiters were more interested in watching highlights of the champions league football…
Our bill came to £45 poundsesssh and that is very expensive. Im really displeased with the place and im only giving 1 star due to the décor nothing more.
I do not recommend this place at all. As i could name a list of good proper curry houses.

An absolute terrible experience! Would never revisit!
Baby chair provided was filthy!
Service was slowhad to wait 25mintues before order was taken, even though the restaurant was not particularly busy.
Food was over priced.
Soft drinks only available in glass no cans. When my drink finally arrived with the main course, after reminding the waiter. It only happened to be flat!
Ordered mixed grill meat was under cooked. It was like trying to chew on an old tyre
Ordered ‘Desi chicken curry on the bone’ received three leg pieces in curry sauce! May be the menu should read ‘Desi chicken leg curry’ instead??- Far from tasting desi!
Overall a terrible and expensive experience not worth it at all. My advice: don’t be fooled by the fancy look of the restaurant from the outside as the food is no match to the image!
PS: The raw fruit displayed on the front counter looks very unappealing (as it appeared to be going off!)
Date: 04.01.10

The best curry in Brum. I hesitate before saying that it’s the best curry in the UK, as I would like to feed my face some more before making such a blanket statement, but it’s certainly knocked the London competition out of the water as far as I can see.
Goodness though, where do I start with the curry. Firstly, here is not where you come if you like your eyebrows singed and little pain the next day. No, the curries here are made with roasted spices, cooked for absolutely ages until the chefs can be sure there’ll be an absolute taste riot in your mouth. Each dish is totally different too. Some of the standouts are the lamb on the bone, the keema, the daal of the day, masala fish (sizzling and huge portion, equal to a whole fish!).
The service here can be a bit hit and miss, although when it’s spot on, it really is awesome to watch. There are usually about ten waiters on at any one time (it’s a big place), running laps around the restaurant with huge trays filled with goodies. It can sometimes be hard to catch their eye for a corkscrew, or to order, and you can wait a while for food. However I might add here that this hasn’t happened the last twice I’ve been. They must be sharpening their game.
The atmosphere is raucous (huge groups of people make the pilgramage most nights) and loud (but not in a binge drinking hen night sense, moreso the enjoyable family way). It’s BYO — you’ll be given some queer glasses to drink from that’ll make you think you’re drunk before you start. The décor is modern curry house chic. Glass tables and pleather chairs all over the place. There’s a curious waiting area with zebra print sofas and a huge telly always showing sky sports. Who knows why. Who cares, eat your dinner!

Royal Alfaisal’s offers an ‘all you can eat buffet, for £5.95. They are not licensed but you can bring your own booze. Last time I went they had about ten curries on offer in heated, metal, containers, with domed, sliding hoods. The tarka daal was quite good and I also plumped for lamb, and spinach and lamb. There was plain or pilau rice on offer and the Naan bread was made to order. There were lots of couples, and groups of friends, for which the long benches were perfect. I think a vegetarian would also come away satisfied here. Don’t expect anything of the sweets, then you wont be disappointed.

Nice modern and atmospheric indian restaurant. Delicious food and not too pricey. An excellent menu.
This is a frequent eat out for myself and my friends and we’ve always left happy and full. The staff are friendly too which always helps.
Also, the toilets are clean and attractively decorated.

This place makes some scrumptious Indian food! It is a little on the pricey side but nice for a treat or if you’re going with a group of friends. The atmosphere is nice and the place is done up very well with a sophisticated air about it. There is a large upstairs seating area which can cater for large parties. Complimentary chocolates are given at the end of the meal, which are always a winner! Location wise, it is fairly easy to find in the infamous balti triangle! You can also see your food being made while you wait, which is always a bonus.

What a great curry house, situated in the famous balti triangle of Birmingham, Al Faisal has recently been refurbed and looks great. Its bring your own alcohol as well which is always good for saving a few pounds. The food and service are fantastic and there’s something for everyone on the menu, great range of dishes. Good if a few of you go, nice atmosphere. Big big thumbs up.

Food tastes very authentic, modern surroundings, relaxed atmosphere and you can see the chefs cooking the food in the back which is always a bonus for me. On the downside the tables are a little small so prepare to be intimate with your neighbours. A good student hang out, can get quite noisy and riotous at times. Value for money student priced grub great for going to and reminiscing about your mis-​spent youth whilst being surrounded by them!
I heartily recommend the Madras followed by copious pints of water.
Food approx £12 per head without alcohol.