Raj on Taj, Hyde Park by Big Fil

The word from Hungry Pete was that Raj on Taj was as good as it gets for Indian food in Adelaide so my hopes were high for our visit. Unfortunately though we were all left a little underwhelmed, as the food didn't live up to expectations.



I should say straight up that I eat a lot of Indian food at my favourite places in Melbourne but that I haven't been impressed by the food sold at any of the Indian restaurants I've tried in Adelaide. Too many burnt naans, rewarmed curries and dry chicken tandooris. With its side street entrance we initially drove past Raj on Taj but on entering it certainly looked different to anywhere else I'd seen in Adelaide. Beautiful stone walls, simple but tasteful settings, a bit of greenery in the courtyard, it had much more the feel of a winery restaurant that your typical Indian takeaway.



The most important thing though is always the food. For starters it was our usual samosa, crispy parcels containing lightly spiced vegetables served with a mint sauce and a small salad. Not a bad entrée with good flavours but the interior of the pastry was still a little 'doughy'.



Also good was the goat marsala. I tend to think goat is just about the perfect meat for a curry and don't understand why more people don't order it. Tender meat and with the sauce adding a spicy punch to the dish, this was the one main we ordered which had a depth to the flavours.



Lamb rogan josh is typically a safe choice at most Indian restaurants and that's probably how I'd describe the version we were served, safe. I thought that the flavours were a bit uninteresting and it was a little light on for pieces of lamb.



While the first three dishes were all perfectly acceptable the other two I would not order again. The aloo ghobi (potato and cauliflower) was firm with good texture but much too sweet. The tandoori fish, probably the dish I was most looking forward to, was soft more than tender, (possibly slightly undercooked?) and a bit salty.





To accompany our meal we ordered the saffron rice and some butter naan. I did think this was the best naan I've had in Adelaide, but not enough to compensate for the two ordinary mains.





Overall
Very good setting, staff that came across as a bit unsure when serving but still obviously trying, quite reasonable prices, unfortunately the only thing which let the side down a bit was the food. I know that it's very highly regarded but it didn't quite do it for me and still yet to find an Indian restaurant in Adelaide that I've really liked.

Verdict
Food - 6.5
Ambience - 8
Service - 7
Price - 7

Address
109 King William Road
Hyde Park SA 5061
Tel: (08) 8172 1177