Review: The Balti House, Rishton

2:21pm Thursday 8th May 2008

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RISHTON is harbouring a hidden gem - a new Indian restaurant that knocks the taste buds off many in East Lancashire.

And once word gets out, The Balti House won't be a secret any more.

Following on from the long-standing success of its takeaway, which offers a large selection of pizzas, kebabs and curries, the business has expanded to include a dining-in experience next door in High Street.

And an experience is exactly what you get - with its modern interior, excellent food and value for money.

The design is unlike any other Indian restaurant. It's all chrome and changing, coloured mood lighting, while pictures of the sea and woodland grace the walls. The most important aspect, however, is its food and here The Balti House scores well, with a good mix of old favourites and some new tastes.

Our party of four couldn't resist starters after a round of poppadums - and at just £2.95, who would? Three of us opted for onion bhajis and the fourth for mixed kebabs.

The bhajis were light and fluffy and packed with just the right amount of onions, while the kebabs were again both well flavoured and cooked to score high.

We all chose differently for main course, the spice connoisseur with us opting for chicken madras, accompanied by mushroom pilau, which was pronounced "excellent."

I chose chicken tikka with plain rice and vegetable curry. The chicken melted in the mouth and had a beautiful flavour, while the curry sauce was not too overloaded with boring vegetable pieces.

A third option from the menu was chicken tikka dupiaza, which included lots of moist chicken and plenty of onion to taste.

The Balti House does not serve alcohol but customers can take their own. We enjoyed a Merlot and several bottled lagers.

Service is courteous, attentive and at a pace to suit customers - if you want to chat between courses, waiters will not rush to bring on the next one.

Dining at The Balti House was a very enjoyable way to spend an evening with friends and, at £47 for the four of us, it was certainly excellent value.

The verdict

How long it will be before more cotton to Rishton's little secret?