It’s a bit quiet round where I live so a new takeaway opening in Craven Arms was pretty much front page news!And, as I do like to be lazy now and then and let someone else do the cooking, I had to investigate Tikka which specialises in Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine.

I wasn’t disappointed on my first visit and I have been back a couple of times since. And it is proving popular with several friends although there have been one or two teething problems.

To start we had a chicken tikka (£2.75) and a sheek kebab (£2.75).

The chicken had been nicely marinated in herbs and spices before being cooked in the tandoor and was moist, succulent and not overcooked.

The minced lamb in the kebab was also moist with a good balance of onions, herbs and spices. Both came with a side salad and tangy sauce.

Next came a “chef’s special” in the form of chicken tikka massala (£6.85) and a chicken saagwala (£5.55).

My dining companion is a bit of a connoisseur of Indian food and sets high standards indeed, especially for his favourite dish – the chicken tikka massala. He was most enthusiastic and graciously said it was almost as good as his own recipe!

The chicken had been prepared in much the same way as my starter with the addition of a rich,delicious and obviously homemade massala sauce.

I particularly enjoy using spinach in curries and my saagwala had plenty of the green stuff. The sauce was not too heavy and lifted by just a hint of garlic among the spices.

We were greedy and also had a couple of side dishes and some nan bread.

The chana massala (£2.85), lightly spiced chick peas, was delicious and would be an excellent choice as a main course for vegetarians. Good consistency and in fact the side portion was most generous.

However, the tarka dall (£2.75), spiced lentils cooked with garlics, was a big disappointment. The dish was far too runny and tasted of nothing – a mouthful each and the rest went into the bin.

We had a plain nan (£1.75) and a keemai nan (£1.95). Both were huge and well-cooked while the latter was stuffed with spicy mince meat. Just one nan would have been enough between two if we could have agreed on the type!

A portion of plain pilau rice (£1.95) was fluffy and finished off our meal.

It was rather a large feast and I finished the left-over curries off the following day. If anything they were better having had time to develop flavour.

Service is polite but don’t expect a quick turn around as all the food is freshly prepared and takes a little time. It is probably best to telephone with your order before hand.

And now for a little riding of the high horse for me. On all visits I experienced the yob culture that seems endemic in takeaways, especially Indian ones.

These rude young men (sorry but they usually are the male of the species) go in for takeaway curry and chips and cannot seem to speak without expletives littering their high-volume conversation.

Spot a middle-aged man or woman who says please and thank you to the server and they turn it up even more.

Well it doesn’t bother me and it certainly doesn’t impress me. Neither does treating the staff like dirt. Have these people never heard of please and thank you?

Enough of that.

I will return again because the food is just so good and the prices are not over the top. Well worth leaving the pans in the cupboard and treating yourself.

Sharon Walters

Tikka, Corvedale Road, Craven Arms 01588 673673/672434

MENU SAMPLEStarters

Samosa, pastry stuffed with mildly spiced vegetables (£2.60); onion bhajee, chopped onions and special herbs with lentils, (£2.35); chicken pakora, chicken dipped into a spicy sauce and deep fried (£3.15)

Main courses

Tawa chicken dansak, one of Tikka’s own speciality dishes, (£7.45); tandoori king prawn (£8.95); lamb rogan josh, cooked with medium spices and garnished with a thick sauce of tomatoes, onions and fresh peppers (£5.75)

Side dishes

Aloo gobi, fresh cauliflower and potato, (£2.75); saag paneer, spinach cooked with Bangladeshi cheese (£2.85); chapati, thin baked bread, (£1); paratha, thick bread fried in butter (£1.95)

SERVICE

Friendly and helpful. If you want a dish that is not on the menu they will endeavour to cook it for you.