Shropshire Star

Cafe Saffron, Shrewsbury

Awards and TV stints aside, Cafe Saffron is standing out thanks to what matters above all – its beautiful food, writes Andy Richardson.

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Awards and TV stints aside, Cafe Saffron is standing out thanks to what matters above all – its beautiful food,

writes Andy Richardson

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It's been almost two-and-a-half years since the merits of Shrewsbury's Cafe Saffron were last considered in these pages.

And, boy oh boy, what a two-and-a-half years it's been. The restaurant has soared, meteor-like.

In 2009, it was just above average, offering well-cooked food and providing good service without creating the sort of experience that elevated it to a higher plane.

However, since then, the restaurant has notched up more awards than an Oscar-winning movie. Cafe Saffron's run of good fortune started around 18 months ago, when it swept all before it to land the coveted 2010 Shropshire Curry House of the Year title, during the contest's inaugural year.

Head chef Abdul Husen wowed judges – this one included – by cooking up a storm and deservedly taking the title.

A raft of further awards followed, with magazines and national curry associations also eulogising the restaurant's virtues.

More was to come. Within months, Abdul had been snapped up by BBC1, as the celebrity chef for a prime time Saturday night TV show, starring Liverpool comedian John Bishop.

He proved a hit and was asked to star in a programme of his own, an offer he declined so as to avoid absenting himself from his beloved kitchen. He was also invited to cook in Bangladesh, with some of the finest curry chefs in the world, though once more he turned down the offer so that he could continue to serve his regular customers.

Abdul says: "It's been an incredible few years, we feel as though it's been a real whirlwind. All of the attention – the TV and winning awards – has been great fun. But we've tried not to get too carried away.

"The reason that people started to take an interest in us was because we were serving good food to the people of Shropshire, so that's always been the most important thing. We've had opportunities to do other things, but whenever those projects would have been to the detriment of the restaurant, we've said no."

The proof of the pudding, of course, is in the eating and on that front, Cafe Saffron continues to excel. The giddy ride that Abdul has enjoyed has served to improve his skills; he's been cooking alongside some of the finest Indian and Bangladeshi chefs in the business and their culinary nous has rubbed off.

Subtle spicing, winning flavour combinations and carefully cooked main ingredients have helped standards rise.

Before turning to the flavours encountered during my latest visit, however, the remainder of the team at Cafe Saffron deserve all credit.

The restaurant is far from being a one-man show; it's greater than the sum of its parts. Engaging and professional staff provide an exceptional service for diners, whose first names are remembered for each new visit.

And so to dinner. My friend and I visited during a mid-week evening and the restaurant was more than half full, a good sign indicative of Cafe Saffron's burgeoning reputation. A portion of papadums and chutneys got proceedings under way with lime, chilli pickle and raitha garnishing the crisp first course. We then started with onion bhaji and chicken chat – the bhaji had been deep fried until crisp and was delicately flavoured, while the chicken chat was succulent and flavoursome.

My friend opted for salmon spice as a main, a delicious dish comprising a generous fillet that had been pan fried and lightly spiced. The fluffy naan bread and piping hot pilau rice were excellent accompaniments.

I opted for a chicken pathia, an old favourite made from sweet concentrated tomatoes and spices, giving it a uniquely sweet, sour and slightly hot flavour. There were plenty of large chicken pieces within and they had been cooked well.

The menu also provided food for thought. In addition to the regular compliment of kormas, malayas, tarkaris, bhunas, dopiazas, sagwalas, rogan joshes and more – madras, dhansak, adda, vindallo and phall also make an appearance – were unusually exotic offerings.

Dishes featuring such meats as kangaroo, ostrich, buffalo, bison, crocodile, wild rabbit and even shark make an appearance. Cafe Saffron's appetite for the unexpected came about during the most recent World Cup, in South Africa.

Head chef Abdul created a Kanga-Rooney Balti, a dish that won a place in folklore among Shropshire's curry aficionados.

Cafe Saffron's success, however, is not down to the presence of novelty dishes on Abdul's menu. It boils down to the simplest of all ingredients – cooking good food well and serving it with style. During the 2011 Shropshire Curry Chef of the Year Awards, Abdul was pipped to the post by one of his competitors. No doubt he'll be back, however.

ADDRESS

Cafe Saffron, 5 Hills Lane, Shrewsbury SY1 1QU

Telephone: 01743 246 753

Web: www.cafesaffron.co.uk

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