Jodhpur Leeds: 'I tried the Kirkstall Indian that has fast become a must-visit after opening in February'
It can be a blessing and a curse in a culinary sense living in Burley.
The west Leeds district is awash with restaurant and takeaway options that make it hard to say no when the urge to pass off cooking arises; something that my belly and wallet are annoyed at the frequency of.
One of the latest and most eye-catching to join the selection is Jodhpur on Kirkstall Road, which took over the spacious premises previously occupied by banging kebab spot My Spice & Grill in February.
The drastic change from a devilishly tempting takeaway to a supreme restaurant seemed to come about overnight but the arrival has been raved about; with the restaurant currently holding a 4.9 star average rating on Google from nearly 1,000 reviews. And for good reason.
Situated by the Cardigan Fields complex and a major road can risk making a sit-down meal feel a bit claustrophobic but with its array of beautiful decorations imported from India, Jodphpur feels very much like a step away from the mundane.
And that’s before we get into the food. Fortunately we had a brilliant waitress who was more than happy to give us a run through the concise menu of "authentic Rajasthani cuisine" with genuine enthusiasm and detailed insight.
After opening things with some poppadoms that came with a limited but lovely tray featuring a thick mint yogurt and chutneys we started our foray into this fantastic eating experience with the fried okra to start.
The potent green little suckers were coated in a thin batter and served with a rich tamarind chutney and were far too easy to throw back.
Any main that our waitress walked us through sounded like it would have been brilliant but we decided to settle on the lamb madras and chicken chettinad; both of which we were told could have their spice levels adjusted to our preference.
Wanting to go for the authentic experience and put my spice endurance to the test we kept it as it was. Fortunately my main dish was the chettinad, which had just the right amount of heat on it to ensure the succulent chicken, creamy coconut enthused sauce and earthy voluptuous taste were at the forefront. It was an all-round wonder of a dish that offered up a new taste note with every spoonful.
The madras I was a bit more hesitant to try and with good reason. While the lamb and rich sauce were delightful the back end had a huge cinnamon-infused spice kick that had me panting and seeing stars for a brief second.
It was around this point that our guardian angel waitress noticed my distress (and sweat beads) and offered me a pot of yoghurt and jug of water that just about took the edge off.
The dishes were paired with a basmati rice and crispy garlic naan and washed down with, for me, a blackberry-based mocktail that was another top recommendation from our server, and a couple of beers for my chum.
Overall it was a marvellous tasting odyssey that, at £56, felt like a steal.
Factfile
Address: Jodhpur, 352-354 Kirkstall Rd, Burley, Leeds LS4 2HQ
Tel: 0113 529 0427
Open: Mon, Wed, Thurs 5-10pm; Fri, 5-10.30pm; Sat, 1-10pm; Sun, 1-9pm; Tue, closed.
Website: https://jodhpur.uk/
Food: 10/10
Service: 10/10
Value: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10