So Saturday, we were looking for somewhere to eat that we hadn’t been before, everyone gave some great suggestions and I’ll be sure to take a look through and try to make it to review some. You still have time to request and suggest.
It was rather wet outside on Saturday so we opted for an easy option and it gave us a good opportunity to pop in and check out the brand new Paintshop Cocktail bar, situated on Ashby High Street.
Seemingly Ashby High Street at night is pretty quiet on first look, but inside the restaurants, bars and pubs is a hive of hidden nightlife. I hope in the summer (when it’s a bit warmer, to do a little tour of all the venues on Ashby High Street but until then.
It felt very safe walking down Ashby at night, we parked up and we’d made a last minute reservation at an Indian restaurant “The Gourmet” that has probably been there quite a while, but we’ve never been or ordered from there before. Wow, it was absolutely packed to the rafters, the atmosphere was lively and the sound of conversation filled the small room.
We were soon seated and it wasn’t long before our order was taken and poppadoms and a large pickle tray arrived in front of us. We had opted for a set menu because then you get a bit of selection when you aren’t sure what to order. I’m not a vegetarian by any means but there was a tasty looking Vegetarian set deal for an absolutely bargain price, I throw in a lamb Rogan just for good measure. But to be completely honest the vegetarian dishes were the absolute stars of the show.
So what did we get in our deal?
Popadoms, Pickle tray, Vegetable samosa, Onion Bhaji, Vegetable Massala, Vegetable Laknavi, Mushroom bhaji, Pilau Rice, Naan.
I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from a mushroom bhaji, how were they going to make this into a little fried ball of goodness? Well, answer is they didn’t it was a delicious little saucy dish, you could taste the flavour of the mushrooms and the composition of taste and texture was on point!
The onion bhaji was what you’d traditionally expect from an Indian restaurant but it was light and crispy, you know sometimes they can be a little floury and claggy, this wasn’t.
So, OK the Massala was nice, good sweetness and consistency, a little bare with just potato and some green beans but still nice and the potatoes had soaked up the sauce. The star dish of the night had to be the Vegatable Laknavi. I’ve never tried this and I wasn’t sure what to expect but what a garlic sensation this was, deep flavour, packed with veg and plenty of onion and spices, it was beautiful.
My Lamb Rogan had good flavour, nice big slices of tomato, which I love, personal preference the meat wasn’t quite as tender and nice as my usual favourite authentic Indian at Ali’s Food Hut but it wasn’t bad.
The naan was authentic with rich flavour, soft and air filled with a browned base, tasty!
All in all a very pleasant experience and we will definitely be back. The overall atmosphere, cleanliness, service, quality and quantity of food was a solid 9.5 out of 10. The staff were nice, service was quick considering how busy it was and it just had a nice vibe.
So where can you find The Gourmet?
261 Ashby High St, Ashby, Scunthorpe DN16 2SD
Book: 01724 864204
info@gourmetscunthorpe.co.uk
It’s rather inconspicuous as a restaurant, small shop front, blacked out windows and a warm red light up sign.
The Gourmet is only a couple of doors down from the brand new Paintshop Cocktail bar so we popped in there briefly too, review to follow.
Scunthorpe Nights 