Noor Jahan is a down to earth, friendly welcoming Bangladeshi restaurant on Mansfield Road. I came here on recommendation to try the place out last week and it was well worth the visit. It might not be all fancy like those Indian restaurants up on Maid Marian way, but I found it to much more comfortable and relaxing a place to dine and would come here again.

They do a really good deal of a Set Meal for 1 for £12.95 where you can order ‘any’ starter, ‘any’ main, a side dish or naan, and rice. The word ‘any’ was quite important as they really did mean that. I didn’t take on the deal, but if I had of done then I would have ordered the Mass Biran to start (£4.95), the Garlic Chicken (£7.50), some Bombay Aloo (£3) and a Garlic Naan (£2.50) which ordered individually would have been £17.95. You also are supposed to get coffee and a mint but I am not sure anyone manages to get that far or would have any room. So you save at least a fiver if you take on their deal.

I didn’t do that though and went for The Special Thali and the Mass Biran (another special).

The Special Thali

I love a good Thali, so when they have one on the menu called ‘Special Thali’ well I just had to have one. I will say that this is not one of my better photos, but I hope that it gives you the idea of what was going on in my world (or on my plate) at that moment in time.

This was all vegetarian and so good and tasty that I didn’t even think about meat while I was devouring as much of it as I possibly could.  Clockwise from the top there were 4 pots staring with a divine deep fried paneer dish mixed with spinach, then a thick and creamy yellow lentil daal, followed by a mixed vegetable curry, and finally a pot filled with a spicy chickpea dish (some kind of Channa Masala).

If that wasn’t enough there was a huge pile of mixed vegetable bhaji, a great big naan bread, a bowl of plain pilau, and as always that mixed salad of lettuce and tomato that had nowhere else to be.

The best thing on the Thali was that deep fried paneer dish, those cubes of paneer where crunchy and crisp on the outside, soft on the inside and mixed in with a sweet and tangy sauce filled with spinach. I was also a big fan of the mixed veg bhari, crisp, light, and not at all greasy. They were just about perfect.

The lentil daal was a bit thick for my personal liking, but it was exceptionally tasty nonetheless. The mixed vegetable curry would have graced a plate on it’s own, it was packed with spice and packed with all sorts of goodies; I found green beans, peas, mushrooms, and tomato in my pot, it was lovely!

Mass Biran (Fish Fry)

Mass Biran basically ‘Fish fried with onions’ is one of the specialities at the Noor Jahan and I know that even though I already had ordered way too much food, but I really was so intrigued about this dish, that I just had to order it as a Starter (as well).

The fish is lightly fried with a spicy coating, the fried onion and peppers were also coated with a spicy mix and were nice a crunchy still. It comes with a green salad that you really don’t need at all, but I let it slide.

This is a pretty good dish, kind of like spicy fish and chips without the chips. I would order this again! (maybe they would do me a side of chips?)

I fully admit that I ordered these dishes knowing full well that there was no chance whatsoever that I would be able to eat it all.

It was a decision made in a split moment (aided by several excellent pints of ale over the preceding hour), I was torn between taking a safe option with something basic, or ordering the MyFoodHunt way by getting something memorable and something different.

MyFoodHunt won, I wasn’t in the mood to be taking any safe or simple menu choices or perhaps I was being a big of a greedy pig?

Either way

I heartily recommend trying this place out

______________________________________

Noor Jahan is located at 41 Mansfield Road

It is just up from the Peacock Pub and about 2-3 minutes walk up the hill from the back of the Viccy Centre.