Starters for two, mains for one

The Mayor of South Ribble, Coun Dorothy Gardner and her consort and husband, Melvyn during the opening of Food 2 Go in Hoghton

Without much argument, last Saturday was declared curry night in our household.

A student of spicy sustenance, Significant Other decided we should sample a couple of starters and sides followed by one main course to share.

With our plan firmly set we chose a relative newcomer to our area. Associated with Sylhet Bangla restaurant in Hutton, the menu promises ‘Restaurant quality food with a take out price’.

Intrigued by this claim we ordered popadoms and chutneys, sheek kebab, fish tikka and vegetable samosa, with chicken bhuna, boiled rice and a naan to follow.

The food was ready for collection within 20 minutes (free delivery within three miles), not to be sniffed at on a busy Saturday night!

First up, the popadoms were big, warm, light and crisp with the five different sauces (although we did seem to have two minty yoghurt dips and no mango chutney, which is my particular favourite).

Next up was our range of starters. The fish tikka was a new one on us and proved a hit. Although we weren’t quite sure what type of ‘fish’ it was, the filling was soft, flaky with a mild flavour and in a light batter. And with four pretty big pieces it was a good portion.

The vegetable samosas meanwhile, were familiar and fantastic, some of the best I have tasted. Even after 20 minutes in a foil tray the pastry was thin and crispy and stuffed to bursting point with vegetables and spices.

Following those, the sheek kebabs emerged in all their technicolor glory. Two big, red, meaty ‘sausages’ packed full of flavour but without all the usual grease. With the supplied side salad (something I’ve always struggled to get my head around – can it count as one of your five a day?) and a sprinkling of lemon, they were delicious.

Already filling up, we braved the bhuna.

A hefty portion just right for two it was fresh and chunky with enough chilli to make it tasty without too much burn. The accompanying rice was light and fluffy, perfect for soaking up the sauce, while the naan was light with crispy edges, but not quite fluffy enough for me.

The bill came to just over £16, a veritable feast for two at the price. We had the  restaurant quality food, we just needed someone to do the washing up!

Star rating: 8.5