It’s been a while since I sat in Zindiya. I seldom visit Moseley anymore. Peacer has changed hands, Carters soon to be replaced with a Japanese “fine dining” concept that I can guarantee will be anything but. I have a Sabai Sabai near my house, and whilst I still occasionally go Chakana, the Dark Horse, or those regrettable afters at Gordon’s, it is impossible to deny that Moseley is a very different place to when I lived there.
That’s not to say I’ve not been a customer. Despite the 3 miles between the doors it’s still one of the go-to’s for the Sunday comedown. We’ve settled on the order; Chole batture, masala chips, chilli paneer, and paneer dosa, an entirely vegetarian order enough for two to graze on throughout a day snoozing to trash tv. Eat the chips first along with the paneer dosa, making sure you soak up the soupy thingy with all the veg offcuts in. I get two thirds of the dosa, Sophie gets the rest of the soup. It makes her feel healthy. The rest comes when it comes, occasionally making it to Monday lunch.
She gets the soup again. Not before the mezcal and raspberry cocktail and not before I eat all of the dosa. That dosa is one of the best things you can eat in Birmingham; light and full of interest, the soup giving it much needed character. I’ll fight anyone who disagrees with me. Come to think of it, I’ll fight anyone who agrees with me. I’m just a naturally fighty person.
The reason we are here is the new curries. I say new, they launched about four months ago; I’m just a very busy boy. The long shot is they’ve nailed it. The black dhaal is as good as Dishooms. The chicken curry benefits from both excellent quality poultry and more nuance in the sauce than just the Heinz cream of tomato soup that some have seemingly fallen on. This has clove, I think a little mace, and the occasionally pop of chilli. We get prawn curry in a slightly smaller portion with the bhature bread. The curry is approachable and faintly fishy, the prawns gently handled. And channa good enough to come from Milan’s, deep and concentrated, home-style as it should be. We have rice and garlic naan’s. It only needs the bread, they are pretty perfect.
I gave Zindiya a nine in my first review in 2017. Since then I’ve had periods where I felt it maybe wasn’t that high standard and, more recently, when it was clear that they have a serious kitchen in place. Right now the food is as good as it’s ever been, and the extension of the menu a natural progression. The bill with too much food is £70 well spent. It’s great that a true Birmingham success story is getting better with age.
9/10
