“Are you familiar with Indian food?” asked our server as we sat down in Leeds’s newest restaurant. Coming from Bradford and having eaten more Indian meals I care to remember, the question seemed superfluous.
Following the success of their Nottingham, Leicester and Birmingham eateries, Indian restaurant Tamatanga (which means ‘do what needs to be done’) beloved for its hearty, home-style Indian food, has arrived on the Headrow, Leeds.
Tamatanga in Leeds
The mouth-watering food menu offers a mix of both the familiar and the slightly less expected and many classic dishes updated with a modern twist. Everything is made using real, homely Indian recipes served up with speed and minimal fuss or fanfare. The Tamatanga thali has become something of a signature dish – this large variety platter offers the choice of one or two different curries from the menu whilst the rest of the dishes are created and changed daily, by an expert all-Indian kitchen team using local, seasonal ingredients.
The menu has been carefully crafted to include a wide variety of meat, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free dishes. The salads and grill plates all pack a punch and come loaded with healthful ingredients such as butternut squash, quinoa, avocado and chickpeas.
A provocative range of carefully crafted cocktails is on hand to cool things down, ranging from the fruity ‘peachy blinder’ to the adventurous ‘Wray’s sorbet’ which blends tequila, strawberry cream soda and ‘Wray and nephew’ overproof rum, to great effect.
Turtle Bay but Indian
As for the idea behind the restaurant, the decor reminded me of Turtle Bay but Indian. Menus sit on the tables ready for you to peruse, cutlery comes pre-packed in paper envelopes and the restaurant is also ideal for families, as younger guests receive their own menu and colouring pens.
After being re-seated, due to initially being sat next to the toilets (which I always find is the worst place to sit in a restaurant) we were ready to see what all the fuss was about.
Our starters consisted of chilli cheese pops (£5.95) where the chilli was strong enough that you would have never known you were eating cheese, some delightfully delicious onion bhajis (£5.75) and a side of veggie samosas (£5.95) (which were on a slightly fatty side for my tastebuds).
My main of homestyle chicken curry (£14.95) was recommended to me by our server as one of the best dishes in the menu – she was not wrong. Tender thigh meat appeared to be lovingly cooked – probably in the same way it has been done for generations. With rice on the side, my curry tasted spicy, sweet and a touch earthy. A good choice.
One of the best Indian meals
My partner decided on the chicken khurana (£14.95). Marinated chicken pieces came with sweet potatoes and coconut, flavoured with curry leaves to produce a wonderful mouthwatering dish that was hard to get enough of. Of course, it came with a real kick and earned the description “one of the best Indian meals I have eaten”.
If you have room after all this indulgence they have a dessert menu, though I was a little disappointed with my choice of ice cream sundae (£6.75). Expecting a traditional sundae, I was served three scoops of ice cream in a glass dish with two waffles and one chunk of chocolate fudge cake – not even served in a sundae dish either.
My partner fared better with her choice of pistachio kulfi (£5.25) where the ice cream was richer and creamier than usual and helped to cleanse the palate of her main course.
Service was quick. In fact, my partner commented on it being more like a fast-food restaurant – which I believe is too harsh a critique. It is not a place to linger though – we were in and out in under 90 minutes.
If you are looking for a central location, good hot food, speedy and friendly service then Tamatanga is definitely in the heat of the moment. We would definitely dine there again.
Tamantanga, The Light, 52-54 The Headrow, Leeds LS1 8TL
