Since its launch by celebrity chef Aktar Islam and Jabbar Khan in 2002, Jewellery Quarter-based Lasan has firmly established itself as one of the UK’s finest Indian restaurants.
The success of this multi-award-winning celebrity haunt - it’s impressed the likes of Gary Barlow, Ant & Dec and Holly Willoughby, to name but a few - has been built on and sustained by the owners’ unswerving passion for creation and reinvention, their sincere love of authentic Indian food and the immense pride they take in its presentation.
Since its launch by celebrity chef Aktar Islam and Jabbar Khan in 2002, Jewellery Quarter-based Lasan has firmly established itself as one of the UK’s finest Indian restaurants.
The success of this multi-award-winning celebrity haunt - it’s impressed the likes of Gary Barlow, Ant & Dec and Holly Willoughby, to name but a few - has been built on and sustained by the owners’ unswerving passion for creation and reinvention, their sincere love of authentic Indian food and the immense pride they take in its presentation.
Having recently undergone a major refurbishment, which included new decor and a mouthwatering new menu, Lasan was a restaurant I was greatly looking forward to visiting.
On arrival, we were politely shown to our table, where we perused the menu over a cold lager and some poppadoms. It was apparent from the word go that Lasan was a cut above the rest - I’d never before tasted such a delicious array of dips and chutneys!
The starters menu featured Nav Ratan Lamb - a lightly spiced, creamy curry, a treasure trove of tender, free-range marinated lamb cutlet, with a soft gilouti pattie and fresh green chutney. Then there was Konkan Kekada - fresh soft-shell crab in a crispy ajwain and Kashmiri chilli batter, with Devonshire crab cake, tomato chutney and sour mango. A selection of pakoras also featured.
My partner and I opted for the sharing platter, which comprised a heavenly cornucopia of chicken sheek kebab, succulent lamb cutlets, tender, slow-braised venison samosas and roasted salmon, served with tamarind and mint chutneys.
It was stunning! The samosas were light and tasty, while the salmon fell apart at just a touch and was seasoned nicely. My favourite element, the chicken sheek kebab, was succulent - soft to the bite and packed full of flavour. The chutneys paired perfectly with the meat and fish, resulting in nothing less than a thoroughly enjoyable starter.
Being a huge fan of Indian cuisine, and of just about every dish going, choosing what to have is always quite the deliberation. Every main course from Lasan’s menu sounded exquisite, but I eventually opted for the Samundari Biryani. The dish featured succulent prawns, nicely cooked mussels, white fish and squid and an aromatic basmati rice, topped with crispy onions. A fresh coconut milk, curry leaf and tamarind sauce came separately, allowing me to pour on as desired. The seafood was cooked beautifully - and there was plenty of it - the crispy onions provided another welcome texture, and the sauce helped bring the whole dish together, accompanying the main element perfectly. It was truly fantastic and one of the nicest Indian dishes I've enjoyed in a long while.
My partner chose the Hyderabadi Biryani. Comprising layers of tender slow-stewed goat and lightly spiced basmati rice cooked dum-style, it was served with a side of sweet and creamy pineapple raita. The flavour combination of the raita and the soft, perfectly cooked goat was something to shout out about. I urge any carnivore that visits Lasan to try this dish - it was the most delicious thing we devoured that evening.
To accompany our main courses, we ordered sides of Karela Baingan - fresh baby aubergine braised with pickled bitter gourd - and Nilgiri Paneer, soft tandoori paneer with slow-cooked spinach and fenugreek nilgiri korma sauce and a garlic & coriander naan. It came as no surprise to discover that the side dishes were just as tasty as the mains, with the paneer dish being one of the nicest I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.
For dessert, we shared the Beetroot Halva - slow-cooked beetroot with caramelised nuts, apple crisps and dreamy pistachio ice cream - and the Chocolate Mousse - devilishly rich, dark chocolate mousse with caramel puffed rice and sweet marinated orange. They were both absolutely gorgeous. The beetroot offering was unique and ever so sweet. The caramel puffed rice provided a welcome crunch and the mousse was just divine. Top marks from us!
Our first Lasan experience couldn’t have gone any better. The food was exemplary, the flavours exceptional and the presentation second to none. The service was fantastic, the staff knowledgable and friendly. I can’t wait to return, to sample some more of the outstanding cuisine that this first-class restaurant has to offer.
Since its launch by celebrity chef Aktar Islam and Jabbar Khan in 2002, Jewellery Quarter-based Lasan has firmly established itself as one of the UK’s finest Indian restaurants.
The success of this multi-award-winning celebrity haunt - it’s impressed the likes of Gary Barlow, Ant & Dec and Holly Willoughby, to name but a few - has been built on and sustained by the owners’ unswerving passion for creation and reinvention, their sincere love of authentic Indian food and the immense pride they take in its presentation.
Lasan,
3-4 James Street,
Birmingham,
B3 1SD
lasan.co.uk
Telephone: 0121 212 3664
Email: info@lasan.co.uk
Since its launch by celebrity chef Aktar Islam and Jabbar Khan in 2002, Jewellery Quarter-based Lasan has firmly established itself as one of the UK’s finest Indian restaurants.
The success of this multi-award-winning celebrity haunt - it’s impressed the likes of Gary Barlow, Ant & Dec and Holly Willoughby, to name but a few - has been built on and sustained by the owners’ unswerving passion for creation and reinvention, their sincere love of authentic Indian food and the immense pride they take in its presentation.
Having recently undergone a major refurbishment, which included new decor and a mouthwatering new menu, Lasan was a restaurant I was greatly looking forward to visiting.
On arrival, we were politely shown to our table, where we perused the menu over a cold lager and some poppadoms. It was apparent from the word go that Lasan was a cut above the rest - I’d never before tasted such a delicious array of dips and chutneys!
The starters menu featured Nav Ratan Lamb - a lightly spiced, creamy curry, a treasure trove of tender, free-range marinated lamb cutlet, with a soft gilouti pattie and fresh green chutney. Then there was Konkan Kekada - fresh soft-shell crab in a crispy ajwain and Kashmiri chilli batter, with Devonshire crab cake, tomato chutney and sour mango. A selection of pakoras also featured.
My partner and I opted for the sharing platter, which comprised a heavenly cornucopia of chicken sheek kebab, succulent lamb cutlets, tender, slow-braised venison samosas and roasted salmon, served with tamarind and mint chutneys.
It was stunning! The samosas were light and tasty, while the salmon fell apart at just a touch and was seasoned nicely. My favourite element, the chicken sheek kebab, was succulent - soft to the bite and packed full of flavour. The chutneys paired perfectly with the meat and fish, resulting in nothing less than a thoroughly enjoyable starter.
Being a huge fan of Indian cuisine, and of just about every dish going, choosing what to have is always quite the deliberation. Every main course from Lasan’s menu sounded exquisite, but I eventually opted for the Samundari Biryani. The dish featured succulent prawns, nicely cooked mussels, white fish and squid and an aromatic basmati rice, topped with crispy onions. A fresh coconut milk, curry leaf and tamarind sauce came separately, allowing me to pour on as desired. The seafood was cooked beautifully - and there was plenty of it - the crispy onions provided another welcome texture, and the sauce helped bring the whole dish together, accompanying the main element perfectly. It was truly fantastic and one of the nicest Indian dishes I've enjoyed in a long while.
My partner chose the Hyderabadi Biryani. Comprising layers of tender slow-stewed goat and lightly spiced basmati rice cooked dum-style, it was served with a side of sweet and creamy pineapple raita. The flavour combination of the raita and the soft, perfectly cooked goat was something to shout out about. I urge any carnivore that visits Lasan to try this dish - it was the most delicious thing we devoured that evening.
To accompany our main courses, we ordered sides of Karela Baingan - fresh baby aubergine braised with pickled bitter gourd - and Nilgiri Paneer, soft tandoori paneer with slow-cooked spinach and fenugreek nilgiri korma sauce and a garlic & coriander naan. It came as no surprise to discover that the side dishes were just as tasty as the mains, with the paneer dish being one of the nicest I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating.
For dessert, we shared the Beetroot Halva - slow-cooked beetroot with caramelised nuts, apple crisps and dreamy pistachio ice cream - and the Chocolate Mousse - devilishly rich, dark chocolate mousse with caramel puffed rice and sweet marinated orange. They were both absolutely gorgeous. The beetroot offering was unique and ever so sweet. The caramel puffed rice provided a welcome crunch and the mousse was just divine. Top marks from us!
Our first Lasan experience couldn’t have gone any better. The food was exemplary, the flavours exceptional and the presentation second to none. The service was fantastic, the staff knowledgable and friendly. I can’t wait to return, to sample some more of the outstanding cuisine that this first-class restaurant has to offer.
***** Lauren Foster
5 Stars on Tue, 23 Jan 2018