Last week I had a chance to go out for a meal with my sister, we went over to have a curry at a restaurant in Binfield, off St Mary’s Road called Daruchini Brasserie.
We had a warm welcome as we entered by front end staff and shown to our table by Munna, a friendly and knowledgeable member of the team.
A previous award-winning restaurant which offers the finest Bangladeshi and Indian Cuisines.
The menu was vast and making a choice felt challenging because there were so many things we fancied trying. I asked if we could have a smaller plate so we could try things without filling up while we munched on some popadoms with chutneys.
Following with our selection of starters, onion bhaji £5.25, Viceroy Cocktails (selection of grilled tikka and kebabs) £6.95, Jhinga Puree (medium spiced king prawn on a puree bread) £7.95 and Jhingha Projapati (Whole king prawn delicately spiced & seasoned coated with egg yolk then covered with breadcrumbs and deep fried to a crispy taste) £7.95.
It was nice to have a selection of meats in the Viceroy Cocktail but my favourite dish, which was something new for me was the Jhinga Puree, this had a slight bit of heat, it was really lovely with the prawns, although they do offer a vegetable option as well.
The restaurant was quiet on this Tuesday evening with takeaways going out regularly instead, it felt like we were VIP’s.
For our main meals, Nicola choose the tandoori mixed grill £17.95 and after some recommendations from Munna, our waiter, I ordered the butter murgh £12.95 (mild barbecued chicken with cultured yogurt, fresh cream and exotic sauce) and Jhinga Jafrani, medium spice (selection of jumbo prawns barbecued with tomatoes, green peppers, onion and garlic cooked in freshly spiced sauce) £17.95. We accompanied the mains with a selection of vegetable dishes, some rice and a keema naan.
It’s so hard to judge how much food you are going to get when you order in a restaurant, but our eyes were definitely bigger than our bellies, the portions were very generous. The flavours were delightful, the Bangladeshi influence was something I’d never tried before and really enjoyed.
The table was full of food which we were never going to get through and so the restaurant boxed what was left and we made our way home and there was enough food for dinner the next day, and it still tasted as good!
The restaurant has plenty of parking out the front and if you’re at a loose end or not feeling like cooking for Christmas they are offering an exclusive buffet on Christmas day £24.95 for adults and £12.95 for children (under12) Boxing Day buffet £15.95 for adults and £7.95 for children (under 12) ,but don’t forget to take your own alcohol which the restaurant as they only serve soft drinks.
Review by Claire Nash