With Birmingham's heritage as home of the Balti Triangle and unofficial curry capital of Britain, suggesting diners brave the M6 roadworks to head to Coventry for an Indian meal sounds a bit like inviting someone from the Black Country over to Brum for a nice plate of faggots and peas. But that's okay, because Turmeric Gold isn't just another Indian restaurant - as everything from the stunning 16th Century building that houses it to the quirky and tempting menu and wine list proves.
And the fact that the restaurant was packed when we visited - at 7pm on a Monday night - is a good indication I'm not the first person to think that.
We settled down and ordered a bottle of Cinsault Shiraz (£13.95), presciently declining an offer of popadums on the basis that we thought we'd need room for the rest of the delights of the meal. And we really did. The menu is packed with all the usual Indian staples - all of which looked pretty tempting indeed as they went past, but with the emphasis on unusual combinations my companion Alan and I decided to move out of our comfort zone to try something we couldn't get from our local takeaway. It was a joyous voyage of discovery.
I started with the Rawlpindi Curry Puff (£5.25), spicy pieces of tikka style lamb served with lettuce on a bed of crispy fluffy puri bread. It arrived in a glass which made it look a bit like a prawn cocktail, but the overall effect was very different to anything I've ever had before. The lamb was quite spicy, but a side dish of mint yoghurt meant it was pleasantly lip tingling rather than leaving your tastebuds feeling like they'd been knocked unconscious.
Alan plumped for Chicken Patties (£4.25), which looked a little unassuming compared to the beautiful presentation of my starter - but once he'd taken a bite he was looking very pleased with his choice, which he described as moist and succulent. Once the plates for the starter had been cleared, our waiter came over to ask if we wanted to have a break between courses. This typifies the kind of friendly, thoughtful but not embarrassingly obsequious service we had during our meal, and we gratefully took him up on the opportunity to settle down with a glass of wine before embarking on the next course. Fusion is a bit of an overstated concept in modern dining, but at Turmeric Gold it is a revelation, mixing Thai and Indian food to produce something stunning and memorable that once tasted is never forgotten. I chose the Green Goanese Korma (£11.75) - a spinach-laden chicken dish made with coconut milk, coriander, green peppers, and garlic. I can honestly say it was the most wonderful, unusual curry I've ever eaten. Forget oily, neon coloured curries served in below par restaurants, owner Jay Alam prides himself that everything cooked in the restaurant is made with fresh ingredients and the bare minimum of oil and salt. This means that the delicate flavours of my curry were able to stand out and speak for themselves - which they did in grand style. It's rare to go out for dinner and eat something that makes you feel you are eating something healthy and yet also luscious. But every beautifully flavoured, coconutty mouthful of my Thai green curry style Korma felt virtuous and yet also utterly delicious. Eating Indian food can now be a guilt-free experience. Alan had chosen the Emperor's Duck Chilli (£11.95), delicate strips of duck stir-fried with fresh green chillies, carrots, mushrooms, capsicum, pineapple and coriander, served in a sizzling skillet. It smelled fantastic and the tangy duck left him waxing lyrical, although to be fair my focus was still on my own dinner and the coriander studded naan bread I was enjoying with it. By the time we'd finished we had no room for dessert but were already discussing what to have on our return visit. Turmeric Gold is a fine dining experience - it closes early to avoid the alcohol soaked appetites of the post pub crowd and instead prides itself on its treating its customers as guests - albeit paying ones. With great service, a well-priced wine list and fantabulous food worth every penny, Turmeric Gold is definitely aptly named - and worthy of a trip down the M6 any day of the week. * Turmeric Gold, 166 Medieval Spon Street, Coventry, CV1 3BB Tel: 02476 226603. www.turmericgold.co.uk
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