Asha’s Indian given the Michelin stamp of approval for second year running so Viva went to kick the tyres!

It was Diwali and Asha’s on Peter Street was already in celebratory mood having heard it had been awarded a Michelin plate, not a star but a plate, still decent going and one of just 24 eateries in the city to get one, reports Emma Chadwick.

It also, wait for it, was awarded two ‘Couvert’ or ‘knife and fork’ symbol, which refers not to the food quality but to the levels of comfort and ambience the restaurant provides.

It’s a bit odd all this tyre and food malarkey, I mean what’s the connection? So I googled it for you. Basically, when your restaurant is awarded a Michelin Star, it means your chef is shit hot. Two Stars and your restaurant is excellent. Three Stars and your restaurant is worth travelling to.

Okeydokey. The last bit is the tenuous tyres connection cos the Michelin brothers Ándre and Édouard who started the Michelin Guide in 1900, had started a tyre company 11 years earlier (keep up) and they decided that a ratings’ guide for hotels and restaurants would mean more of us would get in cars and travel and buy more tyres. Cunning these frogs.

Anyway, back to Asha’s which once you head through the modest street door is an absolute haven of chill-out tracks, comfy booths and glittering bonhomie. It’s a perfect date setting, discrete lighting, hushed tones and candles. It’s famed for its breads and you have not lived until you have a nan bread with truffle.

It’s also Indian fine dining and for an eatery that’s got a Michelin eggcup or whatever, it’s very reasonable. Starters are from just short of seven quid, classic curries just under £14 and there’s a wide choice of veggie options as well as a whole ream of tandoori offerings if you’re attempting Paleo (although I defy anyone not to break and have bread-based products once you’re in).

Highlights for us were the duck sheesh kebab, like everything here, plentiful and with a contemporary take on Indian cuisine (very Michelin). They were rich and juicy. Other, gonna die for it offerings, was a cheesy broccoli tandoori and a melt in the mouth, so rich-laden lamb curry you could hardly stir a spoon in it.

I’m not going to lie, a couple of the dishes were a bit ‘so what’ including prawns which were huge but a little bland and a chicken curry was thigh meat, not my fave.  Maybe with all the Michelin fanfare, my expectations were a little too high. But I would go back and probably order better, ignoring the tyre thing.

Viva Verdict: Definitely worth making tracks for, prepare to get a spare tyre from the portions though! Visit www.ashasrestaurant.co.uk for bookings etc