CHESHIRE: Hale’s newest foodie hotspot takes Indian food to the next level

Set in the heart of Hale, one of Cheshire’s most affluent and thriving villages lies Gupshup, an Indian restaurant, featuring some of the finest Indian cuisine around, along with the chance to experience real Indian culture.

 

GupShup is the dream of Raj and Sheetal Somaiya who own and operate one of the most successful luxury catering and events companies in the country – Payal Events. Confessed lovers of hospitality and dining out GupShup was a natural next step for the couple as it perfectly showcased their passion, as they put it – for finest Indian food, delectable drinks and exquisite customer service.

 

As the VIVA food aficionados, we decided to pay Gupshup a visit and see what all the hype was about.

 

 

We visited on a Thursday evening, in the midst of a Corona Virus worldwide panic. It’s hard to judge the atmosphere on a day like this however, to our surprise the restaurant was thriving. From couples to catch ups everyone seemed to be enjoying the Gupshup vibe.

 

We were seating towards the back of the restaurant which was a little quieter (and had better lighting – always good to note for the gram) and were greeted by our server Ramona. We were so impressed by her food knowledge. Not only did she explain the workings of the menu, but she was able to describe the flavours, textures and spice levels of all the dishes.

 

We began our experience with poppadum’s and a range of chutneys. We particularly enjoyed the pineapple chutney, a slightly different take on the much-loved mango chutney which of course was also present. We matched these with some of Gupshup’s signature cocktails. The clear winner for us was the Indian Sunset, made with Silver, Coconut, Pineapple and a Berry Foam.

 

 

For our starters we had opted for a chicken tikka pie, something we had never seen on an Indian menu before, and the more familiar lamb koftas. The pie was encased in a buttery puff pastry top, whilst the filling contained shredded pieces of chicken tikka, a great mix of English and Indian food culture.

 

Our mains consisted of the Butter Chicken, a dish which included tandoor cooked chicken tikka with a fenugreek flavoured makhani gravy, the Lamb Rogan Josh and the Dal Makhani. The Dal and the Butter Chicken are traditional Indian dishes originating from the Delhi & Punjab region of North India.

 

The Lamb Rogan Josh hails from the Kashmir region of North Indian and was a firm favourite of ours. The lamb was marinated and slow cooked to perfect with the chunks of lamb simply falling apart in the rich sauce. We paired our curries with rice, garlic naan and masala chips – thick cut chips dusted in masala spices.

 

 

Our server Ramona came to check on us regularly and shared her experiences with the different dishes. Her passion and enthusiasm for the food she was serving shone through.

 

Ramona was instrumental in helping us to choose our desserts. Gupshup have an array of traditional Indian desserts available which can be very hard to find in most Indian restaurants. We opted for the Gulab Jamun which is a mahogany brown, sweet and warm dumpling served with ginger, crème anglaise and pistachio.

 

 

We also tried the Kalakand, a reduced milk cake, with the consistency of a soft fudge served with a berry coulis and a berry sorbet on the side. This I have to admit was my personal favourite and overall hero dish. Gupshup is worth a visit for the Kalakand alone.

 

Overall the food and the service by far surpassed all expectations, so if you are in the mood to try something new – get yourselves down to Gupshup.

 

 

VIVA Verdict: Exceptional customer service and great food! Plenty of choice for everyone from meat eaters to vegetarians and vegans, every dietary requirement is spoilt for choice.