Restaurant review: Indian restaurant curries favour

WHILE Ashoka is part of a chain of restaurants (with 13 across Scotland), it certainly doesn’t feel like it.

When you step into the Ashton Lane eatery, it is like stepping back in time — in a good way.

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Ashoka knows what it is, and it’s good at it. The restaurant is an old style Indian, perfect for a group or a couple in need of a curry...

To start, my friend and I chose king prawn butterfly to share. Before I get to the sauce, it would be remiss not to mention the size of the prawns.

In comedian Stewart Lee’s stand up, he discusses a primary reason often listed by those who emigrate as being the size of the prawns.

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He waxes lyrical about his hate for “emigrants” and their boast of “MASSIVE PRAWNS, five times the size of your ludicrous British prawns..quality of life, prawns”.

Well it’s a long way for a shortcut, but basically what I am trying to say is that there is no need to flea to Oz if prawns are your primary reason; head to Ashoka, because the prawns are huge.

Served with an absolutely delicious garlic butter sauce, you can taste the chilli, garlic and ginger — making it a quality starter.

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For my main, I wimped out and went for the Desi lamb, cooked on the bone with onions, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, garlic and fresh coriander.

While it was delicious, I did face a bit of an inferiority complex as my friend’s order of south Indian garlic chilli chicken came with a warning and an offer of a glass of milk.

Our mains came with sides of Peshwari naan, topped with coconut shavings, dried fruit and flaked almonds — perfect for bravely dipping into the garlic chilli sauce.

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Ashoka has become a bit of an institution in Glasgow, and it’s easy to see why — because restaurants like this play a key part as to why Glasgow is consistently named Scotland’s curry capital.

Rating: 8/10

Ashoka

19 Ashton Lane

Hillhead

Glasgow

G12 8SJ

Tel: 0141 337 1115