Established in 1977, Rupali is one of those old school curry houses that validates why the cuisine is a long standing favourite for this nation. Situated in the heart of Newcastle the ever glamorous Bigg market of course, makes Rupali a regular venue for many of the city's patrons. They arrogantly boast a solid reputation holding various awards for their notorious 'curry hell'; numerous celebrity visits and even Gordon Ramsey's recommendation. And in all fairness, the food is very good. Authenticity and quality ingredients are well employed across all of their dishes, making every trip enjoyable.
You can expect good service in their clean-cut, albeit rather small restaurant up the random flight of stairs near Bambu. And like the vast majority of Indian restaurants, they offer all of the expected 'classics' or rather generic dishes that you can rely on. They also offer a selection of more interesting speciality dishes, although these can be a little expensive given the portion size. Sadly, their special thali dishes (a steel platter of a variety of dishes, rices, bread and dessert - iconic of dining in thousands of India's cafes) has been stripped from the menu. Clearly they've focused on a more profitable à la carte style menu, which is a real shame.
That said, there isn't anything wrong with Rupali, their dishes are indeed very tasty. They've just lost some of their spice based magic. Unless of course you are hunting for heat... if you are particularly keen to tempt a Indian style bout of explosive visits to the toilet, then their naga chilli enriched 'curry hell' will leave you sweating in places you didn't think it were possible. And you haven't burnt most of your tongue off/a hole in your trousers and come to finish it you will get the meal for free. Bargain!....sort of. 80%
Restaurants don't always have to be super pretty, overtly fancy or come with the most courteous of serving staff to be appreciated in some lights. After all, what's most crucially important (to the Fat Spoon especially) is the food, which is difficult to mess up when you've selected a simple menu. Unless of course, said restaurant's kitchen has the production ability of a defective turd. Marmaris is yet another new restaurant in Newcastle, a Turkish grill house that thankfully isn't too generic. And they're not at all afraid of getting their meat out.
You can expect all of the classic cold starters, such as hummus, stuffed vine leaves, tabelluh and various ezmes, best served as part of a cold meze platter. As well as hot favourites like falafal, various kebabs and koftes, spicy sucuk and of course hallumi. Again great as sharing starters with some of there suspiciously cheap wine. If you're looking for a relatively low fat, high protein main, then the mixed meat grill is exactly what the personal trainer ordered. A medley of all your favourite animals, married together under the smoke and spices of Turkey. Individual meat meals are available, but if you know what's good for you then the mixed grill will suffice.
Marmaris BBQ House is another case of judge a book by it's cover. Sure, the interior looks like a bizarre cross between a kebab shop in Bradford with a doctor's surgery in the Middle East. It isn't your eyes, their TV projector is actually askew and the staff may seem a little dazed and confused, it is still worth a trip. The meat quality seems to be good and you cannot argue with the authenticity of the Turkish barbecue flavours they manage to incorporate into every dish. Get yourself some mint barbie bait, without having to be doused in fire or smoke. 76%
In city where the market of Japanese cuisine is dominated by the likes of St. Sushi, Nudo and Yo! Sushi, it can be very difficult to make a name for yourself even in an under represented dining genre such as Japanese food. You can either take a back seat throne like Spital Tongues' Tenji. Or you can jump right in the thick of it, roaring like a fine dining beast....just like this Beauty. Although the initial vibe you'll get from the teeny tiny Osaka is one of peace and harmony, you will soon find that their menu packs more vibrancy than many of the generic bars and commercial restaurants of Grey Street put together.
Osaka isn't just another run of the mill sushi house, they boast a monstrous variety of these fresh seafood based delights, offering them in all shapes and all sizes. The sheer palate tingling level of freshness continues through to their excellent value bento boxes, their blazing teppanyaki dishes and elegant noodle dishes. But the must try prizes here are amongst the speciality maki and temaki dishes. Deep fried sushi sounds like hideous Scottish molestment of this delicate cuisine. But actually it's the closest you can get to deviant indulgence without taking your clothes off.
Everything fits together at Osaka, from the incorporation of some brilliant Japanese wines and sakes to the beautiful set-up and complementary attendees. Watch out you old timers of sushi production, because Osaka has arrived. It's fresh, it's new....and it's coming for you. And it's definitely contributing to the expension of this hugely vivid Asian cuisine in a sexy way. 85%
