Newcastle's ever notorious Bigg Market. It's an adulteration of vulgar bars, weird 'clubs' and beyond drunk chavs ruminating on themselves. But thankfully, there are a number of brilliant eateries in the area that have upheld it's worth, as well as a fairly newly-managed Indian restaurant - Shiraz. Despite appearing to be oddly named after the wine yielding Syrah grape of Southern France, Shiraz is all about one thing - real, honest, authentic Punjabi food.
There are probably hundreds of lacklustre and pitifully weak 'Indian' restaurants in Newcastle, the majority of which hiding away in the depths of Fenham. Many of which plating up dubious meat in a variety of uninspiring sauces, most of which can only be differentiated by amount of stale chilli powder in them or the volume of oil they're drowning in. Shiraz, however, is the absolute opposite of these Asian abominations. They offer a comprehensive menu of classic Punjabi cuisine, encompassing brilliant vegetarian classics such as saag paneer and bhindi masala (okra), as well as tonnes of solid meat dishes. Their seekh kebab starter is also very much on point, as is the selection of desserts they offer, which thankfully includes homemade gulab jamun - the Fat Spoon's favourite. The menu doesn't feature anything too adventurous, but when your looking for authenticity in Punjabi cuisine, then Shiraz is quite possibly Newcastle's gold standard.
Oddly their website seems to have been suspended, but that certainly doesn't reflect their level of service. Shiraz offers personal service with a passionate knowledge of their cuisine as well as having that family-run vibe to it. The restaurant is clean cut and doesn't come coated in that layer of scabbiness that often surrounds lower cost Indian restaurants. The dishes are very fairly priced, but possessing a tastecard will reduce the cost of your curry feed to insanely little, bringing it near a rupee-like range and making for an absolute bargain. 83%
Westgate road and the areas of Fenham that it lead up to are an absolute haven for numerous sub-standard 'cafés', 'restaurants' and 'takeaways' of sheer filth. Generic, baseless menu's that poorly represent Persian or Asian cuisine; childishly and arrogantly parading shawarmas, kebabs and mixed grills of questionable meat, married with lacklustre flavours in vulgar venues. Many of which even the drunk-beyond-belief low life of the region would turn their noses up at. But it isn't all doom and grease on Westgate Road, there are handful of hidden gems amongst the rotten eggs and Moulin Rouge is definitely the crown jewel amongst them.
Moulin Rouge is a god send for anyone looking for an affordable but delicious solution to authentic Persian cuisine. Fresh ingredients, a simple open kitchen, daily specials and a very welcoming atmosphere are all features that Moulin Rouge should certainly pride themselves on. Better still, their not afraid of going beyond the standard 'grilled meat with rice on a plate', (although they do that very well too), they also provide a selection of less common traditional dishes....a wet dream for any restaurant punter sick of the sight of generic dishes that riddle dining culture these days.
Although it appears to be a simple café, Moulin Rouge is a whole lot more than that, their more complex specials, cheerful BYOB policy and highly accommodative service means that you can celebrate almost any occasion in this perfectly relaxed rustic venue. And if that wasn't enough, the sheer cost effectiveness and clean-eat nature of their cuisine will have you coming back time and time again. Although if you are wanting your fill of grease, then they've also perfected the art of hangover breakfasts, offering bargainous fry-ups that might literally save your bacon. On top of all that, they even have plenty of choice for those odd vegetarian types! - literally every man, woman and child needs to give Moulin a try. 81%
The Fat Spoon loves originality. And this alternative little café on Percy Street definitely has it by the bucket load, the main aim of their game being able to cater for vegans, vegetarians and gluten-dodgers in addition to the omnivore masses. The setting is quaint and rustic, but does have a warming feel to it...looking a little like mystics meg's dining room versus your Grandma's house. Despite it's dainty size, you can usually find a table amongst the hippie types floating about, usually discussing tea leaves in far too much details. But this theme of relaxed randomness continues with their menu, which covers breakfast options, Eastern and Indian dishes, as well as contemporary sandwiches, some interesting fish entries and some pretty perfect home baking.
It's all about homemade bait here, and they do what they can to make as much of it as possible on this tiny site. And largely it turns out pretty nice, the baked goods in particular are outstanding. They are the masters of bread and cake. Bow down and kiss the free-range, anti-government, team-nature, organic-lovers ring. And once you've tried their brilliantly rich cakes, scones and treats...you may well follow suit. They've got breakfast covered pretty well too, although portions aren't very big, you can really appreciate the wholesome nature of their takes on classic breakfasts. As said, there is plenty of choice for vegetarians, including some chunky dhal, ever glorious - grilled halloumi and of course falafel. Although on one occasion, the falafel let the side down. What should have been a patty of fried chickpea and coriander goodness tasted more like a ball of desiccating and bland gram flour shame. Don't skimp on the basics Scrumpy!
The service is largely very friendly, although failing to ask how the food was, is always something that will let the experience down. A restaurant should always be proud of their food and should always have the customer's review at the very forefront of their mind. This makes The Scrumpy a rather mixed bag nuts ... probably not dissimilar to many of the clientele. All-in-all it's worth donning your dreadlocks, bohemian clothing and book about 'igniting your free spirit', because The Scrumpy Willow and Singing Kettle has got some organic delights to behold. Particularly if you fear meat like gingers fear the sun, have a serious affliction with all things gluten or just love a bit of good old-fashioned afternoon tea and cake. 71%
