The Indian Ocean - Ashton

T 0161 343 3343

A Stamford Street East, Ashton-under-Lyne, OL6 6QH

W http://www.indianoceanonline.co.uk/restaurant/

E : info@indianocean.co.uk

The Curry Council set off on their long journey to Ashton. It was Paul Day's turn to organise the monthly curry. Mr Day, who is now a fully fledged Tameside inhabitant (he supports Manchester City, sports a mullet, limp and a tash to match), provided some very dubious directions to the the Indian Ocean and caused confusion for some members after leaving the M60.

This was the Rodent's fifth attempt at organising the November curry and it ended up being in the first week of December.

Founded in 1993, the Indian Ocean is rated as one of Tameside's premier Indian Restaurant's and came highly recommended. The restaurant was named the region's finest curry house at the 2007 British Curry Awards.

We arrived at an impressive looking building next to a church, with very adequate car parking facilities.

Upon arrival, we were seated at a large open bar area and offered drinks whilst waiting for the remainder of our party to arrive. Cool pints of draught Cobra were served (at a reasonable £2.60) and small bottles of Cobra were also available.

We were then seated at our open table, with the restaurant offering both a mix of luxurious private booths and open seating. The interior has a vibrant yet stylish mix of colours and textures.

Poppodums were served whilst the Curry Council slowly deliberated over their meal choice. The venue offered a wide and varied menu, ranging from traditionally prepared Indian, Kashmiri and Punjabi cuisine.

The food was of a good standard. The lamb and chicken Harri Boti starters (both priced at £3) were enjoyed by two members of our party. Both came marinated in a yoghurt dressing flavoured with lemon, garlic and a mixture of herbs and chillies.

A highly unusual 'Onion Bhaji' Naan Bread was available on the menu. The thought of combining these two all-time classic Indian dishes had the Council licking their lips. This proved to be very tasty and was priced at a reasonable £2.

A selection of main courses were sampled by our party and thoroughly enjoyed. The Chicken Tikka Jalfrezi can be recommended. The main courses range from £6 to £12*.

Overall the restaurant offers a pleasant indian dining experience in a clean and modern environment. The food and service on offer was good with the waiters even providing a helping hand with our photos.


CurryCouncil Rating

Food 8/10
Service 7/10
Atmosphere 8/10
Value for money 7/10
Originality 8/10

Overall 7.6 / 10

* All Prices correct as at December 2007