Blue Tiffin - Oldham - Review

T 0161 628 2005 
A Blue Tiffin Restaurant, Laurel Trading Estate, Higgingshaw Lane, Royton, OL2 6LH
E info@bluetiffin.co.uk 
W http://www.bluetiffin.co.uk/

The Blue Tiffin must be the second largest indian restaurant that we have visited, seating a total of 210 diners whilst also being able to seat a further 120 in the entertainment and function room where there is live entertainment at weekends.

We were left to ponder over the menus in the very pleasant waiting area and bar and were promptly brought our drinks.

Starters were free with a main course on a mid week offer, so the meat mixed starter was ordered without reading the menu where I was suprised to have an onion bhaji and no sheek kebab,lesson learned.

Advert for free starter

Main was a Chicken tikka rezzela cooked in the tandoori then further cooked with mint and corriander, onion and capsicum.

Whilst not great overall you could taste the different flavours and depth of the dish, yet it sat very heavilly on the stomach, and it was a relief to finish the dish. The rice portions are very small and a full portion each and 1/2 naan would be recomended.

This is a very pleasant restaurant with excellent service and would have a great atmosphere when busy at weekends.

The first thing that struck me on arriving was the rather unusual location for a restaurant. The Blue Tiffin is situated in the middle of the Laurel Trading estate in Royton (Oldham). With an impressive frontage and fantastic parking facilities the restaurant is appealing to those happy to jump in the car for an evening out.

The Blue Tiffin Restaurant, Bar and Entertainment Lounge can cater for upto 330 diners which gives you some indication to the size of the place. Whilst the main room is large (seats 210) a rather smart dividing wall ensures that the place feels intimate and the complete opposite of a banqueting suite.

The slightly smaller Entertainment Lounge and Function Room offers additional a dining capacity of 120. At the time of writing the Blue Tiffen are inviting guests to “Strictly Come Dine and Dance” other themed nights are offered throughout the year. Visit the website for more details.

The place had a nice buzz and was reasonably busy for a Wednesday evening. We all opted for the Sunday to Thursday “promo” which provides guests with free starters with any main course. I opted for the Chicken Chat Puri consisting of Chicken Tikka mixed with chickpeas, onions and tomatoes . For my main I went with the Blue Tiffin Balti Exotica, priced £10.95 from the House Specials options.

I really enjoyed my balti, it contained a nice selection of chicken tikka, lamb tikka, lamb chops and some delightful garlic chicken. The strength (medium to hot) was spot on , the dish was served in an authentic  balti. For me the starter didn’t quite meet the quality of my main, I felt this was quite dry and was to mild for my taste.

Overall I enjoyed my experience, the interior and facilities are really, really impressive. The place feels special.   I felt the staff were slightly overkeen on offering drinks which became rather tiresome. Despite this the service was excellent. The overall bill came to just over £20 which I believe offers great value for money. 

We noticed upon our arrival that the Blue Tiffin had a promotion running in the month of September.  This was certainly a good time to visit as the restaurant was offering a free starter with any main course that was purchased.

The Blue Tiffin were the winners of the Spice Times best local restaurant in the North West award in 2010.  The restaurant offers much more than just food and including live entertainment, a dance floor with DJ and live vocalists.

There were six of us in attendance tonight, which is now sadly more than a good turnout for the CurryCouncil.   The usual suspects were missing including Dayo, who has not attended a curry since July 2010 and Hague who has been AWOL since March 2011.

It now surely must be time to revoke their membership to the CurryCouncil.  Do we have an X factor style audition to replace them or do we just admit that eight has become six?

I had the vegetarian mixed starter which included an onion bhaji, two pieces of mushroom pakora, samosa and was garnished with a rather small side salad.  This starter would normally be priced at £3.95 and thankfully this dish was free of charge (please see photo below).
 

Vegetarian mixed starter

The vast selection of main courses on offer was impressive (starting from £7.95 and going up to £13.95).  I went for the Chicken Tikka Afghani for my main and was disappointed with my choice.  It was far too heavy on the vegetables with the diced onions tasting slightly undercooked and this dish just wasn’t for me.

The rice portions were very much on the small side and were priced at £2.30.  The naan bread would be recommended and was perfect for sharing.

The meal came in at £21 per head, including the free starter and represented fair value for money.  I may have just made a bad decision with my choice of meal but sadly the Blue Tiffin didn't impress on some aspects of the food for me.

Unusual location, on a trading estate but well positioned on a fairly busy main road. Well lit with an impressive exterior and with plenty of car parking spaces directly outside.

On entering the actual restaurant I was extremely impressed with the interior and decor and it actually had the feel of a swanky bar or nightclub.

I opted for a cold pint of Kingfisher over the other usual indian lager option (Cobra) and it was spot on.

Popps and chutnies were fine and the red hot sauce had a real nice kick.

I shared a mixed meat/veg starter (Chicken and lamb tikka, meat samosa, veg samosa, onion bhaji and mushroom pakora) which was good but I felt that there could have been a bit more on offer in terms of quantity.

For mains, I went for a Head chef special, which was apparently created using the chef's knowledge and experience of having worked in some of the best restaurants in the U.K. My choice of 'Blue Tiffin Thawa' was absolutely fantastic. It consisted of Chicken Tikka, Lamb Tikka, Garlic chicken and lamb chops specially prepared with the finest herbs and spices. The meat was especially tasty. It just melted in the mouth and it felt like it had been marinated for days, especially the chops where the meat just fell off the bone. There was a good amount and lots of variety. It was easily one of the best curries I have had this year and worthy of the trip here alone.

Rice and the Chicken Tikka Afghani

We ordered the usual sundries and the Peshwari nan was excellent.

Overall, the Blue Tiffin was a very good Indian restaurant with good service and even better food. It isn't the cheapest place to eat in the local area but you do get your moneys worth, particularly when you take into account the wonderful interior surroundings and also if you consider making the meal into a full night with the bar and entertainment lounge available there.

The Blue Tiffin comes across as an American style restaurant just off the highway, quite an unusual location and spot for a “Curry House”.

This American style approach does seem to work.  What is impressive about the Blue Tiffin is the size and décor within the establishment, although tablecloths aren’t part of the table dressing, which in my opinion doesn’t do justice to the rest of the restaurant surrounding and feel

So with quite an impressive “starter for 10” what did I think of the food.

Well, Pops and dips are on the more traditional side and served in the “typical” stainless steel pots, we haven’t seen this for a while at CC.com as other restaurants this year have opted for porcelain dishes.  The Blue Tiffin may want to consider this as an option as it does make that extra difference to the feeling of quality and style within the restaurant.  Also only the 4 standard dips where offered so nothing really extra to comment on although pops seemed fresh and crispy.

I went for the Chicken Chatt starter.  The dish was “OK” but may of benefitted from some additional flavour and perhaps a better quality cut/choice of chicken?

For mains I went for the Tawah chicken. Good presentation of the “speciality” dish served in the pan, but seemed to lack slightly in flavour compared to similar dishes we have tasted this year at other establishments. Perhaps leaving the meat to marinade longer may be an option or “spicing the dish up a bit” to give it some kick. (although again this is only personal opinion) so others may disagree

All in all a “OK” curry I’d give this about a 6.5 out of 10 based on the restaurants reviewed this year

Nice/OK restaurant but wouldn’t necessarily return again.

The Blue Tiffin would certainly be worth a visit if you want to combine a traditional curry night with some live entertainment.  The restaurant would be perfect for a works night out or family celebration.

The restaurant is vibrant, clean and modern, offering an extensive menu to suite all tastes.