Review of 'Ury Restaurant'

So there we were, wandering around on a Saturday night down by the river in Newcastle looking for a place to eat. A seemingly hopeless task at the best of times due to the fact that EVERYONE is looking for somewhere to eat (or, more importantly, DRINK) on a Saturday night in Newcastle. So, near the bridge we took a side street (Queen Street) and stumbled across Ury. Taking a quick look at the menu a helpful member of staff standing on the pavement for a bit of fresh air told us that they were not like other Indian restaurants in that they specialize in quality Southern-Indian cuisine (specifically from the “Kerala” region of south western India) and, better yet, they had tables available!

The interior is fresh and modern and had quite a pleasant buzz to it. We were shown to a table against the wall in a room where a large party of people were eating at a table in the middle of the room. As they had several children we were hopeful that they would not get too noisy as the evening went on, which turned out to be the case.

I cannot recall ever having seen much of what we found in the menu. They take their ethos of authentic, quality cuisine very seriously here and do not resort to the traditional baltis or vindaloos you would find at other “Indian” restaurants. The extensive menu is separated into “Banquet” - set meals ranging in price from £15.95 for the smaller “Kootu Feast” to £24 for a “Kerala Banquet”, “Starters” - with prices ranging from £5 to £6.50, “Vegetarian Starters” - £3.25 and £3.50 each, “Chicken” - £8 to £9.50, “Lamb” - about £9, “Beef” - “Vadakara Beef Roast” (£9), “Prawns” - about £10, “Crab” - “Crab Varuthathu” (£12), “Fish” - £9.50 to £11.50, “Vegetable Mains” - £6.50 to £7.50, “Side Dishes”, “Dosas” - savoury pancakes, “Rices”, “Breads” and “Madhuran” - desserts (£3 to £3.75). Everything had fairly unfamiliar names with the exception of a few items in the rices and breads but even there was the touch of the exotic including “Tamarind Rice” and “Appam” (rice pancake). I was fully prepared to go for the complete “Kerala Banquet” so I could try as many different things as possible but my companion was not terribly hungry so we decided to order a la carte.

Before settling on our mains, on advice of our understated yet helpful and patient waiter, we had the “Pre-Mealsnacks” (£3) which were an assortment of deep-fried pastries served with various chutneys - “Achappam”, “Pappadavadai”, “Banana Chips” (know that one!), “Murukku” and “Poppadams” (this one too!). This was absolutely delicious - crispy with wonderful, different textures and flavours throughout. The only thing that we did not entirely enjoy was the fish chutney that was a bit too fishy for us.

A was determined to give a bunch of things a try even if it was not the set menu so we ordered the “Chicken Chatty Biriyani (Chef Special)” (£9.50), “Idivettu Irachi Vatichathu” (£9.75) and “Moru Kachiathu” (£6.95) with sides of “Pulao Rice” (£3.25) and “Malabar Paratha”. Wow. The chicken was a somewhat familiar biriyani but wonderfully spiced and juicy chicken served in a massive clay pot, piping hot from the kitchen. The “Idivettu Irachi Vatichathu” was a small dish of diced lamb served with spcies and coconut slivers which was to die for, particularly on top of the rice (itself served in a mound on a small plate and containing coconut milk, tomatoes, cashews, onions and coriander - so hardly a tasteless rice). Though we were told this was quite dry we found it tender and wonderfully flavoured. The “Moru Kachiathu” is in the “Vegetable Mains” section of the menu and was a delightful surprise - Mangoes and green bananas cooked in yoghurt with green chillies, ginger and fresh curry leaves. The sweet and sour here worked very well, the risk being that it becomes more like a dessert but this was far from it - The only dish we finished off completely right then and there. Truly an eye-opener. We soaked up a lot of the delicious sauce using pieces of our (delicious) paratha (a thin fried bread).

We did not finish everything but the staff were more than happy to put our leftovers in takeaway containers for us (they also do takeaway and a rather reasonably priced set of dishes at lunch time). Despite suggestions we skipped the desserts but a number of them did look quite tempting but perhaps a bit more what you would expect in other Indian restaurants (ice cream, gulab jamun and kulfi for example) though there were a couple I have never heard of before…but, sadly, will have to wait until next time.

At £48.62 (food, 10% service charge and two non-alcoholic drinks) for the quality and sheer volume of food we had this was quite a good middle-of-the-range price. If you eat perhaps slightly more frugally than us it will be considerably cheaper. The staff were so friendly and relaxed we really enjoyed it. The food was unlike anything I have ever had again but I am anxious to try it again - The menu says they prepare their dishes with love and it certainly shows here. Wonderful textures and contrasting flavours not overpowered by the heat of chillies or the slathering of sauces. It might be a bit off the beaten path but it is most definitely worth seeking out.

Rating: “I have absolutely no complaints”

Review Date: 2016-05-07

Cuisine: Indian

Address: 27 Queen Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, England NE1 3UG

Location: Newcastle (England)

Map:

Telephone: +44 191 232 77 99

URL: http://www.uryrestaurants.com/