May 2003: Please note that Mirch Masala no longer offer a buffet.

Habitués of the Cowley Road with an interest in reasonably-priced exotic cuisine will have noticed the recent metamorphosis of the Mirch Masala at numbers 137-139. Closed for some time, the restaurant recently reopened with a distinct party-venue feel to it, and this is obviously having the desired effect. When my dining partner and I asked for a table, we were greeted with the incredulous response "Only two?!", and as we ate, two groups arrived to take up their pre-booked tables amongst the flowing pot-plants (one being a party of young Asian professionals celebrating a birthday). The background music kept the atmosphere lively, with everything from classical to indian pop, and this vivacity seemed reflected in other touches about the place (such as the small model people posing like the Blues Brothers on the roof of the ornate beach-style bar).

Service was prompt and extraordinarily amiable. We were informed immediately of the existence of the £7.95 all-you-can-eat buffet, which occurs 6 days a week (Mirch is closed Mondays) between 6.30 and 11pm. This was indeed the reason we were there. No sooner had our drinks orders been taken than they had appeared magically before us, and we were being urged to make a foray over toward the food counters.

A glorious array of stuff was on display, and if you are the sort of person who goes to indian restaurants with friends to share all the dishes, this will of course be your dream come true (as it was mine). In the separate compartments of the steel canteen-style main course trolley could be found vegetable korma, chicken korma, vegetable, lamb and chicken baltis, chicken madras, chana and tarka dhals (yellow split peas and lentils respectively), Bombay aloo (spicy dry potatoes), aubergine, okra, muttar paneer (peas and fried milk curd), sag aloo (spinach) and possibly more. On the end of the trolley were stacks of warm poppadums, piles of meat and vegetarian samosas, onion bhajis and an enormous plate of small round fluffy patty-type things and a huge container of sweet halva (worth saving for later - details to follow). In another vaguely refrigerated trolley could be found all the typical sundries, including an evil lime pickle (which my dining friend described as "quite limey" as I attempted to quench the fire in my mouth with beer), runny mango chutney, raita (cucumber, yoghurt and onion dip), traditional Indian restaurant salad (chopped up onion, cucumber, tomato), pickled vegetables (gherkins, carrots, beans) - and a couple of dessert fruits (lychees and guavas).

Rather overcome by this abundance of foodstuffs, I visited almost every container to collect a small portion and pile it greedily onto my plate. Chastised by the kindly manager for eating the wrong way round (I suppose I could have had starters followed by mains…!), I made my way slowly through the first plate, pacing myself. The chana dhal was a little salty according to my co-diner, but I like salty lentils; the spinach was deliciously sloppy, the muttar paneer splendidly chewy, the fluffy patties soft and tasty, the mango chutney sweet and mangoey, etc, etc. The peshwari naan deserves a special mention. Freshly cooked to order (as are all the naans), it was pink, light, crispy and delicious, a revelation compared to the featureless carbohydrate curry-mops one often receives in less salubrious establishments.

A rather tinny pint of Kingfisher later and I was back to the food counter, shovelling halva (not the Greek-style, super-sweet sesame-seed fibreglass, but the asian version: a deliciously squidgy cake of almond and sultanas) onto the edge of my plate (for which I was jovially chastised by the restaurant's proprietor - I could have had a pudding plate, you know). Feeling finally stuffed with savouries, we had a short digestive break before embarking upon the finale. Of course, no proper and fully investigative review is complete without experimenting with desserts (!), and so two ice creams were called for (extra to the buffet price, but worth it). I had pistachio and almond kulfi in a delightful little lidded cauldron; laden with condensed milk, it was the perfect end to a spicy meal. Sorbets and other kulfis are also available. Resisting coffee and finally calling for the bill, we were told that we could not possibly leave, as it was not 11 o'clock yet!
If only we'd had the time to stay.

Takeaway is starting soon, and I can't wait.

Su Jordan

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I'm not a big curry fan, having been to a few too many places where the chef obviously learnt to cook on a Club 18-30 holiday. Yet, armed with just some personal recommendations and a flyer, we made the brave trip down the Cowley Road to the Mirch Masala Indian & Pakistani/Balti Restaurant, and boy, was it worth the trip. We started off with beautifully fresh pakoras and a Chicken Tikka Sizzler - a piping hot platter of spiced chicken breast served on a bed of fried onions. Spicy but not uncomfortably so, this was served with a cooling dish of mint dressing, and wonderfully conditioned the tastebuds for the main course. Taking the advice of the staff we decided on just one bowl of pilau rice between us, and this proved sufficient when the quantity of the rest of the food was taken into account.

A large bowl of gorgeously creamy Chicken Korma proved that mild does not have to mean bland, and a traditional dish filled with Chicken Balti mixed fresh vegetables and spices with prime pieces of meat - again, flavoursome but not unnecessarily hot. The naan is worth a special mention; light, spongy and packed full of flavour (both the garlic and peshwari are highly recommended), these were the size of a large dinner plate and, with both varieties costing under £2 each, provided exceptional value for money. This medley of tastes was soothed with Lassi (yoghurt) drinks, exactly the sort of thing that could prove too sickly and spoil the flavours, but both the mango and banana varieties gave just the right balance of retaining the original sweetness of the fruit and supplying the needed refreshment.

It was with genuine regret that we found we could not finish all we had ordered, but winding down the meal with Mango Kulfi Ice Cream and coffee is always a good move, no matter how replete you feel. The restaurant is now fully licensed, which was not the case when we visited, and the recent refit has taken care of the appearance issue- it used to look like a bit scruffy and takeaway-like.

The Mirch Masala is well worth seeking out, not only because it has one of the best reputations in town for authentic cooking, but because the prices are so incredibly reasonable. Including the tip, the above meal only came to £25, and we honestly couldn't have eaten any more. Aside from this the staff are extremely friendly, and overall you would be hard pressed to find a better deal in Oxford for Indian cuisine.

Pam Green

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And on the other hand...

I had always wanted to try this place, since it always looked nice from the outside (though I did wonder why it never looked very busy, but previously put this down to the large size of the place. Now, however...).

Having decided to go here on a Sunday with a friend (since we couldn't be bothered to cook), we were alone until two other couples came in to the restaurant. It was going well until the starter arrived. My lamb tikka on a sizzling hotplate turned out to be chicken, so back it went into the kitchen. Five minutes later the starter I ordered appeared, looking suspiciously like my original offering with the chicken pieces removed and replaced with a few pieces of lamb. Unfortunately, the onions were charcoaled and I still found a stray piece of chicken.

In addition, our poppadoms failed to arrive (they seemed to be taken to another table), and our main dishes - a Lamb Dopiaza and a Chicken Jalfrezi - appeared when they arrived to be the same dish twice (there was chicken in my friend's lamb dish and the sauces appeared to be the same). The best thing ordered was the mushroom rice (which didn't have any chicken in it).

All in all this was far from being a satisfactory dining experience.

Amy Tang