A recent dinner - all 10 courses - at Opheem confirmed that, as 2026 progresses, all is well at Birmingham’s 2 Michelin star restaurant despite Chef Patron Aktar Islam having recently opened a restaurant in London, Oudh 1722, and his attention necessarily being directed to that establishment. Dinner at Opheem remains a memorable experience which should be enjoyed at every possible opportunity. The welcome is as professional as one could ever hope for, the delicious pre-dinner snacks are as gorgeous as ever and the gentle transfer from lounge to dining room is managed as soothingly as anyone could wish, the anticipation growing during the course of the short up to one’s table.
The menu is of course meticulously curated - delightful new dishes jostle with old favourites, such as the universally beloved aloo tuk, for the title of best dish of the meal. The paper menu itself is presented in a new luxurious-looking packet with the appearance of black velvet and two red macarons tastefully and discreetly nestling at the bottom just as cameos of the king are positioned on a postage stamp
Of course, I enjoyed it all - the deep fried shisho leaf pakora with chutneys is such a brilliant take on poppadoms and mango chutney as we have long been used to in local Indian restaurants dating back to the 1960s - I wonder how many poppodums have been nibbled at by Englishmen in the past fifty years - probably trillions of them by now, a figure to dwarf Elon Musks trillion dollar salary. Then there was the mildly spiced Orkney scallop, finely and accurately cooked and aptly served with mooli and apple, the dish rejoicing in the name of Badami korma.
Amla tok was a dish of Cornish sea bass, again accurately cooked and bringing with it Indian gooseberries and gourd and Wazwan was a delicious way to present hogget. Saagwala was a presentation of Guinea fowl with spinach, wild garlic and seekh kebab with a toothsome accompanying bharta.
The desserts were familiar and none the worse for that and the post-dinner mignardises were also old favourites but too good not to enjoy again - the gorgeous mini-Madeleine and the fabulous canale should in reality be consumed in large numbers by everyone on a daily basis to lift the national mood.
Opheem, supreme.
Rating:- 🌞🌞🌞
26 March 2026.
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