To be frank, it has been rather a long time since I dined at Rajdoot in George Street in the Jewellery Quarter but on the other hand I have paid it quite a lot of visits over many years. I was staying in town for a couple of days and Tuesday as well as Monday being the days of the week when chefs rest or just gird up their loins for tomorrow’s Michelin awards announcements (though I suppose some already know by now), I decided a return at last to this colourful and atmospheric old stamping ground was in order in the face of almost everywhere else worth mentioning being closed.
The Rajdoot is a hoary old beast. Established in 1966 (not in its present location) it was one of only six Birmingham restaurants to be mentioned in the first ever red Michelin Great Britain And Ireland Guide, the others being Lorenzo, La Capanna, Lambert Court, Danish Food Centre, Royal in Sutton Coldfield and Manor House in West Bromwich. It has been a remarkable survival given how restaurants come and go, often in the blink of an eye. It may well be the oldest Birmingham restaurant around apart from those associated with hotels, such as The Plough and Harrow, or pubs, though at the time of its founding the concept of the gastropub was a long way off.
So how was it going in this modern age of Opheem, Dishoom, modern British, sustainability, foraging, street food and The Peaky Blinders?
The place has changed very little, if at all, from my recollection of it since my previous visit there which was probably four or five years ago. It is really very attractive and atmospheric and pleasingly spacious. The crimson and pink walls and the scattered burgundys and purples give the restaurant a warm and luxurious feel to it. The decor, though familiar, still causes excitement and a little gasp of awe. Change is good they tell us but it would be a pity to see this long established and fabulous, near-legendary, Birmingham dining room replaced by the chic, clean-cut, now almost clichéd look that can be seen in restaurants across the city centre.
And how luxuriously smart the tables look - bright, white, crisp tablecloths, napkins folded like pieces of origami, all a rare sight in year 2022 restaurants. The staff are smart, polite, respectful and helpful. A grand start to a meal which reminds us that former glories, good enough to be mentioned in the past in the Michelin Guide, still have their place. And so to the food.
I suppose tastes in south Asian dining have evolved since Rajdoot was attracting the attention of the French tyre people back in 1974. It would be surprising if they had not. Presentation is everything, sometimes even to the cost of the deliciousness food. At Rajdoot food is served rather more rusticly - bold, generous, robust portions presented with green salad garnishes rather than nasturtium leaves or tiny pansy flowers. Such was the case with my starter of whopping, very tasty Gingered lamb chops (“Best of British lamb from local produce. Lamb cutlets in a blend of yogurt, fresh ginger, garlic with chef’s special selection of mixed spices grilled on the tandoor”). In truth, served perhaps with a vegetable side dish this was a meal in itself but I thoroughly enjoyed eating it with the little bursts of ginger bursting through from time to time.
I chose my main course from the House specialities section of the perhaps over-extensive menu (with so many choices how can the diner decide what to eat and how cost-effective is it for the restaurant to offer so much choice?). I settled on Murgh Hariyali Hyderabadi (“Boneless pieces of chicken breast cooked with fresh coriander, mint, green chilli and spinach with a blend of specially selected spices from our chef”). The chicken was cooked quite satisfactorily and the nice thick sauce was pleasingly spicy but it was not possible to pick out any of the individual flavours of what exactly constituted “chef’s special blend”. There was a dry, bhuna-like flavour to the dish and this was balanced nicely by the sweetness of a very fine Peshwari naan. Not delicious but tasty and, like the lamb chops, a very generously sized portion so that I could only manage half of the serving but the rest was fated to go home with me to be sure none was wasted.
I finished off with four tasty wedges of ‘homemade’ kulfi which were very pleasing and refreshing.
It wouldn’t be hard to bring Rajdoot into the 21st Century. The restaurant and its gorgeous decor should not be altered and it would be regretful if the tablecloths and neatly laid tables were casualised but the menus need reducing in size and the dishes refining for the tastes of 2022. I like the place. It isn’t hard to imagine it, with some updating, featuring once more in the Michelin Guide. Oh, and by the way, I enjoyed my visit there much more than that when I visited the Michelin-listed Asha’s last year, even if Asha’s is the place where Hollywood film stars order seconds of their main courses.
