To use the word Heaven when naming a restaurant takes confidence. Punjabi Heaven opened in Oakwood in May. Owned and run by Daljit Singh, a former chef at Cats Pyjamas, and his partner, Regina Santo, this is clearly a venture both are passionate about.
We were met by Regina as soon as we approached the door. I noticed that she tries to welcome every guest. Some were clearly regulars, judging by the ‘catching up chat’. Brightly coloured menus are dispensed as soon as you are seated and orders taken promptly.
It was hard to decide what to eat. There is a good range of chat, dosa and curries. I was tempted by the samosa chat but decided upon the more unusual Aloo Tikki Cholay Chat. We also ordered Punjabi Fish Pakora for starters.
Mains were even more difficult. Few restaurants in Leeds make dosa, so an order of stuffed rice pancake was a given. Yet, it seemed wrong not to try the curry too, and should it be meat or vegetable curry? In the end we ordered one of each, a Sagg Paneer and a Rajasthani Lall Mass, a rich lamb curry, accompanied by Naan and pilau rice.
Yes, we did over order, but we tasted a great range of food and had some to take home. Food here is made for sharing. Everything, even the dosa, is served in the centre of the table to enable everyone to partake.
The drinks menu is also longer than in most Asian restaurants. I was pleased to see that there was a choice of three different ciders. I find that cider makes a light, refreshing accompaniment to curry and wish more curry houses would stock it. They also sell my particular favourite, Old Mout Lime and Kiwi. My partner wanted to try the draught Bombay IPA, but unfortunately it had run out, so he settled for a Delhi Lager.
While we were waiting for our food we took in the ambience. There is a shiny, professional looking bar and murals have been painted on the wall, to brighten the interior and match the street food vibe. I have to say the acoustics are not great – it was quite noisy when two-thirds full. An Asian sound track with a strong bass added to the background noise. Some people might appreciate this ‘buzz’ but personally I prefer a calmer environment when eating. There is also scientific research that suggests that sound affects how we experience food, so I may not be the only person with this issue.
I was pleased to see that there are also benches outside the restaurant. One of these was occupied by two Sikh gentlemen when we arrived. A nearby bicycle perhaps told the story of a trip to Roundhay Park, or a stop on the way home from work. Punjabi Heaven has recently started serving lunch on Saturdays and Sundays. I could imagine myself grabbing one of their tables after walking the dog around the park.
My musings were interrupted by the arrival of our starters. Both were well presented, although I wondered why the Aloo Tikka required a bamboo tray as well as a plate. We had chosen two fried dishes but neither was at all oily. The potato patties kept their shape and crunch despite the saucy chickpeas, chutneys and pomegranate seeds. The dish was a pleasing combination of colours, textures and tastes. I might have liked a little more tamarind but as it happened our perfectly spiced and fried tilapia fish came with a pot of tamarind chutney.
Daljit came to check that we were happy with our food. Regina and Daljit initially opened a take-away in Burley in August 2021. Although this did well, he clearly enjoys contact with customers.
Seeing someone enjoying eating your food is another level of satisfaction. He actively seeks feedback and constantly monitors proceedings to make sure everything is running well. I was impressed by the way he jumped in to fetch me a pint glass and more ice, seeing my disappointment with a small glass with a couple of lumps of ice for my cider.
Our dosa was large, thin and crispy. The Mysore Masala filling was rich and clearly contained more than just potato and spice. The addition of other vegetables made it softer and tastier than many dosa fillings. The dosa, as is traditional, came with three accompaniments. The vegetable curry sauce was easily recognisable but the coconut chutney and sambal were less traditional. The sambal was tomato based and very spicy. The coconut chutney was thick and creamy, so thick I used a knife to spread it on my dosa. Some might find it too thick but I much preferred it to the watery concoctions you are often served, that make your dosa soggy and do not have the intense flavour found here.
Sometimes you taste a dish and are immediately transported somewhere else. So it was, when I tasted the Sagg Paneer. I was suddenly in a garden restaurant in India, tucking into sagg paneer and roti after a day’s sightseeing. I cannot remember which town or city I was in, but I remember that taste. Creamy puréed spiced spinach enveloping large pieces of fresh paneer. I truly could have been in India not Oakwood.
It did make me realise that I should have ordered roti not naan. There was nothing wrong with the naan or pilau rice but I suspect their roti are better. I definitely needed something to dip into the rich sauce of the Rajasthani Lall Mass. Again, I recognised the flavouring of the sauce, a curry eaten in Udaipur, but this was even better than I had eaten in India. The Asian climate does not favour the rearing of the tender lamb in the Yorkshire version.
We were left with half a bowl of sagg paneer and half a bowl of lamb curry. A member of staff brought us small containers so we could pack what we wanted to take away. I was pleased to see that we were given small tubs rather than large boxes, I only have a small freezer, and who needs a full container for half a portion?
Punjabi Heaven clearly does a good takeaway service. Delivery couriers and members of the public had appeared at regular points throughout our meal to collect food. They never seemed to have to wait more than a minute or two and the brisk takeaway trade did not interfere with restaurant service. We waved goodbye to Daljit as he set off to deliver a bag of Punjabi treats.
We were offered desserts but were too full for even a kulfi, sorbet or ice cream. A tray of two types of sugar-coated nibbles came at the end of the meal. The bill came to £60, which was reasonable given how much we had ordered.
Almost heaven: I will certainly be returning to this restaurant.
Walking back to the car park next to Oakwood Clock I was struck by how many new bars and restaurants have sprung up here in the last couple of years. In the past, a new Asian restaurant would have taken trade from Bengal Brasserie, but that was also busy. The large newer restaurants, Chop Haus and Bab Tooma, had a brisk trade. Stew and Oyster in Boston Spa has closed, but the Oakwood branch is still going strong. It is worth keeping an eye on Oakwood. It could soon become a more popular place to eat and drink than Headingly or Chapel Allerton.
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Photography by Debbie Rolls. Cover photograph: Daljit at the bar.
