TIRED of leftover turkey and stuffing, I couldn’t wait to try something completely different.
And with a friend – a huge curry fan – returning to the North-east, there was no better way to welcome her home, than with a slap-up Indian meal.
So I decided to try award-winning Cinnamon on Union Street to see what all the fuss was about.
We had barely sat down at our candlelit table before the friendly staff had placed a selection of dips and poppadoms in front of us.
Normally a picky eater, I delved in to try the different flavours. The mango chutney and mint sauce gave the perfect amount of sweetness to the dry, crispy texture of the poppadoms.
My friend barely got a chance to try the food as I had one bite after another.
With our mouths watering, we didn’t take long to decide on our mains.
I decided to go with what I knew best, chicken korma with pilau rice.
My pal was more adventurous with her chicken bhoona and boiled rice, while we agreed to share a peshwari naan with garlic.
We decided there was no better way to toast a catch-up than with a bottle of wine and settled for the fruity house Chardonnay.
Having a good old gossip, it felt like no time at all before our mains had arrived.
The rich, creamy consistency of the korma was exactly what I had hoped it would be, with the flavours of coconut and spices bursting in my mouth.
The chicken was cooked to perfection, juicy and tender.
Both my friend and I tucked into the naan, which was rich with garlic. The large helping of pilau rice on the side added an extra zap of fragrance to my korma.
I wasn’t disappointed and it was obvious the award-winning chefs knew what they were doing.
While I wasn’t as daring as my fellow diner, I decided to sneak a taste of her chicken bhoona.
Full of garlic, caramelised onions, ginger and topped with coriander, the dish was an array of colours and tempting smells. After not-so-patiently waiting for my turn to try her dish, I was impressed with how the flavours complemented one another helping bring out subtle notes among some of the more powerful ones.
My friend was enjoying it too. You could tell as my hand was soon batted away from her bowl as I eyed up her tasty food.
Our plates were soon left spotless as we finished every last morsel.
We decided a dessert might be too much for our full stomachs, finishing off the last of our wine instead.
I was left contented and full, ready to be a little more adventurous on my next return to this fine restaurant.