Review of Alishan in Wisbech: Delicious food, great options and reasonable prices
Who doesn't love a good old Indian, especially on a cold evening? It definitely has to be high on the list of my favourite foods.
Both myself and my mum have been to Alishan in Wisbech a couple of times and after being left impressed I wanted to take my dad.
My parents and I booked a table for 7.30pm on Wednesday for its banquet night.
Upon entering the venue, it was very busy as expected so we had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. We were greeted straight away by a polite waiter who sat us on the seats next to the bar while we waited, and also took our drink order.
I opted for just water, mum went for a Coke and dad went for a pint of beer.
When we were shown to our table tucked away in the corner, the room was quite loud with it being very busy so we struggled to hear each other across the table but I guess it was great to see an independent business attracting such good trade.
The waiter took our food orders – and as it was banquette night we got a starter, main, side and rice for £17 each.
I chose to play it safe and get my favourite curry – a chicken korma – along with boiled rice, a side of Sag Aloo which is a spinach and potatoes dish, a starter of veg samosas and I added a peshwari naan for an extra 90p.
Dad loves spicy foods so the chicken vindaloo caught his eye, and he had that with special Alishan rice with a side of onion bhajee and mixed kebab as his starter, with a garlic naan for an extra 90p.
Mum went for the chicken tikka with pilau rice, a side of onion bhajee, and chicken chat puri as her starter with a garlic naan for an extra 90p as well.
We were all really hungry and looking forward to our food but the wait was quite long – our starter came out 30 minutes after our order was taken, which we thought could have been quicker.
The starter was a good-sized portion for each of us. I enjoyed my veg samosas, especially with a little salad garnish – it was a nice touch.
Dad was surprised to see his mixed kebabs came out on a sizzling plate and, after demolishing them, said they were very juicy.
Mum was a big fan of her chicken chat puri and said it was just as good as the previous time she had it.
Once we had finished our starters the waiter came over and cleared the table and put down the hotplates ready for the mains.
But, it was another 30 minutes until our mains came out which really is too long to wait.
Once our mains and sides came out they were placed in the middle of the table so we could help ourselves and we had hot plates which was great so our food stayed nice and warm.
It was definitely worth the long wait as our food was delicious, our curries were very creamy and obviously fresh. They were good portions too and I thought my curry was enough to feed two people. Plus, I have found my new favourite naan – the peshwari was amazing but very filling.
Both mum and dad could not pick fault with their curries. However, mum was not too keen on her onion bhajee and said it was a little on the greasy side and not as crispy as the last time she had them at Alishan. Dad agreed with mum but said they tasted nice dunked in the curry.
Our bill came to a total of £59.90, for three starters, three curries, three rice dishes, three sides, three nans, two beers, a water and a coke – not bad at all.
Overall, we would definitely recommend Alishan and will be enjoying their lovely food again.
Alishan in Wisbech is open seven days a week from 5pm -10.30pm and offers a takeaway service as well.
Ratings out of five:
Food: There was a wide range to choose from on the menu and the food was yummy. ****
Drinks: We were not terribly ambitious but there was a decent variety. ****
Decor: The decor was simple throughout which fitted the theme of the restaurant. ****
Staff: The staff were polite and very friendly. *****
Price: I think the price was very reasonable, especially for the amount we got. ****