Raja Monkey

Anyone who passes through Stratford Road regularly will be familiar with Raja Monkey. A Hall Green haunt that was formerly known as Lasan Eatery, it has been a firm favourite for the last 15 years.

The traditional Indian roadside dhaba restaurant made headlines in 2020 for expanding and doubling in size in the midst of a pandemic at a time when the hospitality industry was brought to its knees.

Back to the present, Raja Monkey is now a 90-cover restaurant which owner Munayam Knan calls the first Indian street food style restaurant in the city and the place that Michelin-starred chefs such as Adam Stokes and Brad Carter come to eat when they have a rare day off.

The restaurant features wood and banquet seating in a nod to the Nordic style, whilst still retaining and respecting its Indian heritage. On the menu, there are favourites such as papadoms, samosas, and bhaji to start, alongside seafood dishes such as salmon Mahi and Shimla prawns. We went for the seared scallops, a rare thing to find in an Indian restaurant. The scallops arrived seared and caramelised on the outside and presented with fresh cucumber and radish. Finished with peanuts, the combination of the crunchy salty peanut, fresh crisp vegetables, and soft and sweet scallops made this my must-try.

For mains, we shared Monkfish Moilee and Chicken Chettinad with peas pilau rice. The Monkfish here was the star of the show; a meaty fresh addition to the curry. The chicken was also delicious, with large moist chunks of marinated chicken in a rich sauce. The peas in the rice made a welcome addition, not least because I’m always looking for ways to up my veg intake.

For the adventurous, I’d highly recommend trying the seafood dishes, as in addition to the scallops and monkfish, the Konkan coastal crab also looked interesting. For the less adventurous, steer away from the signature dishes and head for the safety of the classic curry section of the menu.

There is also a wine list available, as well as beers and spirits prepared at the bar, or of course non-alcoholic options including lassi.

Prices ranged from £7.99 to £15.79 for starters (our scallops were the most expensive item here) or a more modest £3.49 for a papadom which we also tried. Mains came in at £21.29 for the monkfish, £13.49 for the chicken, and £3.79 for the rice.

A must-visit for anyone who loves Indian food and seafood, Raja Monkey seems set to be
with us for the next 15 years.

By Alev Dervish

Author: Dine Hub Team