Royal Watan Kashmiri Restaurant — Restaurant in Birmingham

First of all I need to explain what it is we do for the review.

During lockdown me my dad and older brother decided that after things started to get better and open up we would create what we like to call a curry klub with a capital K just so it’s unique to us lol. Ever since then we have been around birmingham trying various different curry places and just rating them out of 10. In terms of the decor, the staff & of course most importantly the food itself.

We have been to loads of places and The Royal Watan went above and beyond to make our first experience the best we’ve ever had anywhere else. One of the owners Imran was absolutely top class what a nice guy. He made sure we was comfortable, he took our orders and was happy to talk and answer some of our questions.

The waiters and staff 10/10 from the lad that was serving our popadoms, the girl that was bringing our drinks both was really nice and helpful.

The decor blown us away, it’s just a nice vibe inside even the quests which I will get to a little further on.

The food. 10/10 off the charts starting with the popadoms some will say it’s just popadoms? but for us it was taken to a hole different level. The dips was outstanding loads of variety. The mint on the onions, using a proper mango chutney. Even the Homemade sauces which blew me away personally even to the point I asked if they was for sale. The nice guy Imran is he said they’re on the house!! so let me take some home with me.

The Lassawalla Gohst, the famous dish on the menu which loads of others have had the pleasure of trying. Their grandmothers recipe which I had the privilege of trying. It’s a MUST try honestly I don’t think I will ever have a better meal. The lamb chops was falling off the bone, the sauce was very sweet and you could taste all the flavours from it being cooked in the balti dish. I feel honoured god bless her soul.

We went during Ramadan so around 7:30 when the sun sets they pray before they eat and some of the guests was able to pray towards the back of the restaurant near to where we was sat. We had no problem at all with this and we wasn’t drinking either because we didn’t want to disrespect their religion. Towards the end Imran told us that one of the gentlemen that was praying put £20 towards the bill because we was so respectful which was such a nice gesture. We went and said thank you as we was leaving of course he didn’t have to do that but it was such a nice thing to do.

Imran we will most definitely be back, thank you for making our experience the best we’ve ever had and thank you again for them homemade in house sauces they’re out...

On first arrival we was met with smiles and felt welcomed and was soon seated at our reserved table, with some seating with additional room we requested which was met perfectly. We met imran, we explained that we regularly meet as a group and research new places to try and he said we would be looked after. He really did. He explained all questions we asked about his menu, drinks. He also said that with the fasting about to end for the day that we might experience a slight delay but we understood entirely and said he and the staff could take as long as they needed. So, popadoms to start with pickle tray. All 4 pots in the tray were fresh, tasty - all were liked by all. Mint sauce on the table had a kick but we was given some in house mint sauce and chilli sauce which was bottle on sight. They were a lovely edition, my brother was a big fan of these sauces. All main courses came out bubbling hot, tasty. I had a chicken balti, easily one of the best I’ve had in a while from anywhere. My dad had a mixed cod and king prawn karahi, he said it was beautiful. He does like a little kick and we always ask from other places and the balance is rarely there, he said irfan and the kitchen had got it spot on. My brother had lassawalla gosht, he said it was amazing. Imran discussed the recipe as we ordered because we had researched it after watching an insightful YouTube video on their journey and Kashmiri food. Must watch for anyone who has a love and passion for Kashmiri food. This dish was his grandma’s recipe. And it didn’t disappoint. We opted for a large naan to share rather than separate individual ones and it was a perfect amount for 3 people. Big and freshly made, hot to the touch.

Our first trip to this family ran restaurant didn’t disappoint. Decor is spot on, beautiful. Cosy and relaxing. Not too bright which sometimes I find is the case. Staff are all lovely and are on hand for any questions you have or assistance you need. At the end of our meal imran explained that a gentleman who was praying near our table which wasn’t a problem by any means by ourselves had covered £20 of our bill as a sign of our respect during their prayers. We explained we totally understood and didn’t mind at all but I did personally thank the gentleman for his kind gesture Upton leaving. My brother also left with some house sauces on imran which was really appreciated. Thank you all, we felt welcomed and we will be...

My wife and I went to Royal Watan yesterday for my 39th birthday after we Googled a few places. When it comes to South East Asian food we look for a place with good reviews from the South East Asian population as a way to measure, this had it.

We were not disappointed. The customer service was excellent, the atmosphere was calm even though it was busy for a Tuesday and the food turnaround time was expected for authentic curries.

The food was on point and the flavours were rich and authentic, close to home cooked dishes. The time taken was about right for such quality dishes, as we know from experience of cooking curries the longer you cook spices the better the aroma and flavours.

We ordered (see photos) Onion Bhaji for starters, Balti Fish Karahi and Lassawalla Gost for mains, Tardka Dal for side (I always get this in each South East Asian restaurant to test their cooking as you have to be able to cook this well if you claim to be good). We got the medium garlic naan and that was plenty for 2 people. We had to order 2 rice as the portion was a little small for 2 people to share. I've already mentioned it to the owner Imran.

I decided to compliment the chef and speak to Imran in person to thank him, it seemed we had a lot more to talk about than the food . He came across as a genuine person who really cares about his customers experience and the food they provide. That really made us feel more appreciative of going there.

To top it off, when he found out it was my birthday we received a complimentary dessert (see photo) that wasn't a part of the menu yet. The dessert menu is being developed but I'll tell you, it was pretty amazing compared to a lot of the dessert places that are available on the main Asian roads who are supposed to be dessert experts.

All in all a very good, authentic restaurant when it comes to food quality, price and service. Plus they offer a free privilege card with 15% off, so really worth grabbing if you're eating Indian/Kashmiri/Pakistani cuisine regularly.

The place doesn't serve alcohol but you can bring in your own. Soft drinks are available and so you're not allowed to bring in which is fair enough.

Car parking isn't available at the place as its on Pershore Road but there's free parking on the side roads before and after if you can...