The January weather in our part of the world can be pretty bleak, can’t it?
On the Wednesday after new year – my partner and I’s first day back at work – we were really feeling the winter blues.
After successive weather warnings and storms wreaking havoc across the region, and when it’s just generally miserable, cosiness feels like a distant memory.
I don’t know about you, but if there’s one cuisine that never fails to warm me up, its South Asian.
So hiding from the inclement elements, we ducked into Perth‘s newest Nepalese restaurant to see if their menu could thaw us out.
Shimla Dining Inn
On October 6 last year, The Shimla Dining Inn officially opened inside the Grampian Hotel on Perth’s York Place.
Owner Kashiram Bhandari, 50, took ownership of the hotel at the end of 2020 but until recently, the venue did not have a restaurant.
The hotelier has previously run successful businesses in both India and Dubai.
Mr Bhandari is also the owner of Shimla Palace in Cowdenbeath and Shimla Dining in Wemyss, near Kirkcaldy.
The Cowdenbeath branch has been operating for more than two decades with the Wemyss venue just under a year old.
We could tell that the staff were professionals. Mr Bhandari himself came over to check our meal was okay at the end.
The eatery is spacious, well-decorated and we felt as though the dreary night we’d stepped in from was far away.
As well as dining in, the restaurant has a takeaway menu for when you can’t face going into town.
The food at Shimla Dining Inn
We started with poppadoms and chutneys (£4.50) – for all intents and purposes, that’s mandatory, isn’t it?
Spicy onions, thick mango chutney and a chilli sauce with a sweet kick were not in short supply.
I opted for the vegetable pakora (£3.95) to start which is my go-to.
Three crunchy pakora arrived and I was immediately struck by how well-presented they were.
The chilli sauce that I had devoured from our poppadom dish came with the pakora much to my delight.
The savoury, flavourful pakora paired with the sweet chilli dip was a stellar combination and the best way to start our Shimla experience.
My partner ordered the fish pakora (£4.95) as a starter.
This is a fairly trademark order for him – fried fish and anything in pakora batter are two things he simply can’t resist.
The fish was fresh, the coating crisp and full of flavour and more of the chilli sauce on the side was ideal.
Washed down with a pint of lesser-spotted Everest lager, our meal was off to a winning start.
Venturing away from old favourites proves worthwhile
For my main, I chose a dish not for the faint hearted.
I ordered a vegetable madras (£7.95). I asked our waiter how spicy it would be to which he said very.
However I still went for it, unable to resist a hot curry.
I was stunned by how much of a kick it had. It was packed full of flavour and one I would suggest to avoid if even a little spice is too much to handle.
There was a healthy mixture of vegetables, from cauliflower, to green beans, to peas.
It was delicious but I think next time I ought to choose something maybe a little more on the mild side.
My partner chose the Himalayan Hot Pot (£7.95), and was instantly won over.
We’ve spoken before when we’ve gone for curries that the temptation to stick with the old favourites can be too much of an urge to fight.
But since taking on these reviews, we’ve made a real effort to pick dishes new to us.
Lo and behold, this has established itself in the favourite list.
Also available in vegetable, lamb, prawn and king prawn, he settled on chicken.
The meat was ample, succulent and clearly well marinated.
Unfamiliar with the dish beforehand, he was sold on the menu’s description.
Ginger, garlic, honey, chilli, fenugreek and cream were listed, and all those flavours come through.
There was some heat – just a glow – which made it the perfect tonic to the howling wind and rain outside.
For the sides, we did stick to the tried and tested – one pilau rice (£2.95) and one peshwari naan (£3.95).
We were absolutely full after our mains, which almost felt a shame given the dessert menu before us.
After the spice-fest we’d enjoyed, a couple of mango shakes would certainly have cooled our palates, but it felt like it would have just been greed if we’d ordered them.
Overall verdict of Shimla Dining Inn
Perth’s newest Nepalese offering is set to be a tough one to beat and I could not recommend it enough.
The food was delicious and filling, the staff were on hand for every need and could not offer you enough, and it is a warm space perfect for ducking in from the unpredictable weather.
I am excited to see what the future holds for Shimla in Perth.
Information:
Address: Shimla Dining Inn, The Grampian Hotel, 37 York Place, Perth, PH2 8EH
Tel: 01738 571461
Website: www.shimladininginn.co.uk
Price: £60 for an appetiser, two starters, two mains, two sides, one beer and one soft drink.
Scores:
Food: 4/5
Service: 5/5
Surroundings: 4.5/5
Check out our other restaurant reviews here.
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