Lakeside Road West, Cardiff. 029 2045 5123 / www.juborajgroup.com
Food *** Atmosphere ****
The Juboraj Restaurant Group count among their curry houses some of the oldest Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants in Wales, with their beautiful Lakeside building arguably being the most attractive of the lot. Nestled between the Roath Park Lake and the Roath Pleasure Gardens, its Georgian, almost gentleman’s club-like décor and warm interior is the first thing to strike you when you walk through its doors. It has an atmosphere that few newer restaurants have and feels distinctly unchanging and traditional.
I sit down, and with it being a hot day, I choose an ice-cool gin and tonic as I admire the building. I’m quickly seen to by a waiter, and after struggling to choose from the colossal menu, I indecisively opt to sample a range of dishes: saag paneer, lamb pasanda, mango chicken, and mushroom bhaji, with sides of pilau rice and peshwari naan. Far too much, as is tradition I suppose. The food comes out relatively quickly and is all well-spiced and to a good quality. It is really standard fare stuff, which is not a complaint at all and there’s something oddly soothing about the unpretentious classics. The paneer is delicious, as expected, the pasanda creamy, as expected, and the mango chicken is rich, as expected (but surprisingly green).
To finish, I choose an almost volcanic sticky toffee pudding, which after letting cool for a bit, went down well, as expected. If you fancy an unpretentious classic curry in a lovely setting after a nice walk around Roath, then Juboraj is a great choice, just don’t expect any innovative new takes on British Indian cuisine.
words LUKE OWAIN BOULT