Shanti Indin Cuisine

Category: Under £20

This review is probably the most difficult review I have ever written, the reason being is that Shanti is trying to
change our dining out experience.. By this I mean over the last 30 or so years the British public have been
conditioned to a certain style of Indian/curry dining.

We have gone from having a cheap drunken curry on our way home from the pub, to going out for a curry then a few pints later on.

Amit, the owner of Shanti is trying to re-educate the British Philistines. Shanti (which means "peace") is a very cool restaurant. Set in the Vue cinema estate on Kirkstall Road, formally "Jonny's diner" and now Shanti @ "Louisiana". It is actually one half of this American restaurant (totally sectioned off), which is strange at first; however once inside you forget where you are. Shanti is not a restaurant for people that want a quick curry and a film. What Amit is endeavouring to achieve is a dining experience, where you go and spend a few hours drinking your favourite tipple and enjoying superb Asian cuisine whilst engaging in good conversation with your fellow diners. I suppose the best way to describe it is the Mediterranean style of eating out.

All the food is cooked to order; indeed even the pastry for the samosas is rolled fresh when you order. The kebabs are made fresh, not pre-made and piled up ready to cook. Trust me, the difference is very obvious. However this does of course take time but it is well worth the wait. The starters are without doubt the freshest and tastiest I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.

The mains are outstanding, again all cooked to order, however there is one dish that is above and beyond anything I have ever tasted. This was the opinion of the other five diners I was sat with, and furthermore I have never seen this dish in any other Indian restaurant. A Sea Bass that was spiced and seasoned to perfection. This dish is on their Christmas menu, again, I have never seen an Indian restaurant with a special Christmas menu, with dishes on it like stuffed turkey and spicy cranberry sauce and stuffed chicken with tangy vegetables. The Christmas menu is only to be marvelled at. Just remember if you eat anything out this year eat the Sea Bass at Shanti. The mains apart from one were outstanding; the Kofta was the one dish that was not liked however, I think that was more wrong choice than anything else.

To sit in an Asian restaurant for two hours plus and enjoy gourmet food, (let's face it, normally Indian cuisine and gourmet are not often used in the same sentence) was a new experience for me and my companions. Saying all that, we all really enjoyed it.

The vegetarian choices here are also very good with six choices from the starters, choices from the mains, plus a further three from the special section, which again is not "the norm" in Indian restaurants.

At first going through the Louisiana entrance on an leisure park in Kirkstall is not my idea of a good night. I think Shanti would be better placed in Leeds city centre, however, you will forget where you are, I promise. Shanti is the next generation of Asian dining, where you go for a night out like you would in any fine dining restaurant. Yes I agree, the concept of two hours plus in an Indian could be a bit daunting, yet the reality of it is actually refreshing and very relaxing.

With Shanti being a relatively new restaurant they appear to be having a few hic-ups. For example the waiters have very limited knowledge about both the Christmas and the wine menus, also the service is a little too slow and they struggle with which dish is which when it is delivered. These things individually are not really important, however compounded they are noticeable. I hope in time they will be ironed out.

Reviewed by Neil Saville.

Review Summary

Atmosphere ♦♦♦♦
Food ♦♦♦♦♦
Service ♦♦♦
Value ♦♦♦♦♦

Contact Details

Shanti @ Louisiana
11 Cardigan Fields Leisure Park
Kirkstall Road
Leeds
LS4 2DG
T: 0113 203 8458