​Some hot spices on a cold, snowy night was just what the doctor ordered! Roy Woodcock found the ideal dining destination in Barton on Humber, naming The Surma as The Journal’s Restaurant of the Month for February . . .

Exterior view of The Surma

Where to go for a really good meal when the snow and ice is beginning to make any sort of off-the-beaten-track jaunt very much a no-no? Bookings were made and then cancelled on two occasions this month, before I finally decided to play safe and stay close to home.

And what a great decision it turned out to be . . .

Living close to the Humber Bridge, Barton is an easy option in such circumstances and, despite its size, has a decent reputation for quality restaurants (Elio’s Italian in the Market Place is a previous winner of one of these awards).

On this occasion, the Surma, in nearby High Street, was our destination; safe in the knowledge we would get a warm welcome and some warming food for such a cold night.

The Surma is now in its 17th year of business, a tandoori restaurant offering superb spicy dishes well above the norm experienced in most “Indian” restaurants.

It’s still a sad fact that mainstream food guides remain virtually curry free, refusing to acknowledge that Indian food, at its best, can be as sublime as French cuisine. Yes, much of this is self-inflicted damage, as dingy High Street establishments cater for the last-port-of-call-after-the-pub brigade, smothering bland lumps of chicken in lurid red and orange-coloured sauces that merely reflect the levels of tartrazine food colouring used as opposed to subtle blends of spices, but thankfully today there are more and more instances of innovative cooks trying to do more authentic and imaginative dishes.

The bar area greets diners as they walk through the door of The Surma in Barton

The Surma is one of these . . .

You walk in, straight off the street, into a fairly small – long and narrow – restaurant, with a bar immediately to the left. Tables can be arranged to accommodate intimate twosomes or party-size bookings, with light, modern and bright surroundings. I estimated total covers as around the 35-40 mark; the fact that it was more than half-full on such an inhospitable, Tuesday, night just goes to show how popular it is.

Run by Mafazul Huda and his family, the Surma’s staff are welcoming and helpful to old friends and newcomers alike and you might get the best from your visit by asking for some recommendations based on your normal likes and dislikes.

We started out meal with the ubiquitous popadoms and chutneys; except here, in addition to the usual dispenser filled with bought-in mango chutney, lime pickle etc, a waiter brings some of the chef’s own concoctions, which included a wonderfully subtle beetroot pickle.

My starter, Haryali Murgh Chaat, is, translated, literally a chicken snack; here small pieces of tandoori-cooked, garlic-flavoured, chicken with a tomato and onion salad, accompanied by mint chutney. It was the perfect opener, zingingly fresh and preparing the tastebuds for further delights to come. We also enjoyed king prawn puri – spicy, curried, king prawns on unleavened wholemeal bread, which puffs up when deep-fried. Portion-size (huge) was our only complaint, although it did mean I got to try some too! Other starters included the usual range of samosas, kebabs and bhajees, but I also noticed poached salmon cooked in a light sauce and crab meat cooked with butter, garlic and fenugreek.

A selection of dishes

For my main course I ordered a “chatpati” curry, which is a spicy dish offering variations of sour and hot flavours, usually with lamb but varied (upon request) for me as a chicken dish.

It had been cooked with chickpeas and mixed lentils and was absolutely delicious accompanied by a portion of pilau rice and a plain naan.

We also ordered a milder and more creamy chicken korma curry; a traditional Persian “mild stew” which hit the spot perfectly and thankfully avoided the sickly overtones of some examples caused by the used of too much creamed coconut.

We are used to kormas being the mildest curry on the heat scale, but don’t always take that as a given – some Kashmiri examples can be superhot and full of green chillis.

The only disappointing part of our whole evening came predictably at the end, when the staff (almost apologetically) wheeled out the usual list of ice-cream options (but sadly no kulfi), which we politely declined.

How much better it would have been to have found at least a few authentic desserts; at least some halva or perhaps some gorgeously sticky and sweet gujias or nuereos?

The Surma is open six days a week (closed all day Wednesdays), from 5.30 until 11.30pm. Bookings on (01652) 635702.

As well as The Surma, Mafazul and his family have established a successful business selling fresh herb and spice mixes for those who want to expand the range of their home-cooked dishes. “Mr Huda’s Surma Secrets” range is available from a number of local retailers.