Alfred B.
Yelp
In Spring Park Road opposite Centrepoint, Zaika has been around for five years or so and we have had many enjoyable meals there. The menu is similar to many Indian restaurants around town- samosa, onion bhaji, pakora among the starters; a range of tandoor dishes - chicken tikka, lamb seekh kabab, salmon tikka; and an extensive list of curries, chicken, lamb, beef, seafood and vegetarian including butter chicken, lamb korma, lamb rojan josh, beef vindaloo, prawn madras, palak paneer and malai kofta. The list also contains a number of breads, rice dishes (biryani and pulao) and accompaniments such as chutney and pickle.
It is BYO and is made up of one large dining area - although there are a couple of tables on the footpath out front when the weather suits.
We opted for just a couple of mains this lunch visit - an old favourite dill salmon tikka from the tandoor and the eponymously named fish curry, along with steamed basmati rice and a garlic naan were quick to arrive.
The salmon was very good indeed -the juicy, firm and tender salmon fillets had been marinated in yoghurt and dill and had a smoky flavour from the oven; the flesh was succulent, the skin crisped and crunchy. The delicate spices married with the salmon to produce a top notch tikka dish.
The fish curry was spicier. The rich red sauce made from tomato, onion and peppers had a chilli lift -the fish tender and moist - again all of the spices well integrated. It was another very enjoyable dish.
Our naan was fresh, hot, charred and doughy with a lot of garlic aromas and flavours - perfect for mopping up the sauce; while the basmati was well cooked the grains firm and separate and topped with a few strings of fried onion.
The service at Zaika is very friendly and welcoming; and the food is of very good quality and generously proportioned. Zaika is among the better Indian restaurants we have visited in recent times. We recommend it.