[Disclosure: I was invited for a complimentary meal at Eleven Spices for the purposes of this blog. As ever, that doesn’t guarantee a positive review]
It takes just a few minutes of meeting Baabzi Miah, owner of Leamington’s newest Indian restaurant, to see that he’s fiercely passionate. About everything. Whether it’s winning awards for his cooking (a few of which he has for his takeaway in Warwick), fundraising for charities in memory of the son he lost at the age of 11 months, or opening a new restaurant.
When Baabzi told me he wanted to open a restaurant in Leamington that would showcase his food, I had no doubt it would happen. He’s the kind of guy that just doesn’t give up. So here we are, a year on, and Eleven Spices by Baabzi has opened its doors.
The Spencer Street venue is a place that has a personal connection for Baabzi. He worked front of house at the restaurant at the start of his career, when it was Shalimar, and now is back 26 years on as the owner alongside business partner Naseer Hussain.
We visit on a quiet Wednesday night, but I’m assured numbers have been steadily building since it opened its doors and, with a slightly different offering from other Indian restaurants in Leamington – especially this part of the town – I can easily believe it will build a decent following.
The restaurant is bright and airy, with a modern feel and no sign of the tempestuous few months he and his business partner have had trying to bring the restaurant back to life after it has laid empty for several years
The menu isn’t your bogstandard curry house fare. Baabzi promises a “unique take” on Bengali cuisine, bringing his own family background and techniques and recipes picked up on regular trips to Bangladesh to the heart of Warwickshire.
Alongside the normal appetisers and mains, several of which are named after Baabzi to remind you this really is personal, there are bar plates.
The hope is that Eleven Spices isn’t just a place for dinner or a curry at the end of the night, but somewhere you could come and enjoy a drink (including from a not-insubstantial cocktail menu) and have a few nibbles if you don’t want a full-blown meal. Think an Indian version of tapas, if you will. Whether or not Leamington will embrace such an idea remains to be seen, but it’s nice to see someone trying something a bit different.
We start with a few bar snacks – some double up as appetisers so it’s a good way of seeing both. Shingara looks very much a like a samosa, though apparently there are subtle differences between the two. The fried pastry crust is crisp and flaky, and the lamb inside tender and well spiced.
Fuchka, ‘Bangladesh’s best street food’ according to the menu and our waiter’s favourite when he goes back, reminds me of Pani Puri and it turns out that’s because that’s what it is, its name is just different.
Either way, it’s the best version of this classic bite that I’ve had. The crisp shell stuffed with mashed potato that’s as spicy in spice as it is smooth in texture. The contrast is interesting, well-judged and moreish, and the tamarind sauce it comes with gets Mum’s vote on flavour despite the extra heat from the tiny green chillis it’s laced with.
Given the personal touch that seems to shine through every element at Eleven Spices, we both feel compelled to order a dish that boasts Baabzi’s name.
For me, the Baabzi Chingri Malai Curry. Huge king prawns butterflied and cooked in a gravy that’s perhaps a tiny bit too sweet for my own personal taste, but far from some of the one-dimensional dishes some people try to pass off as a curry. It’s delicately spiced, meaning you can actually taste the prawn instead of feeling sorry for them drowning in an over-zealous sauce.
A side of palak paneer is simultaneously sweet and slightly earthy, with generous chunks of squeaky, freshly cooked paneer peeping out urging to be eaten. You can keep your saag aloo – this is the dish for me.
It’s sweet without being too sweet, with a slow heat that grows but never too much. We eat it as we imagine people on the train might, scooping it up with light, slightly charred roti that we should have shared one portion of but figure will be nearly as good the next day with the leftover gravy we plan on taking with us.
I leave feeling positive for Eleven Spices. Yes, it’s quiet when we go, but it’s early days and while there’s the odd confused moment with service at the start, this isn’t unusual for any restaurant finding their feet. Regardless it’s warm and friendly and, most importantly, the food is decent.
Couple this with Baabzi’s intense enthusiasm for what he does and downright refusal to fail, and he could be on to a winner.
[Disclosure: I was invited for a complimentary meal at Eleven Spices for the purposes of this blog. As ever, that doesn’t guarantee a positive review]
