North East Veggie Curry

Ahar, Whitley Bay 238 Park View,   Whitley Bay,  NE26 3QX (0191) 297 1183 www.theahar.com You might be forgiven for not having come across Ahar in Whitley Bay. The town has its fair share of curry houses but this one is a little off the beaten track, right at the end of Park View where the town's shops end and residential Whitley Bay begins. It's actually closer to Monkseaton Metro station than Whitley Bay's. But it's location gives it something of an advantage. This is a local restaurant for local people and not simply a Friday night stopover between pub and club – which, at one time, was the customary fate of many of Whitley's Indian eateries. As such, it has kept itself to itself and, it seems, quietly thrived. It's fairly small, with a maximum of 50 or so diners on a busy night. Inside is softly lit, rather plush and elegant, sophisticated even. Yes, there are chandeliers but no, there is no flock wallpaper. It has a traditional feel b

Dabbawal, Newcastle 69-75, High Bridge,  Newcastle upon Tyne  NE1 6BX (0191) 232 5133 http://dabbawal.com There's been a lot of interest in Indian street food in recent years, so it's probably inevitable that a restaurant would come along serving up its own more refined versions of this cheap, cheerful and popular fare. Dabbawal has been operating in Newcastle since 2011 at two sites – one in the city centre and the other in the student enclave of Jesmond. The city centre restaurant, which is just off the magnificent Grey Street, is something of a regular haunt for us as it offers a handy escape from the midday shopping crowds – and their fabulous vegetable thali is reason enough to visit at lunchtime. But we felt it was time to sample their evening menu. In fact, there are few major differences. Dabbawal specialises in 'small plate' dishes of the kind of snacks you'd typically find being sold on the streets of Mumbai – crunchy bel p

Sachins, Newcastle Forth Banks,  Newcastle upon Tyne  NE1 3SG (0191) 232 4660 http://sachins.co.uk Sachins has been a part of the region's curry landscape for some time now. Housed in what used to be a corner pub, it's a touch off the beaten track, being tucked away among the high rises behind Newcastle Central Station in what is becoming the burgeoning Stephenson Quarter. The restaurant itself is quite plush and, with its low ceilings and low lighting, is pleasingly intimate. It's on three levels, though, with the main restaurant area up a short flight of steps and a further level above that accessed via a curved open staircase, so this might cause a problem for someone with a mobility impairment. Staff are courteous and attentive. We visited on a Friday evening so the restaurant was busy which meant service was a touch slow at times, but you've probably got to expect that on a Friday. This is a Punjabi restaurant so the menu had

As with lots of really bad ideas, this one started with a reckless New Year resolution over a pint of beer in an Indian restaurant. Instead of resolving to 'be more active' or 'cut down on...' something I really didn't want to cut down on, I resolved to visit a local Indian restaurant every week, order a veggie curry and blog about the outcome. Eventually, I'd visit 52 restaurants, eat 52 India meals... and probably weight about 52 stone. OK, bad idea. But it wouldn't go away - it's a great idea, if I just tone down on the 'curry a week' undertaking. And useful for anyone who is vegetarian who is looking for a great Indian meal in the Tyneside area. And in a year's time, it will offer a truly useful resource for vegetarian curry fiends like myself. So here it is - the north east veggie curry blog. I'm not promising to blog every week, but I'm known to be a curry lover so I'll be blogging restaurant reviews regularly. Bookm