Daruchini, Bracknell

 

 

Daruchini
Forest Rd
Binfield, Bracknell, RG42 4HP
Tel:01344 409671

www.daruchini.co.uk


If ever there was a reason to feel confident about the future of the Bangladeshi/ Indian restaurant industry in this country then the answer can be found here, in Peach Street, as you enter the one way system in Wokingham.
Inside you can find a perfect sample of value for money Indian dining, more than that, you have a team of uniformed staff delivering a selection of Indian food on stylish dishes to neatly decorated tables with plenty of space around them. Rarely are so many positive aspects of a restaurant to be found in a single establishment found almost on our very doorstep.
Daruchini was, some many months ago a drinking and eating pub in the heart of Binfield, between Wokingham and Bracknell with easy access from both. It has undergone a massive transformation under the expert and experienced guidance of restaurateur extraordinaire, Ranu Miah, to a high quality Bangladeshi/Indian restaurant offering fine dining and even more impressive service. He owns others in nearby Maidens Green and in the Berkshire village of Mortimer, both converted pubs and both attractive high quality reviews from the critics and ever increasing numbers of customers even in what is now described as a recession.
I have known Ranu for more than a dozen years, his attention to detail, professionalism and knowledge of the culinary industry is second to none, he is highly respected within the industry and sits on the board of the highly respected Guild of Bangladeshi Restaurateurs, testimony to his standing in this densely populated part of the industry.
A welcome refreshing glass of chilled Kingfisher gave Scott, my guest for the evening, and me the opportunity to gaze around at the decoration, walls neatly painted and finished, brightly coloured and co-ordinated blinds, as well as reading the extensive menu in our comfortable dining white high backed chairs. The drinks on offer include a range for everyday drinking as well as those celebrating a special occasion.
Our table, centre stage, allowed us an ideal opportunity to see what was going on elsewhere, after all people e watching is an integral part of dining out. Chatting about other guests as well as the food and wine is a wonderful means of entertainment, especially as Scott and I had spent a number of hours earlier in the week in a nearby restaurant. We started with papadoms and a selection of fresh chutneys, a gentle opening to our culinary evening, served on shining, stylish white dishes, as well as being highly tempting the selection of chutneys certainly activate and stimulate the taste buds for the dishes to follow.
Our starters were reflective of the very essence of the restaurant, style, care and thought. Scott, a culinary devotee of duck chose the Hash Tikka, barbequed duck, an ornate tasty starter that could grace any dining table in the land. I was drawn to the Shashlick Chicken, a delicious dish comprising diced chicken cooked in the barbeque with tomatoes, onions and green peppers, a colourful and imaginative starter that has everything I seek, substance, style and a light touch with the spices, in other words a sheer gem.
By this time we were enjoying a stunning Peter Lehman Shiraz, Scott toasting our good health in being able to enjoy such a fine wine in the latest restaurant adding to the impressive dining scene in and around the Wokingham area, as we awaited our main courses, appreciating those sizzling dishes arriving at adjoining tables, we were not to be disappointed.
We had agreed to share our main courses, with so many attractive dishes on the menu we adopted a tapas style approach to dining, two main course to be shared and enjoyed with the support of a couple to side dishes to savour alongside our choices.
Scott, much bigger than me was the first to order and went for Lamb Jalfrazi, I chose the Jhinga Bhuna, a dish of king prawns on a favourite thick delicious Bhuna sauce. Scott chose the standard Pillau rice whist I experimented with the Oriental Pillau rice, complete with peas and mushrooms, and we shared a dish of spiced mushrooms and a Peshwari Nan bread and a cucumber raitha, overall a meal reflecting a range of talents from the chef and his team.
The first thing you notice in a Ranu Miah restaurant is the uniformed team looking after the needs of the customers, and Daruchini is no exception. Alam, an ever smiling and thoroughly professional waiter looked after us during the course of the evening, typical of the quality ambassadors employed throughout the growing Ranu Miah collection of fine restaurants.
The second thing you notice is the quality of the food, testimony to the quality and experience of the suppliers. Over more than a dozen years I have see and experienced first hand the consistency of dishes delivered from his kitchens. Daruchini is the very latest to add to the impressive reputation of this experienced owner. Here were dishes bearing testimony to experience, quality of produce, and imagination in the kitchen and presentation skills of a high level. The lamb, hot and spicy, just as we like it, was able to be cut with a fork, not easily achieved in any restaurant. The rice, light and fluffy, was not overcooked and the spiced mushrooms were simply divine, supporting each main course with style and flavour. The Peshwari Nan, filled with nuts and raisins, has long been a favourite and this example only enhanced its reputation. Light, fresh and full of flavour, it reflected the essence of the latest conversion to fine Bangladeshi/Indian dining, perfection.
All the ingredients are here for this restaurant to be a great success, location wise it is easily reached and boasts an extensive car park. The style, decoration and decor of this excellent pub conversion is an object lesson to others, completed with attention to detail and an eye for both colour and subtle lighting. Most of all it is about the people and the food, and neither were found to be wanting. The staff are professional, uniformed and extremely helpful as well as being knowledgeable about the food on offer. They can also deliver food of the highest quality, and, more importantly, consistently good food as I have seen and eaten over a number of years.
What more would you want from any restaurant?
Scott and I left the restaurant sharing our good fortune in spending an evening in such a professional environment, one where the customer is King, and is treated as such!

For those people looking to try the restaurant for the first time may I suggest the Special Sunday Buffet? Help yourself and eat as much as you like from a wide variety of dishes.
Adults: 9.95
Children: half price

Alan McColm

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