Dining Out: Jinnah, Flaxton, A64

Feeling famished from a day out in York, Jinnah on the A64 at Flaxton is an easy stop-off where you can indulge in delicious Indian cuisine until you can't take another mouthful.
Jinnah, Flaxton, near York.Jinnah, Flaxton, near York.
Jinnah, Flaxton, near York.

Everything about the decor is elaborate and authentic with a modern twist such as the colourful,bright water walls.

I went along to Jinnah’s on a Monday night but there was still a couple of other tables in but maybe the restaurant is full of people at the weekend.

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I’d been assured by my dining companions, who had eaten there before, that the staff were extremely friendly. On the night, however, our waiter was dull and didn’t crack a smile once – although he was still polite and quite helpful.

To start we were welcomed with poppadoms and a pickle tray with seven different dipping options which is much more variety than you get in a normal Indian establishment.

The poppadoms were perfectly warm and fresh. My favourite dip is, without a doubt, the mango chutney which was a smooth consistency. Although it is personal preference but I like it smooth without chunks.

We decided to all dip into the buffet-style menu. The buffet costs £11.95 each but you get plenty of food for the price.

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To start we were served a platter of chicken tikka, fish pakora, chicken wings, onion bhajis and seekh kebabs. The flavours were immense and you can’t help but feel full before you’ve even got to the main course.

My cousin is a vegetarian so they presented an alternative with onion baghis and various other Indian treats which went down a storm.

For the mains we headed to the buffet which had a range of different curries with various consistencies.

I have to admit my heart sank when I realised there wasn’t a chicken korma - my ‘go to’ Indian meal. But it did mean that I was forced to broaden my horizons and try something new. Unable to handle the heat, I indulged in a chicken tikka masala, chicken kashmiri and a tender lamb dish.

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I’m always a bit wary at any kind of buffet how long the food has been sat. But all of the dishes were full of flavour and were very tasty however were not much hotter than lukewarm in terms of temperature, not spice.

The curries came with a choice of pilau or special rice both which were cooked perfectly. There was also a good range of vegetarian options which was great to see.

With the buffet price you can order as many naan breads as you want. Cooked fresh to order, rather than being sat on the side, this added to the flavour. It was also sturdy and could hold the weight of your curry easily.

Despite being practically full I decided to try a dessert. In a lot of Indian restaurants you expect the desserts to be frozen, which they were but still tasty.

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However one of the desserts, the coconut supreme, was served still in the packet which we found a bit odd.

For a buffet I thought the main courses were really good and the selection of starters were fantastic. The desserts were nice but nothing special.

The music and decor was authentic and it did have a nice friendly atmosphere. It was just our waiter that seemed to dampen the mood - but I guess we all have those days.

Score: 7 out of 10

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