Mela Indian Restaurant & Takeaway, 5-6 Fountain Way, Saxon Square, Christchurch. 01202 479030 / 483688

Wander through any town centre these days and you’re bound to come across that great favourite of classic British cuisine, the Indian restaurant, and Christchurch certainly has its fair share to choose from.

However, if it’s authentic Indian cuisine you’re looking for, I suggest you check out the new kid on the block, Mela. Located near Waitrose on Fountain Way means you’ll have no problem finding somewhere to park the car. The dining room is bright and airy and surprisingly larger than it appears from the outside, with contemporary décor of deep red walls and dark leather seats.

The menu boasts “traditional ‘Indian’ or ‘Bangladesh’ food - which reflects the true art and culture of the originators and exponents of ‘Indian’ food”. It was a refreshing change to see a lot of dishes on the menu that I did not recognise and they certainly seemed to reflect a more authentic style of East Asian flavours. However, there are still a good selection of the old favourites like madras, korma and vindaloo if you’re not feeling too adventurous.

I was intrigued by the “Award Winning” Chot Poti to start, and was not disappointed with my choice; chick peas cooked with boiled eggs in a wonderfully tangy, slightly spicy sauce. A dish I have not come across before, but will definitely be ordering again. We also ordered the Jhinga-E-Garlic, king prawns cooked in a tandoori oven and finished with garlic and mint.

To follow, we had one of the Chef’s recommended dishes, Anarkali, which I interpreted to be an Indian take on surf and turf, but fear not, there wasn’t a drop of barbeque sauce in sight. What was in sight, however, was a feast for the eyes; tender strips of marinated chicken breast served alongside king prawns cooked in a tomato based sauce with a smoky tandoori flavour. Being a fish lover, I’m always a little sceptical when restaurants refer to their prawns as a ‘monarch’, however, evidently the Mela chefs know their seafood and these were some of the largest king prawns I have eaten.

Not wanting to stray too far out of our comfort zone, we also ordered the prawn bhuna and once again we were not disappointed; a classic dish which lived up to all expectations.

Although we were tempted by any number of the desserts, sadly our bulging waistbands would not permit. I did, however, manage to finish off with a wonderfully fresh mango lassey.

So the question is, does Christchurch have room for another Indian restaurant? The answer is definitely, look out for the new kid on the block!