King Balti House, Commercial Street, Newport

OUR visit to the King Balti House, Corporation Road, Newport, began with a touch of deja vu.

My brother realised he had visited the same restaurant on his only previous visit to Newport six years ago.

Though the decor is unimaginative, the restaurant is spotlessly clean and has the mark of really good Indian food - an open kitchen lit by occasional flashes of flame.

Our complementary poppadoms came with an unusual selection of chutneys, emphasising that this was a culinary experience which is all about the flavours.

I skipped a starter, but my brother's shish kebab was impressively brought to the table on a sizzling skillet. You don't get that kind of treatment everywhere.

For my main course I had ordered handhi lahore, a speciality cooked in earthen ware.

Unfortunately I paid the traditional price for experimentation with a dish that, although beautifully cooked and well presented in traditional metal pans, wasn't really to my taste.

My brother went for the chef's recommendation of lamb tikka kurzi, which was alarmingly red but excellent and similar to tikka masala in taste.

Of the side dishes, the mushroom bhajee was fresh and not too hot and the saag aloo so good it caused us to exclaim in delight.

I almost did the same thing when I saw the bill - exceptional value for money at only £33.

We left satisfied, and my brother now wants to be quoted in the restaurant window saying: "Whenever I visit Newport, I always go to King Balti."