itihaas restaurant

came here recently with a couple of friends at their bullring outlet. because of the rush we took almost 20 minutes to get seated but i guess we thought it would be alright to wait. once we were seated, our order was quickly taken and it took another 20-25 mins to get the food. it started to get a bit annoying by the end of the affair since we'd been at the mall for a few hours now.
weorderedthe biryani, the chicken wrap and the chicken tikka salad.
all of the food looked super amazing! quantity of the biryani was a good amount (2 people easily) and was alright for the place we were and the price we were paying.
the chicken roll looked very good and tasted nice as well. wrapped in a naan bread along with veggies and tikka chicken inside my friend couldn't even finish it completely.

first impressions, food portions must be small and expensive, and they were (compared to the average indian balti). weordereda starter each from the indo-chinese section of the menu but were not disappointed. the dishes were very tasty and full of tantalising flavour; both seafood items. the main was a lobster mornay style dish which lacked in meat but had the convenience of being cut into tiny bite size pieces drenched in overwhelming amounts of sauce. for dessert we decided to go all out and order the sharing platter. this was very disappointing indeed for what it was worth. however, all in all, nice. pleasant atmosphere and service. meal came to just over £80 for 2 starters, a sharing main with peshwari naan, dessert platter and a couple of drinks.

at the end of a long morning's work, we were in search of a late lunch in the city center. a local friend guided us to itihaas, recommended for its authentic north indian dishes. the entrance at the street level has a very indian decor with ornate handcrafted stone and wood artifacts amidst a profusion of indoor greenery. we were greeted by the restaurant manager and were ushered to a table with a view of the canal beside the property. the quietly flowing canal added to the relaxing atmosphere indoors.
as we tried to select a simple, quick and easy vegetarian meal we were encouraged to try out the shahi palak paneer and tadka dal. weordereda roti ki tokri and jeera rice in ample quantities to go with it.
the food arrived in a short time, enveloping us in a blend of aromas and transporting us homewards. the food was absolutely fresh and delicious and was an instant hit. it was every bit a punjabi home food, something i was very familiar with in delhi. we had a hearty meal and were surprised to be presented with a bill comparable to good delhi restaurant standards!

birmingham and curry go hand-in-hand. despite the wealth of cuisines from around the globe, this city will always be famed for its indian culinary connection. which is why a recent trip to the new itihaas restaurant food stall in selfridges was doubly disappointing. it’s rare for hot food to leave me cold, but on this occasion, it unfortunately did.

atmosphere

the strength of the new outfit is its location. seated slap-bang in the middle of the sleek white food hall of selfridges department store, diners at the itihaas concession can indulge in people watching and enjoy the general entertaining bustle of birmingham’s favourite place to shop and be seen.

food

the street food menu offers a good variety for those who like to try a bit of everything, tapas-style. weordereddahi puri, crispy wheat shells with potato, chickpea, tomato and sweetened yoghurt, which i found just a bit too sour and overwhelming. the very similar but yoghurt-less gol guppa, which were also stuffed with potato and chickpeas, were much more friendly to the palate.

we alsoorderedsome samosas – a staple of the anglo-indian repertoire. the chicken samosas that turned up, however, were frankly greasy and lacking in flavour. we were very kindly treated to an unusual salmon and goat’s cheese samosa as well. despite being quite delicious, this option unfortunately doesn’t appear on the standard menu.

when it came to choosing a main, i opted for a non-spicy option – the butter chicken curry, while my guest went for the fiery classic lamb rogan josh. both of us were underwhelmed. while the delicately seasoned naan and fragranced basmati rice accompanying the orders were faultless, the curries themselves were unexceptional. the flavours weren’t robust enough, and the spices hardly came through at all, leaving us both feeling unsatisfied. bland is not a word you can usually apply to indian cuisine, but in this case, it sprang painfully to mind.

drinks

wine lovers will find the selection minimalistic, with just two reds, two whites and two sparklings on the menu. a better option might be to go for an exotic refresher. the drinks list includes a selection of traditionally-inspired kulfi shakes – indian ice cream blends with malai, mango, pistachio or coconut; and juices including lychee and mango.

overall

in my opinion, this was a case of enviable location and attentive service let down by disappointingly bland dishes.