The Shaan is a small, typically average curry house about a mile and a half from the city centre. It boasts an extensive menu of main dishes, a better than average list of starters, and a good selection of Asian sweets. On the evening we dined, the service was excellent; prompt, friendly and efficient.

We started with veg pakora (£1.00), onion bhaji (£1.00), veg samosa (£1.00), potato bhaji (£1.00), and chicken pakora. The vegetarian starters were all fresh and of a high standard, the veg pakora and samosas especially good: the latter superb, fresh spicy vegetables packed into light, crispy pastry. The chicken pakora was described as bland, and the chicken stringy.

The main dishes didn't quite attain the standard of the starters, but in general were above average. The Best on Menu was the mushroom and spinach. I asked for it apna style (roughly translated: original style. It's how the local Asian diners prefer their curries. We'll be going into this with a short essay in the not too distant future.) It was a little hotter, sharper, than the other dishes, and one of the best sag curries I've had for a long while. The other dishes were described as "average", "undistinguished" and in one case (the prawn dopiaza) "bland". The spinach, potato and chick peas was filling but lacking some bite. The chicken laziz, a sweet-and-sour-style dish, was plentiful and satisfying.

We finished with an average selection of sweets and a truly awful coffee.

The Shaan is yet another of those restaurants that must be tested by the avid curry fanatic. Some people I've spoken to cite it as one of their favourites, while some of our group would be in no hurry to go back. My advice would be to check it our for yourself.

(All dishes come with a choice of rice or three chapattis.)