Sunar Gaw, Manchester Road, Burnden, Bolton

AS someone who would usually venture out to Manchester for a good curry, I thought it would be worth stopping in Bolton to see what the town centre has to offer.

And as the Sunar Gaw, on Manchester Road, Burnden, had been voted the Bolton Evening News readers' restaurant of the year in the past, my friend and I decided to pay it a visit on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

I had telephoned to book a table in advance, although on arrival the restaurant was empty -- which meant the service we received was top class. We were shown to our table and given the menu to peruse -- which proved a lot more difficult than we could have imagined. Any Indian food lover would have been spoilt for choice and it took us a while to make a decision.

As a starter I opted for onion bhaji, while my friend chose papadums and chutneys. They were not on the starter menu, but there was no problem having them brought to the table before the main meal.

The two bhajis (£1.75) were more than enough for one person but I would have liked them a little crisper. They were also served with a small side salad. My friend had ordered four papadums (35p each) and I had one of those. They were crisp and light, and with the mango chutney (35p also) they went down a treat.

For our main course we ordered a curry and a portion of rice each, and we shared a nan bread (£1.25).

I went for the Chicken Rogan Josh (£5.25) and mushroom rice (£1.50). The curry, a mixture of tomatoes, onions and spices, had a slight kick to it -- similar to a Madras.

Although the tomatoes were a little too chunky for my liking, the chicken was cooked to perfection and melted in the mouth. The mushroom rice was definitely one of the best I have tasted -- not too soggy or aromatic.

My dining partner decided on a mild chicken tikka butter (£6.95). I had never had one of these before so tried a little bit. The chicken was stir fried in clarified butter and then cooked with aromatic spices. The result was lovely and creamy and not too hot. She decided on a pilau rice to accompany her meal (£1.20), which was light and fluffy.

Although we both opted for chicken, there were many curry varieties to choose from, both meat and vegetarian, to satisfy all tastes.

The Sunar Gaw also had English dishes on the menu, like sirloin steak, roast chicken, and omelettes.

To finish off, my friend had a Funky Pie (£2.95) -- a biscuit crust dessert with vanilla ice cream, hazelnuts and caramel.

After eating nearly all of her curry, she managed to polish off the lot. There was a variety of other puddings, including the traditional banana fritter (£1.95).

And to top off a great meal, we were brought a small glass of Bailey's and a hot towel to wipe our hands. The final bill came to £26.

The restaurant had a very pleasant, if rather quiet, atmosphere and the staff were on hand at all times, although we did not feel at all hurried.

There were tables set for all number of parties, but the space between tables was quite narrow, so it could be difficult to get a wheelchair through. There was also a small ledge at the front door.

Each table had an ashtray for smokers, but we could not see an area set aside for non-smokers.

There is a small car park at the rear of the building and plenty of street parking nearby. Manchester Road is also a main bus route through the town.

Quality of food:HHH

Atmosphere:HH

Service:HHH

Menu:HHHH

Value for money:HHHH

Overall:HHH

TAKE Bradshawgate out of the town centre, going into Manchester Road. The Sunar Gaw is on the right hand side of the road, almost facing the Big W store.

by Alison Barton