Hall Green’s Raja Monkey is slightly more forward-thinking and embracing of modern marketing methods than many South Asian restaurants, presenting a range of thalis and streetfood in a breezy, accessible manner.
The artfully ‘aged’ interiors aim to evoke nostalgia for the roadside diners of India, although of course their own dining room is decked out with all mod cons. It’s not the cheapest of eats, but prices are competitive.
Steel serving-ware adds to the canteen vibe; thalis, snack platters and stacked tiffin tins. The latter are also employed in home deliveries, whereby £10 buys a shiny silver tin, collected empty and replaced with a fresh food-filled one with every subsequent order.
In-house, blackboard specials shake up a concise pan-Indian menu that’s already pretty invigorating. Away from the curry house classics, try Bombay bites like the mutton-stuffed Frankie dosa, uttapam (a spongy pancake that’s South India’s answer to the pizza), and a regionally inspired thali that conveniently includes all the snacks, sides and bolt-on bits you need on a single plate – for scarcely more than a tenner.