Ujala Indian Tandoori Restaurant and Takeaway, 23 Nunnery Lane, York

NUNNERY Lane is an in-between sort of place in the evening. There is the stretch of dark city wall; the brooding car park; a take-away; the closed offices of the T&GWU. The brightness and life of Micklegate and The Mount are just round the corner, but seem far away.

It's an odd place for York's newest Indian restaurant. Perhaps the Ujala is hoping to attract some of the Micklegate trade. It certainly provides a welcome splash of colour on a cold Saturday evening, however.

We're welcomed with a polite smile into a warm, green-gold world. The Ujala is one of the modern breed of Indian restaurants that is determinedly contemporary in decor. In this case, pleasantly so. Inside, the restaurant is spacious. The thick green carpet is flecked with gold, the walls are cream and dividing arches are lit to warm gold by downward-angled lights. Some kind of Indian stringed instrument is playing quietly over loudspeakers, adding a hint of exoticism.

There are a few other couples dining when we arrive at 8pm. Lili and I settle into a table near one arch, order a couple of papadums and the pickle tray, and munch away contentedly while we consider the extensive menu.

It's informative, which is always good. There are 25 'chef's special recommendations', for example, each of which includes a detailed description of what the dish involves.

Number 13 is Mugi Massala. "Prepared with fried mince meat, fresh ginger, capsicum and garlic, delicately flavoured with a touch of cream. Please mention how hot you would like it." What more could you ask of a menu?

As well as the specials, the menu contains all the standard dishes - kurmas, tandooris, pathia, dupiaza, rogan josh, dansak and biryani - as well as one or two not encountered that often. Its Malaya dishes, the menu informs you, are "sweet, cooked with banana and pineapple".

There is a tempting range of appetisers and sundries such as nan breads, parathas and chapatis.

Having already tickled our tastebuds with papadums and pickle, we decide to skip the appetisers and plunge straight in to the main courses. Lili, after much humming and hawing, decides on the king prawn dansak (£6.95) - sweet and sour king prawns cooked with lentils and pineapple.

I opt for one of the chef's recommendations, the Ujala Special (£8.95), described as "chicken and lamb tikka, with mincemeat, mushroom and egg". We order a plain nan (£1.80) to share, two portions of pilau rice (£1.95) and two vegetable side dishes, mushroom bhaji and cauliflower bhaji (£2.50 each).

While we wait, I sip an OK house white (£1.90 a glass) and Lili an orange juice.

The food arrives fairly quickly. My Ujali Special sizzles in a mini cast-iron wok, the meats in their dark red sauce topped by slices of green pepper. I've asked for it medium hot, and on reflection it could have been a touch hotter: but the sauce is delicately flavoured, the chicken pieces deliciously tender and the lamb, while a little tough, very tasty. The green pepper slices explode with flavour.

Buried deep inside, I find my egg. It's a whole egg, boiled until hard then fried until wrinkled and faintly crisp on the outside. Very unusual.

Lili is equally pleased with her dansak. The lentil sauce is pleasingly tasty, she says, and the flavour of the prawns come through nicely.

The mushroom bhaji is perhaps a little bland, but I love the cauliflower version - and the nan bread is divine, fresh, warm, light and fluffy.

Replete, Lili passes on dessert. Manfully, I choose from the small list of ices and sorbets a Trufito (£2.50). It's a kind of chocolate bomb, a ball of crisp chocolate that crackles and splits to reveal delicious chocolate ice cream inside. A winner.

After an OK coffee (£1.20) we're almost ready for the road when our waiter, with a flourish, presents us each with a tall spirit glass filled with colourless liquid, a blue flame coming from the top. It's vermouth: rich, sweet and aniseedy. The blue flame blown out, it has an exquisite texture, colder vermouth from the bottom of the glass mingling with the warmer spirit at the top. A great way to end.

The final bill came to £38.55. Pretty good value for good food in pleasant surroundings.

Ujala Indian Tandoori Restaurant and Takeaway, 23 Nunnery Lane, York. Telephone 01904 627267/ 621129.

Steve and Lili visited the Ujala on March 6.

Food: tasty

Service: friendly

Value: good

Ambience: elegant

Disabled facilities: Yes

Restaurant reviewers aim to be fair and accurate. Any comments on this review should be addressed to Chris Titley, Features Content Editor, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, York, YO1 9YN or e-mail features@ycp.co.uk

Updated: 09:39 Saturday, March 13, 2004