Taste of Ulster (WPFG Edition) - Discover Northern Ireland

42www.nigoodfood.com | Guide 2013SAFADEALTwo mains, 2 riceand 2 glasses ofwine £24.95£££This place is about as far away from the stereotypical Indian restaurant as youcan get. There is no flocked wallpaper and swirly carpet. Located in a historicbuilding above Kelly’s Cellars, SAFA is sleek and contemporary and the foodis the real deal. By that we mean there are no artificial additives or nasty dyes.Everything is cooked from scratch and it’s all DELICIOUS.Owner Ali Askir was brought up in Northern Ireland but has strong links withBangladesh. A trained chef, he has 25 years’ experience in the industry andhe always wanted his own place. He was very clear that he wanted authenticrecipes cooked with as many local ingredients as possible. So, the lamb intheir Pasanda comes from Newry and the chicken in their Chettined is fromAntrim . That’s our favourite, by the way. It’s infused with fresh coconut andcurry leaves. They also have more veggie options than anywhere else.Unlike the typical Indian restaurant, the wine menu is full of decent choicesand the desserts go way beyond the bought-in ice-creams and sorbets. Theymake their own Kulfi (Indian ice-cream) and traditional sweets as well asdoing a divine Devil’s Food Cake and cheesecake.Prices are unbelievably reasonable. Ok, that’s where SAFA DOES resemble atypical Indian restaurant. It’s cheap enough to eat there as often as you like.No 1 on Trip Advisor for Belfast too. So many, many people can’t be wrong!£Get there: 30-32 Bank Street, Belfast. BT1 1HL (Above Kelly’s Cellars)Get in touch: t: +44 28 90 233 519 t: info@safabelfast.comw: www.safabelfast.com