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This is a restaurant that has been on quite a ride as of late. Once known as the popular St Ives institution, PR Masala, it then closed down and changed into Monal.

We visited Monal ourselves shortly after and found the restaurant a worthy replacement but clearly it failed to capture the love and imagination of the locals. In the end, Monal didn’t last long amongst the stiff competition in St Ives, and now the restaurant has changed hands one more time to Bengal Spice.

This was particularly exciting news for me, as it just so happens to be run by Hanif Ali, the man behind the remarkable transformation of the lackluster Sutton Tandoori into a significantly improved Sutton Spice. He is a man who clearly knows what he is doing and has a proven track record in making a difference, so I was keen to see if he could bring some of his magic to St Ives.

The restaurant is absolutely huge! It not only offers space in abundance but also a warm atmospheric interior, which is emphasised by melodic blue lighting. There is also a very comfortable looking lounge area for takeaway collections with compfy sofas.

I have always thought that this restaurant would be perfect for hosting events…and that is exactly what the team are intending to do. Speaking with the head chef Khaled, he explained that Bengal Spice will be hosting the Indian Elvis tribute act very soon, along with a few other events – so watch this space!

Speaking with him further, he went into great detail about his work. He is clearly a passionate man with a wealth of experience and knowledge, taking great pride in what he does. This was very reassuring to know and it was a pleasure meeting him.

We started off with your classic papadums with a selection of sides. For anyone who reads this blog frequently, you will know that I am a big fan of the spinney tray, as it gives good portions and makes it easy to share. This came with lime pickle, mango chutney, onion salad, and yogurt. Nothing here particularly stood out but it all met the standard of what you would expect from curry night. Nobody will be disappointed with your selection and everything was done well.

Our starters consisted of Panjabi samosa chaat and a plate of tandoori chicken wings and lamb chops.

The Punjabi samosa chat is a unique take on a dish I am seeing more frequently during my travels, as of late. It is clearly becoming very popular and the Punjabi version might be one of my favourite so far.

Visually, it is incredibly busy, with lots of colours from the peas to the pomegranate, adding vibrancy and fun. Instead of having a half crumbled samosa (like with many other restaurants) the Punjabi style seems to be more refined, giving a smoother mix without sacrificing its crispiness. This made it much easier to eat and the yogurt added a creamy texture, while the chutney livened up the dish with a very welcome sweetness. It was beautiful.

We were served crispy bhindi as a light snack. This vegetarian okra based dish is served in finger form, making them great for dipping and sharing. I loved the spicy and slightly salty flavour which made them incredibly moreish and easy to pick at.

Next up, was the ‘chefs special chicken tikka’. An intriguing and unusual take on the Indian restaurant classic. Whereas a lot of chicken tikka can be considered quite dry and normally made with peppers, this is made with only onions and comes in a light buttery sauce mixed with cornflour and spices, giving it a thick succulent texture while also being rich and creamy. It really worked.

We then tried their handi lamb biryani. This is famously cooked and presented in a copper or clay pot but was brought out on a plate with slices of spiced naan. This gave it an almost pinwheels look to the dish that I thought was interesting and novel.

The biryani had a pleasant aromatic flavour with soft basmati rice that came with in a deep golden colour. The lamb was incredibly tender and jumped out of the dish with a rich meaty pop.

This all combined into a hearty, robust flavour that is versatile enough to please anyone.

No visit to an Indian restaurant is complete without a tandoori mixed grill. This noisy and incredibly smokey dish came out sizzling with a variety of meats, including sheek kebab, chicken and lamb tikka, and tandoori chicken.

I always love ordering a tandoori mixed grill because it adds real life and energy to the evening, reminiscent of the bustling old school Indian restaurants from back in the day. All the meat was tender, delicious, and very juicy. I couldn’t fault a thing.

We ended the evening with a couple of desserts. These looked to be pre made but very welcome after a very heavy, spicy, and savoury meal.

The service was polite and friendly from start to finish. Occasionally we would have our plates collected and not have replacements given out, which then had to be requested. This was no big deal, especially as the place was starting to fill up rapidly. They were a smiley team which was contagious and added to the restaurant’s great atmosphere

Conclusion

He’s done it again!

Hanif has transformed Monal from a decent Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant into a quality, well-rounded restaurant with so much to offer.

Chef Khaled has added his unique style and skilled hands to the Bengal Spice and turned it into an ideal everyday Indian that you can visit safe in the knowledge that everything on the menu is done to a good standard. The menu is huge with a wide selection that will be able to please everyone. If you are looking for Indian street food or traditional Indian food then this may not be for you (though you can find numerous traditional Indian dishes on their menu) but this is a solid and balanced Indian with a large menu and the potential for some great live events. I have already heard that shishas may be coming in the future too 🤫

I think this will do fans of PR Masala proud and even offers a little more!

Thanks for reading