Asia Lounge, Bury, Greater Manchester

I've never tried writing and review on a restaurant before but Asia Lounge is one of my favourite places to eat so I thought I'd give it a go and hope I do it some justice.

What Is the Asia Lounge
Asia Lounge is the newest restaurant in Bury, Manchester. It only opened at the back end of last year.
The restaurant serves up authentic Thai and Indian dishes. The chefs themselves are from Thailand and Pakistan.
The restaurant has two floors and can seat 200 guests. As well as taking bookings it is also available to hire for functions. Although the Asia Lounge isn't a take away it will do so by special request.

Location
Asia Lounge is located on Rochdale Road, Bury just on the corner of Heywood Street.

The Restaurant
The restaurant itself has a red theme going on, plain walls with pieces of ethnic art on the walls, wooden floors and dimmed lighting complete with very shiney light fittings. It plays really soft music in the back ground which is more like a soft jazz than Asian music usually played in some of the restaurants I've visited. The whole ambiance of the place is very chilled and relaxed. At the front of the lower floor there is a huge window looking out on to the main road, this is shaded out from the other side so diners don't get passers by gawping at them while they eat.
There is also a very well stocked bar located on the lower floor.
From the main road the restaurant sticks out like a sore thumb, mainly because compared to a lot of buildings in the area it's kept in very good condition, it's regularly painted a very dusky pink colour and the windows look more like something you would see on a mosque or temple. There are also plants and tress aplenty both outside and indoors.

Staff
The waiting staff are all very nice and they don't seem to have a very big turn over of waiting staff so it's nice to go in and be served by the same person who served you the last time. They are always polite friendly and helpful. The staff seem to be from a diverse number of backgrounds as well as the Thai and Pakistani chefs some of the waiting staff are English, Indian, Thai and Pakistani, Male and female.
The waiting staff are always smart and wear black with white shirts and black ties.

Toilets
Ceramic floors and well lit with very funky mirrors and decor. The toilets are located in the foyer on the lower floor.

The Menu
The menu offers a wide range of both Indian and Thai food, as well as and extensive wine and drinks list.
Vegetarians are very well catered for here also. As well as offering just starters, mains and desserts there are a wide range of salads, sides and soups available and the restaurant also offers set meals with 3 courses.
The actual menu itself has a lovely wooden cover with and Eastern design on the front. The food menu is split into two sections Indian or Thai but it is possible to mix and match.

Menu Examples
Thai Starter:
Tod Man Pla (Thai Fish Cakes) £ 5.95
Fresh minced fish mixed with a combination of red curry paste, green beans and lime leaves then lightly fried, served with sweet chilli pickled vegetable dip.
Thai Main:
Chu Chee £ 7.95
Chicken / Beef / Duck / Prawn Aromatic red curry paste, Coconut milk, Kaffir lime leaves Tamarind sauce and fresh chilli.

Indian Starter:
Mirch Machli Tikka £ 6.75
Chunks of fresh cod marinated with garlic, chillies, coriander and aniseed and cooked in the tandoor.
Indian Main:
Lamb Tikka Jalfrezi £ 8.95
Lamb tikka cooked with capsicum, onion, tomatoes, coriander, green chillies herbs, and spices, slightly dry and hot.

Special Offers
4 courses for £9.99 Tuesday to Thursday

My Experience
I have probably been to the Asia Lounge about once every two months ever since it opened last year.I started going there with my boyfriend, we both enjoy Indian food and The Asia Lounge is very close to his house. At the time I had never tried Thai cuisine and was a bit put off cos I thought it would be all Chicken or fish so I was really surprised when I read the menu to find that wasn't the case at all. On my first visit though I decided to tick with Indian.
What I have found about the menu here is that the Thai menu is more extensive than the Indian, although there seem to be a lot of Indian sides, starters and breads there isn't a great deal on the list of main meals but what is there is very very nice indeed. The restaurant also doesn't cater for kids, there are no high chairs and no children's menu. Apart from chips there aren't any English dishes available. I have only eaten one meal there which wasn't top notch, it was a Thai dish with prawns and although very tasty the prawns were a little crunchy so I just haven't ordered anything with prawn since.
The location isn't the best, the Rochdale Road end of Bury isn't the nicest but the owners make sure that they keep the building nice and well presented. There are plenty of pubs along that stretch of road if you fancy a drink either before or after your meal.
I love the restaurant itself, it so nicely decorated the staff are brilliant, on a couple of occasions I have forgotten to take my glasses and not been able to read the menu and the staff have had to read it for me. nothing is too much trouble for the waiting staff.
I have to say Asia lounge has the best toilets I have ever been in. If i knew how to nominate them for the loo of the year award I would gladly do so. They are well lit, cleaner than any lavatory ever but the best thing about them is the funky mirrors I'm pretty sure they could make anyone look good.
The Asia lounge isn't somewhere I would go for an average curry, mainly because it is a bit pricey compared to some of the other local restaurants. The prices are a little high but the food, the service and the whole dining experience there make it well worth it.
Asia Lounge is a great place to eat.

My Recommendations
Pad Med Ma Muang (Stir Fry) £ 7.95
Chicken / Beef Cashew nuts, green & red pepper, spring onions, dry roasted chilli
Kow Neow £3.00
thai fragrant Sticky Rice
Lamb Chops £ 9.95
Aromatic succulent lamb chops marinated with nutmeg, ginger and braised slowly in the tandoor - a conventional oven made of clay and fired with charcoal.
Lamb Handi £ 7.45
Handi is a traditional cooking method the dishes are cooked at a low temperature which marinates the food to give aromatic flavours. Handi can be prepared either mild or hot to your own personal taste.

A little tip is that if you don't order poppadoms you get them free anyway if you do order them they get added to your bill.

Opening Times
Tues day to Thursday 5pm til 11pm
Fri & Sat 5pm til Midnight
Sunday 5pm til 10.30pm
Closed every Monday apart from Bank Holidays where it is open 5pm til 11pm.

Booking
Booking is recommended
0161 762 7755
or by email: info@asialounge.co.uk

Website: www.asialounge.co.uk

Bon Appetite

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