Before I visited Moja Restaurant I wasn’t even aware of its existence. Tucked away in the corner of the town centre on St. Peter’s Street, it isn’t somewhere that most people would walk past regularly, which probably explains why it isn’t that well known. It deserves to be, however, because in discovering it I discovered welcoming crimson interior decor, attentive service, and very reasonable prices. The food was good too.

Moja offers Bengali cuisine, meaning it is subtly different to the average curry restaurant. When we arrived our complimentary sauces were already on the table, and we were immediately brought a pile of poppadoms. We weren’t charged for the dishes that were already set out, which was a nice surprise. Moja’s menu was varied, with a wide selection of regular curry dishes as well as specials, and a big choice of appetisers. All starters come with salad, and mains with a choice of rice, naan bread or two chapattis. Main courses were all priced between £7 and £10.

To begin we ordered a mushroom masala (£2.95), which consisted of sautéed mushrooms and came in a beautifully tasty sauce with naan bread, and a daal tarka (£3.50). A quick internet search of the restaurant’s previous reviews before we set off had recommended this lentil-based curry dish to us, and we weren’t disappointed. To accompany our main dishes we also ordered one garlic and one peshwari naan (£2.25 each). My 14-year-old brother, not a particular fan of curry, asked for the Keema Paneer (£7) as his main – a cheese dish, which contained peas. He enjoyed it despite his reluctance to visit Moja in the first place, and even declared that he would choose it again when, rather than if, he returned.
My mum, much more partial to curry, chose the Lamb Daal (£8.30) and enjoyed it too. As more of a white meat eater, it is very rare that I ever pick red meat dishes when eating out –but I decided to take a risk on this occasion, rather than sticking to my faithful Prawn Korma, and I wasn’t disappointed with my Lamb Saag (£8.30), a creamy spinach dish.

Moja even gives the option of chicken or scampi and chips, so that those who are less than enamoured by the thought of curry can visit without worry. The menu also promises that the chef will adjust the spiciness of any dish to the customer’s preference –meaning that it really is unlikely that anyone will be disappointed by their visit.

The restaurant was quiet, but we did have a table at 6 o’clock on a Saturday -very early to be eating out, and therefore hardly a fair comparison to how busy it would be later in the evening. In any case, after we had been seated for an hour or so more diners did arrive and the restaurant began to fill up. Clearly more people than I had first thought do know about Moja, and I was glad of this.

Like a lot of Asian restaurants, Moja is not licensed to sell alcohol. Customers are encouraged to bring their own, however, and the advantage is that the bill is never likely to sky-rocket. I was told when I booked the table that alcohol would not be available, and most of the diners whilst we were there had brought their own wine or lager along. Because we were driving we opted for soft drinks –diet cokes and Sprites, which were only £1.25 each.

One criticism that we had of Moja seems trivial: it was very, very cold inside, despite the fact that the radiators were on. We attributed this to the fact that, on a very cold day, the restaurant had only been opened half an hour when we arrived –but the cold did make the meal less comfortable, and my mum was so cold that part way through she even had to put her coat back on, which is obviously not what is expected when eating out at a restaurant. Another problem, an important one, was the fact that there was no lift –only a narrow, very steep staircase. This effectively cuts off any disabled access, which is obviously a huge problem and something that Moja needs to look into as a priority.

Aside from this, however, we were very impressed with our first visit to Moja. The bill came to £44.25 for three –very reasonable, especially since we had added starters and sides without considering the bill.
Moja is found on St. Peter’s Street in Huddersfield, with its entrance to the left of GT Taxis. The restaurant has various offers, including one half price main meal with one at full price on the £9 set menu, available every day apart from Fridays, Saturdays and bank holidays. It also offers a takeout service, with free delivery on orders over £13.50 within a three mile radius. When ordering takeaway from Moja customers can receive a free main meal and two chapattis with any two main dishes, or two free main meals including four chapattis when ordering four main dishes. There is parking available outside and buses run from Lord Street, just outside. The restaurant is above GT Taxis.

Bill: £37 for three (£44.25 with six soft drinks)

Visit their website: www.mojarestaurant.co.uk

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