Ocean Road is well known for its wide variety of restaurants – particularly of the Indian type, hence the name the Curry Mile. Nestled centrally, we have Zeera, a family-run business owned and operated by the 3 Choudhury brothers – Shahanoor, the Director; Kohnoor, the Head Chef and finally, Abadur, the Second Chef.
Shahanoor, or Shah as he is known locally, was going to be looking after us. Sitting down with Shah, I first had to understand why he chose to open an Indian restaurant on the road famous for them?
“I knew what people were used to when dining in an Indian restaurant. They would have the standard onion bhaji, served with rice, naans and a typical curry dish like a Jalfrezi of Korma. I wanted to offer something more.”
Hence, when eating at Zeera, you have a much more upmarket dining experience. Although you will find, at the core, traditional dishes, Shah has made sure that his menu stands out. Providing a fusion of enhanced flavours, presentation and experience, people leave thinking they aren’t in South Shields but possibly in India.
Since leaving school, Shah tells me he had always dreamed of having his own restaurant. Food has always been his passion, and after spending many years working in other establishments and developing his skills, in December of 2007 Zeera was opened with a capacity of 42. By 2012 having established a dedicated set of customers that was constantly growing, Zeera expanded into the business next door and increased its capacity to 90. Even so, it is highly advised to book as the restaurant filled up quickly on our night, a Thursday.
“I am aiming to deliver good food to give people a good mood”, Shah jokingly tells me. “This way, I know they will always remember Zeera. I don’t want to offer a dining service where you eat, drink and go, but rather soak in the ambience and fully enjoy the experience at a nice pace.”
“We are not a curry house. We are so much more.”
This vision is echoed in the massive amount of awards the establishment has won, including the Indian Restaurant of the Year 21/22 by The Luxury Travel Awards against rivals across the globe. The popular Indian restaurant was crowned Best Team at the English Curry Awards and Indian Restaurant of the Year in the Prestige Awards 21/22 in 2021.
Shah puts all this recognition down to having a business run by a close family with everyone putting in their all. “My brothers have helped make Zeera what it is today. I can rely on them to help me deliver my vision, providing consistently high service and high-quality food.”
On the night, I, Rob, Lisa and Nicholle were treated to a truly unique dining experience with Shah and his team as we got to sample the new menu. To allow us to experience every possible flavour, Shah selected the starters, mains and desserts that he felt would make the night spectacular. This prevented us from playing it safe and only going with dishes that would make us feel comfortable. We placed all of our trust in him and were not disappointed.
The night started with a dish called ‘The Street of Mumbai’ – an interesting take on traditional street food called Pani Puri. A small crispy puri filled with chickpeas, chutney and onion sits above a shot glass of spicy mint flavour water.
The dish clearly represented what Shah meant when he wanted to create something fresh with Indian cuisine, as the table were truly confused about what they were looking at and what to do with it. Was it a shot? Was it a small snack and drink? After a quick demonstration of mixing the two, everyone dived into it like a pro. The crispy and tangy taste with not too much spice was a fantastic start to awakening the senses, with Rob pointing out how the flavours were just right and not overpowering.
Next up, we had the Kathi Roll consisting of lamb tikka tossed with onion, peppers and tomato all wrapped in a layered egg paratha and a Paneer Tikka Mushroom, a vegetarian dish with mushrooms and paneer as the core, plus onions, peppers, garlic and coriander.
The Kathi Roll showed what could be achieved with a bit of imagination, substituting what typically would be a flatbread wrap with a layered egg instead. Almost like an omelette, the tender lamb was complemented with a sauce that added some ‘oomph’, as Lisa put it. Considering she isn’t a massive fan of lamb, she was pleasantly surprised and after more! Nicholle enjoyed the textures of the Paneer Tikka Mushroom as the soft cheese and mushrooms combined well with the crunch of the peppers and onion.
While we waited for the mains to arrive, Shah brought over Delhi Ki Chaat – mini samosas served with chickpeas bursting with street flavours, chutney and various sauces. Rob jokingly compared it to the Indian version of nachos since the crispy base and toppings were similar to the staple Mexican dish.
The dish had citrus undertones with a spicy kick, with the chickpeas absorbing so much flavour it was unimaginable. This delivered on a higher level than nachos, believe me! The perfect balance of crunch and sauciness was ideal, and it would leave everyone satisfied as a sharing plate.
Supporting the sharer, we also had a Vegan Thali – a traditional Indian dish regularly seen in classic movies featuring rice, flatbreads, chutneys, and various other condiments. The portion sizes here were more than enough for any vegan, with many flavours that could be combined or kept separate.
Following up from this was the Dum Biriyani, a lamb dish steamed with rice and served in a sealed handi (pot) using naan bread. As Rob cut into it, the steam was visibly escaping carrying the aromatic flavours. Each of us dived in, scooping out a nice helping of lamb and rice while breaking off a bit of the naan. It was like we were helping ourselves to an eastern version of a pie, with a huge surprise of a boiled egg in the middle of it – we were not expecting it!
We all noticed how each dish looked more extravagant as it came out, but thankfully not sacrificing any of the flavours for a more visual presentation. Instead, they seemed to get more flavoursome as they went on – especially when it came to the next dish, the ‘Bunny Chow’.
Served in a small loaf, the bread had been scooped out and filled with chicken curry (also available in lamb) accompanied by poppadoms and raitha. Rob and I had found our favourite out of all the dishes so far. The South African inspired curry was magical. The bread was crunchy while absorbing the curry sauce, while the chicken was tender and succulent.
Combined, the two different textures worked perfectly as a mouth-watering dish, and we were honestly disappointed about having to share it with the table!
Thankfully the next dish, a Lamb Handi, was arriving just as we were thinking about how to keep the chicken curry to ourselves. Again served in a selection of traditional Indian dinner sets, this Bangladeshi curry feature fresh lamb on the bone cooked with nothing but herbs and spices. Shah was keen to point out that so much flavour can be achieved with few ingredients, as the meat and bone provided it all.
There was rice, a small dal, chapati and raitha supporting the dish. At this point, the girls were already full to the brim but powered through a few small helpings as we all tucked into the food. This dish is an excellent choice if you want to try a different assortment of aromas as it comes with so much, and for one person, it would be highly satisfying.
Wrapping up the night, we were served a Mango and Passionfruit Torte, a Summer Fruits Cheesecake, and an Affagato (scoops of ice cream topped with hot espresso and Baileys).
We highly recommend the Mango Passionfruit Torte. The passionfruit glaze was sublime, while the sponge cake mango base perfectly complimented it. The cheesecake was rich and fruity, while the Affagato was ideal for those who like to have a coffee and ice cream but can’t decide!
The experience overall at Zeera was magnificent. We felt like we were transported around the entire of India, from North to South, East to West. Everybody felt like they had enjoyed a culinary delight while trying something new that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Shah and his brothers have gone above and beyond making sure whoever comes to Zeera is treated to a form of dining that is unique and experimental but executed to such a high standard they would struggle to find anything that matches it. We all highly recommend it!
