Restaurant review: An Najeeb Cuisine

Assalamualykum warahmatullahi wabarakatu. I feel like it's been forever since I've last blogged - ok it has been. So many things to do with so little time; I lie, most of it is just procrastination. But here goes another restaurant review. This restaurant is situated in Leicester; a heaven for food lovers. Leicester boasts a market that is apparently the largest covered outdoor market in Europe with market traders mostly selling fruits and vegetables; what more - they are dirt cheap! Don't even get me started on the food festivals which brings food and drinks from all over - in fact the County prides itself on it's Passion for food. With the risk of turning this review into that of Leicester, I would insha Allah write a destination Leicester food one day.

Location
The restaurant is located at number 1B Conduit Street right outside the train station which is very convenient as that makes it approximately 15 minutes walk from the two Universities in Leicester and about 5 minutes walk into Leicester town centre. And although it's not the easiest to spot, you can find it if you're on the lookout for it. There's a dedicated restaurant parking which is free at certain times and not at other times; I don't drive so this doesn't bother me much.

 

Restaurant
First thing first - it is HMC certified which is like the daddy of halal certification meaning your mind is at peace about the source of your meat. This is almost essential in a place like Leicester where even your KFC, your Nandos and your Subways have Halal meat - you get the drill. One thing I noticed is that the restaurant is very clean and very charming - perhaps due to the friendliness of the people in front of the House. It isn't that spacious but that perhaps adds to the cuteness and I am  almost certain that every time I've visited, there's Maher Zain playing in the background. So you're met with the seating place with some of the tables along the wall having curtains that can be drawn. This is perhaps my favourite feature of this restaurant because it provides the opportunity to eat without being stared at. Even more essential is this for niqaabi sisters who perhaps would like to enjoy meals out with friends and family.

One other thing I love about here is that they have a proper prayer area - even though the Leicester central mosque is 2 minutes away on the same street- amazing right? It often brings a smile to my face when I see a chef or a waiter coming out from the kitchen to say their salahs at the right time - subhanallah!

Customer Service
I have already alluded to the fact that they are very friendly masha Allah. There's this sister that never appeared too busy to give a smile and always kind to suggest what to eat. Having said that the food can sometime take a while - depending on what you order and how busy it is and there isn't a way to hurry them; trust me I've tried before so you just need to be patient and make sure you leave plenty of time before your train as I found out the hard way. Just have sabr because it probably means that your food is being freshly prepared.

Food
Indo-Chinese is their speciality and although there are some African dishes on their menu, I still say it's an Indo-Chinese restaurant. The food can be variable as I've been there several times and I try to order something new each time although I must say I now have favourites. Having said that, the food has never been bad but I've had some amazing dishes there. I must confess that their Naans are almost as perfect as you can get, absolutely amazing. In fact regardless of what I have, you can guarantee that I'll order a Naan bread in particular a Peshwari Naan; it's just my An-Najeeb thing.

They really do have a wide range of things and I have actually never been told that a meal on the menu is out of stock which is saying something as I can sometimes order some weird and wonderful things. Desert wise- there's a Movenpick stall in the corner of the restaurant where you have a range of Ice-creams and Milkshakes. And they always have these cakes that tempts even the hardcore no desert person like me. Did I mention that they have a take way menu as well?

Final Verdict
Great food, good location and amazing environment not to mention all at very reasonable prices. Well so if you're ever in Leicester and you're in need of somewhere nice to eat , then An-Najeeb is highly recommended. In fact if your train is calling at Leicester, it is almost worth breaking your Journey just to eat at An-Najeeb. The Take-away menu is a good bonus especially when you're running late as Ed-Miliband will let you know and this is in no way endorsing the Labour party!