WELCOME to the first Eating Out review since the smoking ban came into place in England.
 Never again shall I have to rant and rave about meals being spoiled by people nearby lighting up. It’s a long overdue law that has been welcomed with open arms by this scribe. Not that it has made much difference to The Valley in Corbridge. This wonderful eatery has been non-smoking since it opened in 1991 and, while many an Indian has set up in the region since then, it still remains at the top of its tree. The Valley first became famous in the North East because of its setting next to the Newcastle-to-Carlisle railway. Its doors open on to the platform in Corbridge. Its Passage To India train service – where you are given the full works from the moment you step on the train – is still doing grand business. You can enjoy a unique Raj-style escorted train service from Newcastle Central Station, or any other station along the Tyne Valley line, to the restaurant in Corbridge. On this occasion, though, we drove there and were quickly made to feel at home in the downstairs lounge area. It is a strange mix of old Northumberland charm with more than a nod to India, including an ornamental elephant adorning the window sill. As we sat in our comfy leather chairs and pondered over the menu, the first thing that grabbed us was the array of unusual dishes on offer. While further into the menu you have your standard biryanis, madras, dhansaks and so forth, I would highly recommend being a little adventurous and checking out the specialities. We took a full 20 minutes deciding what to have (it’s a pity there isn’t an Indian tapas-style way of doing it so you can check everything out!), enjoying some dry white wine as we did so. Next we were taken upstairs to the restaurant itself. It was a Wednesday night and relatively busy but staff took time out to make sure everything was just right in every respect. Starters include old school faves like onion bhaji, vegetable pakura and bhuna on prawn puree, but we both went for dishes which were new to us. The Chingri Varkee (£4.75) is grilled green pepper stuffed with spicy prawns – and it went down a treat. The prawns certainly had a kick to them, which fought against the relative sweetness of the pepper to great effect. The Dhai Baigon (£4.50) was just as tasty. Grilled aubergine is stuffed with vegetables and topped with spiced yoghurt. I have to admit I had a bit of a taste of this too and, just as with my own starter, it was the spiciness which gave it that extra edge. The Valley prides itself on its use of spices, allowing its customers to enjoy flavours and aromas they may not usually be accustomed to. It’s a ploy that works very well indeed, as we discovered during our main course. Mr I-Only-Ever-Have-Chicken-Tikka-Masala really went for it and ended up deliberating over the Murgh Amchur (chicken cooked with mango in a spicy sauce ) and Shat Kora Delight (£9.95), opting in the end for the latter. This Bangladeshi dish boasts a wonderful lemon-esque fragrance. He had it with chicken and pilaw rice (£3.50), and enthused about the fullness of the flavour. A delight indeed! As for me, well I too did veer towards the Murgh Amchur (next time!) but decided to go for the Special Bhuna Gosth (£9.50) instead. Why? Well, it comes under the ‘Daraz’s Choice’ section of the menu, and its description reads: “The most favourite dish of mine.” As Daraz is the brains behind the meals on offer at The Valley, it seemed only natural to go with the expert’s choice. Am I glad I did. My lamb was seasoned with fresh herbs and spices with a hint of garam masala. Fantastic aromas and yet more spice to get the sweat buds going. With our mains we also indulged in some glorious Tarka Dahl (lentils and garlic – £3.50) and a perfectly cooked Pashwari Nan (£2.75). I reckon it had been a good 10 years since I had last been to The Valley. What must I have been thinking? Too often the ‘oldies’ are forgotten in the Barr household as we check out the latest restaurants to have opened – usually for these pages. Sometimes, though, you simply cannot beat the golden oldies. The Valley, for me, remains 24-carat through and through. | 
