My Wife and I had read all the great reviews on SugarVine for Buraq and had been informed by a few people locally how good it was. We use a number of Indian restaurants on the Fylde coast and on occasion, further a field, so were keen to give it a go. We decided to initially try their seemingly excellent deal of "£9.95 Eat as much as you like buffet" as this is an option between 1.00pm and 6.30pm on a Sunday. We were met at the door with a pleasant smiling face and showed to a seat in their fairly large waiting area near the bar. we were provided with both the standard menu and the buffet menu and asked for a drinks order straight away. Indian beer lovers should note that at the time of writing this, they serve both Cobra and Kingfisher on draft, and it is under £3 a pint - which is as cheap as most places do it in 330ml bottles. It was fairly quiet (no really a surprise for a Sunday, it's not really a traditional Sunday lunch is it), just a few other couples in, and we were shown to our table almost immediately. The surroundings were good, I would suggest the nicest Indian I have been in, and a nice view of their clean, tidy, landscaped rear garden. The linen (proper linen) was all clean and tidy, the cutlery of good quality. It appears the buffet may change weekly, as ours was headed "Week 6" and it was indeed the 6th week of the year. Our starters (you get everything on the buffet menu, you don't have to choose) were Garlick Tikka Chicken, Seekh kebab and a Samosa, served with the normal tray of pickles you would get with poppadums. We finished them in no time flat, the chicken being especially good. We were offered more, and accepted! The only minor complaint here was that the seekh kebab was almost cold, it had been perfectly cooked through and as these are like koftas, they can be served cold, I don't think it was meant to be, but it didn't mar our starters in any way, they were great. My wife also asked for a poppadom to go with the pickle tray, this did not feature on the bill at the end. Our main courses came in approximately soup sized bowls, Chilli Chicken and a Lamb Passanda, accompanied by one plate of Chicken Biriyani, which was like a spiced chicken fried pilau rice. This was a sensible addition to the courses as it negated needing a separate order of rice! The main meals were served with a side order of spiced vegetables and a garlic chapatti. We could have ordered more of any of the dishes, but certainly didn't need to after two starters. The food was excellent, my wife couldn't get enough of the passanda, but she does have a sweet tooth. We were given some mints and a choice of tea or coffee, and while waiting for the bill, we were asked what we would like as a complimentary drink on the house. I have no idea if this is standard practice for every customer (though I note that it has been mentioned on sugarvine previously), just on your first visit maybe, or if it happens every time - nonetheless, it was a nice and welcome touch, as was the carafe of iced water on the table without request. This was certainly the best quality of food and best service I have had in any Indian restaurant in probably 20 years of going to them. We can both thoroughly recommend Buraq. I mentioned earlier that an Indian meal is not a traditional Sunday Lunch in the UK, well with quality, quantity and value for money that Buraq offers, it may well become one! (at least for us!). Full marks 10/10!
Buraq – Kirkham