Special dishes make Shaan first class

I visited the eatery, in Tarring Road, Worthing, on Monday, and after a perfect three-course meal I cannot recommend it highly enough.

With a mouth-watering array of specialities created by experienced chef Abdul Monnan – who must be one of the finest in Worthing – I had real problems making a choice.

In the end, I opted for a tandoori chicken starter (£3.45), followed by Chingree bhazzan (£10.95, with Pilaw rice), a blend of shredded prawns, tomato, garlic, pimento and coriander.

Both were gorgeous. The tandoori chicken, served with sizzling onions and salad, the meat fell off the bone with ease, with the mild spices providing a perfect introduction to the meal.

The main was medium-hot, with shredded prawns in every mouthful. Far too often with seafood curries, there is a scant lack of the seafood itself, but this was certainly not the case at Shaan.

Meanwhile, my girlfriend, who is seen in Indian restaurants less often than I do the hoovering, due to food allergies which prevent her eating a lot of the cuisine, chose fillet steak (£16.45), served with chips, mushrooms and onions.

She said it was perfectly-cooked to her liking, and better than most steaks she had eaten - quite a testament, considering the dish is not one you would expect an Indian to excel at.

Although we were both full-to-bursting after the generous portions, we were persuaded to sample the pudding menu.

I went for lemon sorbet, which was a juicy and refreshing end to the meal, while my girlfriend (always a sucker for a novelty), went for chocolate ice cream, served in a panda toy.

We both really enjoyed our meals and heartily recommend Shaan. The staff make you feel welcome, and the food is as close to culinary perfection as I think you can get.