"You Choose" — Ellora

Venue: Ellora; 1661 High Street, Knowle, Solihull, B93 0LL; Website 
Choice: Chicken Rezella, but massively menu hacked (£6.50) Chooser: Waiter

Quick recap: The "You Choose" section is all about asking the staff what we should order and then blimming well ordering it, no matter the response. Often the stock reply is a little, erm, vapid. "Everything is good," is the drab dagger to our daredevil hearts. Not at Ellora, though, where our waiter went above and beyond. "Here's what to do," he whispered looking over his shoulder as if, were he caught by the chef bastardising his menu, he'd be ostracised. "Order the Chicken Rezalla, but swap the chicken out for lamb." We were already going in for the high-five when he hit us with what magicians refer to as The Prestige. "And add saag." The result was a vibrant, thick-sauced balti bowl of beautifulness. Peppery greens and reds popping out of the dish, and packing a punch that danced the tango with our smitten tastebuds. It was the antithesis of the "they all come from the same sauce" criticism that so many of us level at curry houses. If we said it tasted authentic we'd be out of our depth, we have no idea, but it was vivacious and snappy and utterly alive with tang and twang. Pre-drinks are recommended at the Ale Rooms and Oktogon (try this gin at the former), but the star of Knowle High Street is this menu hack. Oh and if you don't finish the dish, doggy bag it. It's one of those meals that tastes better the next day. And at £6.50 you're robbing them blind. Worth travelling for. Menu