Sabza is an Indian restaurant and takeaway located on the high street in Garstang. They opened in 2020, and converted the venue after it had spent many years as a butchers and deli shop called Singleton’s.
After a period of renovation and completely remodelling the inside of the location, it is unrecognizable from the inside, though the outside still has some of the characteristic features that made Singleton’s a hub for the community for so many years.
Thankfully, despite changing hands and becoming a very different operation, it seems as though Sabza has really settled into the community in Garstang, with the restaurant being busy any time you pass, and the take away option proving an incredibly popular offering that many people in the surrounding area make frequent use of.
On Tuesday night, myself, my wife, and our kids decided to try it out as, despite living close by when Sabza first opened, we had never taken the time to try the food.
Upon walking up to the building, the glass front doors all appear very dim, which does make it hard to tell if the restaurant is open or not, but as you get closer, you can make out the dimly lit interior.
Walking through the doors, you are immediately transported into a beautifully decorated space with a small number of tables, which adds to an intimate and cosy atmosphere. We were quickly greeted by the staff and asked if the table in the middle of the room would suit our needs, which it absolutely did.
As we settled into our seats, we examined the menu, and drinks orders were quickly taken and served.
The dim lights I mentioned earlier are more than adequate when inside the restaurant, and everything felt very comfortable and relaxed, perhaps partially due to the compact space.
We placed our order, choosing a number of dishes we could split among everyone at the table and share family-style, and once we had finished, we were asked how many papadums we would like. I said four, so we had enough for everyone, and a few moments later these were brought out along with a gorgeous array of chutney’s and a stunning mint raita.
The papadums were served warm, and tucking in to each of the various dips was genuinely delightful. From the fresh and vibrant mint raita, which had no trace of artificial green coloring, but was packed with the refreshing and herby flavor that made this a stand-out offering.
The mango chutney was also delicious, along with the onion chutney, and the red achar were all packed with flavour and delightful. However, I will say to be wary that each papadum is charged at £1, and the tray of sauces comes to a whopping £3.80.
Next up, we ordered the signature Sabza Platter for 2, which the menu says can be adjusted for larger parties. We requested it be made for 4, so it was simply double the standard amount for twice the usual £13.90.
I was slightly disappointed when this arrived, because while the menu listed chicken tikka, lamb tikka, meat samosa and vegetable spring rolls were all included, I wasn’t thrilled to receive only a few piece of meat in each dish and no sauces.
That being said, the vegetable spring rolls were very pleasant, and distinct from what you’d get at a Chinese takeaway. They had some heat and spice, along with some flavours that certainly made this a great starter to enjoy.
However, the samosas absolutely stole the show as far as the platter was concerned with curried mince meat and warming fillings, with just a hint of heat that added another layer to the dish.
The chicken tikka was beautifully tender, moist, and well-seasoned, which can often be challenging for meat cooked over high temperatures on a skewer, but they really did nail it with the chicken, and I was thoroughly impressed.
Finally, on the platter plates, we also had the lamb tikka, which wasn’t quite as tender as the chicken, but it was fragrant, rich, and well-seasoned, and still leagues ahead of a lot of other lamb tikkas that you’d stumble upon in a local Indian takeaway.
We also ordered two portions of rice, one being the signature Sabza rice for £4.70, which the menu says comes with chicken tikka, fried egg, and saffron. There was no strong flavour of saffron present, and the chicken was much ground up into smaller pieces here, but it was essentially an Indian fried rice with some other herbs and spices to step up the flavours.
In contrast, we ordered a portion of pilau rice for £4.10, which contained whole cardamom, coriander seeds, and turmeric, all of which give the rice a distinctive flavour profile that serves as a wonderful base for other dishes. Though the rice itself didn’t seem to be very flavorful, the spices and sauces combined with it help it to shine.
We also ordered two garlic naans, each for £4.20 which again felt pretty steep considering the relatively small size of the naan bread for that price. It came warm, and you could see the seasoning on it, but it was a little too thin, and didn’t really have the fuller, more fluffy texture that can be found in other places.
That said, like the rice, when dipped in the sauces and eaten with other parts of the meal, the naan has a chance to shine.
We also ordered lamb bhuna, which comes in at a hefty £11.40 for a fairly small portion of meat and sauce in the bowl. The dish is packed with flavour; it’s very warming and contains a gentle heat that is very pleasant. The subtle flavour of the tomato combined with the herbs also comes through, and the meat was perfectly tender and delicious. And despite the portion size, the sauce and meat had fully intermingled their flavours, resulting in the whole bowl being packed with delicious goodness.
Ultimately, we came away happy and full, and we packed up some leftovers in a to-go box. Sabza does a great job of providing choices for a communal meal, and the environment is very welcoming, but the prices are steep, and not everything is labelled as clearly as you might like.
Well worth a trip for those who love a good curry, but some options may be a bit more friendly to your wallet.
