The MK Mix

Eastern Paradise restaurant in Wolverton has built up a deeply loyal clientelle who regularly come from all over Milton Keynes and in some cases Leighton Buzzard and Towcester in South Northants. The MK Mix wanted to find out why

Eastern Paradise Balti House in Wolverton could be construed as just another Indian Restaurant in Milton Keynes that serves up standard Indian cuisine.  The kind that could just as well be purchase from your local supermarket, and heated up in a microwave near you, but the moment you enter the 50 seat diner, you sense you are in for an authentic culinary experience that cannot be bought via a bar code and scanner.  The intricate hand painted artwork on the walls depicting well known Indian sites of historical interest, including the Taj Mahal, indicate an attention to detail that suggest that management has a serious desire to provide hungry costumers with a complete experience. It is barely 6.30pm yet in the ten minutes of being in Eastern Paradise two large parties are deep in to a three course meal, whilst a steady stream of takeaway orders; in person and on the phone, continue to flow.

An unusual feature of this particular evening is the music that rests in the background which is distinctly un-Indian. The music veers between late nineties rap, noughties RnB, to eighties new romance. This may in fact be a ploy to remind customers where they are, Wolverton, as opposed to where they are not - Deli.

The Eastern Paradise menu is exhaustive offering over 20 starters, 12 Tandoori specialties, 14 Chef’s Recommendations, 11 House specialties, 10 Seafood specialties, 16 Balti Dishes, 14 Traditional Dishes, 7 Biriany Dishes and some 20 vegetable dishes. This is apart from the extensive Sundry, Nan and Roti offering, and the Chef’s Special selection which comprises of 6 set menus for one, two or four people.

By the time a cursory look at the menu is complete, the restaurant is three quarters full, with takeaways orders, by phone and in person, continuing steadily. Pre booked parties of two, three, four and more flow in, with customers calling waiters by their first name, and patiently waiting to be shown to their tables. This is obviously a regular affair for the majority of customers.  Two more loyal customers enter followed by their guest from Bletchley who immediately declares to the manager on duty that he has waited ‘two years’ to come to Eastern Paradise, and the restaurant’s reputation ‘proceeds itself’. This is a regular Thursday night that is playing out like a busy Friday or Saturday evening, but I am reliably told that this is not as busy as weekends. I am beginning to realise that there is something unusually special about Eastern Paradise Balti House, but rather than taking the management’s word for it, I decided to get opinions from customers so as to keep this review as unbiased as possible. First stop was to Susan and Deborah who were clearly big fans of Eastern Paradise.  They were eating King Prawns, Lamb and Garlic Chicken Tikka when I interrupted them. “We love the atmosphere in Eastern Paradise and nothing ever seems too much for the staff” Susan enthused. A few tables down I met David, Daniel and Maurice. David regularly makes the trip over from Towcester just to eat at Eastern Paradise. David explained that there are Indians in Towcester, but none as nice as Eastern Paradise “... and the prices are very affordable too” he exclaimed as he waited for imminent arrival of his Fish Masala.

On the next table up, Jane, Susan, Roger and Peter had driven down from Newport Pagnell and seemed to know all the names of the waiters too. As they finished their meal they pointed out that some of their friends regularly drive up from Leighton Buzzard. By now I was eager to finish this review with an all important taste of Eastern Paradise cuisine so I could judge for myself. So within a short while I was seated at home at my dining table consuming a takeaway lamb and chicken Rogon, Kemma Nan and Pilau rice. Suffice to I will be going back to Eastern Paradise sometime soon for more of the same.