A NEW Indian and Bangladeshi restaurant in Taunton, Somerset has opened its doors in Paul Street under new ownership, with a new bespoke menu this week.

Spice Fusion at 18 Paul Street, Taunton, replacing Purple Tiger, opened on Wednesday April 9 at 5pm under Kaisar Ahmed’s new ownership.

READ MORE: New Taunton Indian restaurant opens its doors

Kaisar and his team kindly invited me to visit their restaurant and try their food, prepared by new head chef Syedur Rahman and his team, so I made my way to visit Taunton’s newest kid on the block.

Immediately after entering the restaurant, we were greeted by the new manager Abdullah Farouk Who was incredibly hospitable and attentive, standing nearby at all times - always ready to take our orders with a smile.

Once seated, I enjoyed taking in the informal, homey feel to the restaurant with the colourful interior décor, including rich gold and purple walls, mirror panelling and a bright neon open sign which cast the restaurant in a pinkish hue.

When provided with the new menu, my colleague Seth and I were impressed by the diverse array of options offered and the value for money - especially the fact that rice is offered with every curry dish for free.

After a short wait, the three starters we ordered arrived.

The staff encouraged us to try a range of options, so our order included onion bhajis, vegetable samosas and tandoori king prawns.

Out of all three starters I was especially impressed with the prawns which tasted fresh and came covered in delicious spicy sauce and was accompanied by caramelized onions.

The samosas and onion bhajis were also tasty, bringing subtle flavours, lovely crunchy outsides and soft veggie insides, which we both enjoyed.

Next came the main dishes with both Seth and I opting for a curry (me going for chicken jalfrezi and Seth going for chicken tikka masala) with accompanying pilau rice and nan bread.

Something that immediately struck me was the generous portion sizes and lovely mix of chicken and vegetables in the rich spicy curry sauce.

Whilst the rice was also a great addition, mixing deliciously with the curry, what really stole the show for me was the nan bread, which was so warm, soft and doughy - helping to absorb the curry’s strong spicy flavouring and adding its own milder taste to the mix.

If I were to be slightly picky, I would say the chicken was slightly tougher than I would prefer but other than that everything tasted great.

I would also say in reflection, that I feel my experience could have been further elevated by music playing in the background to add to the overall ambience of the cosy restaurant.

Other than that, the food was good, and the staff were so accommodating that the restaurant felt like visiting a family friend’s house rather than a formal sit down meal.

For those wondering about drinks, Spice Fusion also offers a variety of different alcoholic beverages, including cobra beer.

This new restaurant is definitely one to try if you fancy an Indian in Taunton and a change of scenery.

If you visit next week all dine in food is 50 per cent off according to Abdullah.

The opening hours moving forward are Sundays-Thursdays 5pm-10pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 5pm to 11pm.