Coming up with an original food concept for fusion cuisine is no mean feat, let alone one that is surprising without being gimmicky and tastes good. Keen to sample an unexpected mash-up of flavours and cultures, I headed to one of buzzing Cheltenham Road's newest dining spots Guru J, where traditional Indian cooking meets a burger and fries diner.
Guru J first launched in 2019 and currently operates three sites - one in the centre of Cheltenham Spa, one in Staple Hill and the newest location in St Andrews. It's the brainchild of brothers Josh and Chaf Krori, born and bred Bristolians who grew up with a family in the hospitality business with a string of successful Indian restaurants, including Rogan Josh in Cheltenham.
The duo have decided to branch off from conventional Indian cuisine by combining it with high-quality diner-style 'fast food'. The menu is focused, offering nine burgers, three naanwiches, six sides and five types of fries as well as shakes, soft drinks and ice cream. There are veggie and vegan options as well as options for kids.
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Arriving at the brightly lit Cheltenham Road location, open until midnight most nights and 2am on Fridays and Saturdays, the combination of cultures is immediately evident. There's an open kitchen, and food which comes in takeaway-style containers is ordered at the counter, but the level of detail in the decor betrays that while the atmosphere may be casual, dining and eating are taken very seriously.
The space, which we're told has been completely refitted, is transportive and has been decked out in wood panelling and corrugated roofing. There's an impressively enormous, colourful mural depicting a steam train travelling through a mountainous sunset landscape, while the wall separating the kitchen is plastered with posters from Bollywood movies. We're told that eventually, out the back, the owners hope to add a shisha area.
The burgers range from £8 to £10 and include a variety of meats, except pork, with flavours such as 'The cheeky chicken tikka' with a tandoori tikka fillet, lettuce, tomato and mint raita dressing or 'The gangster Guru' with a spicy beef patty, salad, crispy onion bhaji, tamarind ketchup and a mint/coriander mayo.
I was sorely tempted by the naanwiches, which, as the name suggests, are wraps made of freshly baked naan bread, but opted for Shami Saab, with a spicy lamb patty priced at £10 and the fully loaded masala fries costing £6. The burgers are cooked fresh to order and take a few minutes, so while I waited, I tried the pachos, a mash-up of nachos and poppadoms, which arrive ready crushed and dressed in red onion and tomato, mango chutney and mint sauce.
Guru J doesn't mess around when it comes to sauces, with its own spicy tamarind ketchup, hot naga chilli sauce and an array of mayonnaise, including curry, mint band coriander and vegan. They are all homemade and taste bright and zingy rather than mass-produced and synthetic.
The lamb patty on my burger was a perfectly cooked medium-rare and infused with an earthy spicy flavour that was complemented by the sweetness of the topped caramelised masala onions and pickled jalapenos. The salad, cheese sauce, tangy tomato, and garlic chutney were all pleasantly fresh, providing respite from the heat of the lamb, and melding together the mash-up of flavours.
I don't have a particularly high threshold for spice, and this was perhaps slightly hotter than I'd ordinarily dare to venture, but a side of cooling mint raita helped embolden me to finish what was an amply-sized burger.
Rarely do fully loaded fries improve upon the unassuming chip, but topped with masala herbs and spices, chicken skin, crushed onion bhaji, coriander chilli and cheese sauce, these were a revelation. Deeply savoury and dangerously moreish (especially with a side of your favourite sauce), these fries could be my new favourite comfort food, so it's a good job Guru J's offer home delivery.
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