LOOKING at the outside of Bollywood Spice in Meneage Street, you notice the venue is on the smallish size.

However, once you step inside and eat, you will be discover this restaurant run by a Punjab-native family has a lot of tasty punch and is a must go place in Helston.

Me and my two friends entered the building on Friday and were greeted warmly by the staff, who all seemed to know the menu inside out, and were promptly given a selection of Plain and Spicy Poppadoms to munch on. They even allowed us to have extra mango chutney and lime pickle to accompany the crisps at our request.

If I’m honest though, we did not really need the extra dips as the Poppadoms were full of flavour with the spicier versions not proving to be overpowering. We found them to be not greasy either, a common problem I have found at other Indian restaurants in the past.

All three of had starters. I picked the Meat Samosas while one of my friends, who is vegan, went for the vegetable variety. Both of us thought the Samosas had a delightful crispy casing stuffed with plenty of delicious meat and vegetables.

My other friend selected the Prawn on Puri for his starter, which had the just the right combination with the mean and sauce, rather than being too one sided either way.

Another twist with the starters which none of us had seen before was they were served with a smidge of mayonnaise on the plates. Even though it seemed a bit odd, this worked really well with the food.

For my main course, I went with a traditional curry house favourite in the Chicken Madras. When it arrived at our table, the dish was delivered with coconut shavings on top, something I’ve never seen before with a Madras.

When mixed in with the sauce, I found it provide a nice soothing touch to this hot curry. At first the spice was not overbearing, leaving me to wonder whether I would have my head blown off at all. But as I continued eating, the heat kept getting higher and higher, building to a crescendo of heat.

What it did allow me to do was enjoy the taste of the dish, another common problem with curries like the Madras, as the sheer hotness of it takes away any sensation of flavour. This was certainly not the case here. It must also be said the chicken was also tender, juicy and a pleasure to eat.

Also on our mains was the Hari Murchi Bhuna Ghosh, which again at my friend’s request was given some extra spice without any hesitation. Just like the madras I had, my pal said the heat built up as he ate it rather than being given an instant kick which allowed him to enjoy the intense flavours of the dish.

Our vegan diner went for a Vegetarian Dhansak. The meal was overflowing with a wide variety of beautifully cooked vegetables smothered in a lovely sauce. The course proved to be very filling for her, although she made sure she took it home to eat another time as it was delicious.

This truly was a delightful evening. All the dishes contained plenty of flavour and spice. They were also not overly sauce dominated, which gave room for the meat and vegetables to get enfused with your tastebuds.

If you are keen on proper Indian cuisine and are in Helston, or anywhere near the town, you should eat here.