Food review: Exceptional cuisine and service at Golden Moments in Ludlow

The photographs are of the town’s former Michelin-starred chefs: Claude Bosi, Shaun Hill, and Will Holland. Bosi secured two Michelin stars during his tenure in the town, and also ate from time to time at Golden Moments. Shaun Hill and Will Holland both secured a single star, and were also customers of the town’s premier Bangladeshi restaurant.

All three wrote glowing reviews, praising the quality of the cuisine available and commenting on the standards upheld. And they’re a trio that should know. At the turn of the millennium, Ludlow was the most important gastronomic destination in the country, outside the UK. Shaun Hill led the charge, bringing exceptional dining to the small south Shropshire market town and paving the way for Claude Bosi and others. Bosi was - and remains - a star performer. He secured the only two Michelin star rating ever, for a Shropshire restaurant. He continues to hold two stars, though now that’s in London. Will Holland, similarly, was a chef whose star shone bright, if only for a little while. He made his name in Ludlow, before moving onto Pembroke and then Jersey, where he continues to cook. All were fans of Golden Moments - and with friends like that...

Further into the building are two framed prints - and, by the conclusion of this review, the owners of Golden Moments may well need to make way for a third. The prints are copies of reviews from this newspaper, in which there’s a detailed critique of what makes them so good. For two decades, Golden Moments have led the way, arguably being the best Bangladeshi restaurant in the county throughout that term. It’s a standard that holds firm to this day - truthfully, they’re head and shoulders above the competition.

Before unpacking the reasons why, it’s important to create a little context. Golden Moments isn’t just a ‘curry house’, a term that’s unintentionally perjorative and somehow suggestive of poor standards. In fact, it’s anything but. Just as great Italian, French, or Spanish restaurants represent the cuisine of their home nations, so Golden Moments provides a thrilling insight into the spice, sauces, and stews that prevail in that south Asian nation. Spices are delicate and well-balanced, while combinations are carefully executed and demonstrate high levels of skill on the part of the chef. We’re fortunate here - but so are many other parts of the UK, not least the Black Country and Birmingham - that so many talented Bangladeshi chefs, waiters and restaurateurs choose to make a home in this region. They’ve provided sustenance and demonstrated high levels of gastronomic skill and service across several decades. We should doff our caps to their exceptional work, recognising the contribution they’ve made to the region’s diverse and eclectic food scene.

Indeed, service at Golden Moments was typically polished when my partner and I visited earlier this week, for supper. Staff were quick, efficient, and polite. They were engaged with customers, making small talk with those who were locked deep in their own conversations, or having lengthy conversations with regulars and friends, who’d got the time to talk. Golden Moments is a restaurant where people are made to feel welcome. One lady, a regular customer collecting a take-away on a warm summer’s evening, was given a chair and a cool half-pint of lager, while she waited. It’s the little things that make for great service, and the team working the floor earlier this week were at the top of their game.

The restaurant itself is located in one of Shropshire’s most impressive streets. Broad Street, in Ludlow, a wide and beautifully-lit road that forms the centrepiece to the town. Filled with sumptuous Listed properties, it’s redolent of a different age and provides an aesthetically pleasing reminder of Ludlow’s impressive history. The interior is bright and breezy, with a front section of the restaurant that overlooks Broad Street and is well lit through wide-paned windows.

The food at Golden Moments has long been a strong suit - the very thing that Messers Hill, Bosi, and Holland commented upon, in their effusive, written recommendations. There’s subtly and poise, as the chef shows the grace and lightness of touch that a ballerina might on a theatre stage. There’s also a commitment to quality and that was never more evident than on a starter of poppadoms with dips.

While many Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants offer poor quality dips - a wan and watery mint dip, a glooopy, sugary mango chutney, a bland and unimaginative onion salad - Golden Moments excels. The mango dip is sweet, but with gentle acidulation and a little heat. The onion salad is a meal in itself, with a gorgeous chilli sauce running through it. The lime pickle is well-balanced and has punchy flavours. The yoghurt and mint dip is thick, unctuous and indulgent. If it’s first impressions that count, then a warm welcome at the door, great service, and a quickly-served plate of appetising dips made the restaurant sparkle.

Our starters were similarly good. A creamy plate of garlic mushrooms had earthy flavours and were quickly dispatched. A prawn puree featured king prawns, gently cooked, in a hot, tomato-based sauce, with it all being enveloped in a roti. A squeeze of lime cut through the filling dish, making for pleasant eating.

Our mains were exceptional. My partner ate a chicken madras, which lived up to its star billing. Ample heat brought the fire to a dish filled with excitement and razzle dazzle. My hot and sour chicken curry was equally fierce and utterly delicious. Served with a light roti, and fluffy basmati rice, they were delicately cooked, so the chicken fell apart, and filled with flavour.

Golden Moments has long been one of Shropshire’s best restaurants and long after Ludlow’s Michelin stars departed, it continues to shine.