IF IT ain't broke don't fix it - a golden rule most hold true. Not so at Southampton's Poppadom Express, where the rule book has gone straight out of the window in a bid to breathe new life into the nation's favourite meal.

In their menu blurb, the restaurant's backers acknowledge that Indian food has become the UK's top choice when it comes to dining out. But they are on a mission to prove that we have been short-changed when it comes to the very best the east has to offer.

So out has gone the radioactivecoloured dishes of mystery meat, flock wallpaper and sub-Bollywood backing tracks and in their place stands a wholly new dining experience. The restaurant was a delight to eat in, with an open kitchen, a bright and modern dining area bustling to the sounds of Frank Sinatra and a coollooking bar area that adds to the cosmopolitan chic of Oxford Street. Dishes on offer range from new variations on the classics to a host of never-before-heard-of delights that boast a taste of authentic Indian cuisine.

The salmon tikka for starters had a mouth-watering combination of flavours while my partner's pakoras were packed full of spice. The meat in my chicken palakvala - a masala of spinach and fenugreek - was tender and of good quality while the colourful mix of vegetables in my partner's jalfrezi looked as appealing, and the dish was fresh tasting.

With a side dish of bhindi dopiaza (okra stuffed with melon powder) from the extensive vegetarian and vegan menu, two drinks and poppadoms, the total bill came to just £34.70.

Poppadom Express really does serve up a welcome change to the norm. But be warned, you may never want to go back to your regular curry house again.

MP

Reservations: 023 8063 2444.

48-49 Oxford Street, Southampton