Akmal’s

Wow.
I’ve got to be honest, I’d heard great things about this Woodhouse Lane restaurant, but in 12 and a half years of living in Leeds (mostly around LS6) I’d never actually been.
However, now I have I can honestly completely recommend this as an excellent curry house — one of the best I’ve ever been to. The waiter (whom I think was also the owner) was courteous, polite & helpful. The food was absolutely fantastic (and I’m a man who likes his curry, believe me!) & the portions not too large but also not too small. I’ve recently returned from a solo jaunt around a little known called London (not a Town Called Malice — I bet that’s now in your head.) and Akmals topped the curry I had on Brick Lane in Shoreditch (a reknowned place to go eating when you’re (to quote Duran Duran) «Hungry Like The Wolf».
A wolf that knows a good curry when he tastes one.
I personally thought the prices were reasonable for the quality of the food — it was about £12 each for a beer, naan bread & the main curry.
Not to mention a plethora of poppadums.
Think Homer Simpson in Hell’s «Ironic Punishment Department» with all the doughnuts in the world and you’re on the right track.
Well, maybe not that many. But quite a few :)
The only reason I’ve not given this 5 stars is that apparently it’s quite different when the students get in there — it can often be full of annoying, sozzled Otley runners & busier than Harrods’ if Al-​Fayed ever decides to have a price matching war with Poundland. However, I definitely recommend a visit — just pick your time carefully :)

Take your money across the street to Balti King. Balti has more variety, a friendlier staff, and is cheaper!
I decided to be dangerous and I got the Chocolate Curry, which was surprisingly OK, but that was it… just OK. I guess what was really surprising about it was that the combination of lamb, chocolate, and curry actually didn’t make me want to hurl. The first half of the curry was good, but after a while the chocolate taste kinda got the best of the dish and the cream, texture, and the taste of the chocolate got a bit too overwhelming for the dish.
I tried my friend’s other dishes (some tandori dishes– lamb, chicken, prawn) and they were good, but for the price, I would STILL rather go to Balti King… just saying.
The nan wasn’t very fluffy, which makes me sad :(
on the plus side their Mango Lassi was AMAZING and very smooth and thick without being overly sweet. GOOD CALL AKMAL!
Overall… it was a good experience and I LOVE how it’s a legit restaurant rather than a regular take-​away joint, but I don’t think I’ll go back… maybe if they lowered the price a little… JUST SAYING.

At night this curry house glows out of the darkness of the park with its blue neon lights in a slightly garish way but don’t let this put you off. The building also looks like old public toilets and rumor has it that this is the case but I have never found out whether this is just rumor or not. Inside there is not a hint or whiff of public-​toilet about it, instead there is an aroma of curry to get your mouth watering.
There are a handful of curry places to choose from around Woodhouse/​Hyde Park and I never can decide which is my favorite but this is mostly an excuse to keep trying them all! After a few years of on site curry-​tasting, I’m happy to admit you will consistently find a better curry here, for only a couple of extra pounds. You can expect to find all of the usual suspects — tandoori, balti, jalfrezi and korma. There is also an extra special curry on offer that I haven’t been brave enough to try yet and that’s the chocolate curry. It is like a korma but with cocoa. I have seen one and been reliably told more than once that it is very nice, if a little sickly! The plain nan is pretty large and Peshawari nan really tasty.
I have enjoyed many a group meal here that has often degenerated into a drunken evening as you can bring your own booze to this place. I can’t decide if this is an advantage or not.

Fondly referred to as ‘The Toilets’ (due to the popular rumour that the building was once the Woodhouse Moor public bogs), Akmal’s is always a treat. Personally, I think of it as one of the best curry houses in the area, slamming down the competition, but for a few extra quid.
They added an extention to their restaurant a few years ago. It used to be a tiny little building, scarcely able to keep up with the demmand of custom. The extension did wonders for this place. Doubling its former space in size, Akmal’s can now accomidate large groups of students and locals who spontaneously decide to go out for dinner, often without needing to make a reservation.
You do have to collect your takeaway, if you don’t fancy eating in, but to be honest, a walk to pick up a curry probably isn’t a bad thing, particularly for the wasteline/​cholesterol levels.
They work on a BYOB basis, which suits most fine, but just in case they do have a fully stocked bar, offering beer, wine and a small selection of spirits, as well as non-​alcoholic beverages.
They serve up your bog-​standard curry dishes for reasonable prices (though by no menas the cheapest in the area), though to a very good standard, but if you’re feeling a little more adventurous, why not opt for one of their specialities? Chocolate curry anyone?