THE Coriander must be doing something right. It is part of a chain which continues to keep expanding. The menu is regularly reviewed with extra dishes continually added, and the care and passion which goes into the food is obvious.

The Coriander in Bourne End sits on the parade and staff give a warm welcome to customers as they come in. It is part of a chain, with the nearest one in Amersham, and it delivers food within a three mile radius.

While we were perusing the extensive menu we were given poppadoms with a selection of the usual dips from mango chutney to lime pickle.

The restaurant's colour scheme works well with purple walls and gold mirrors, and a wooden elephant head thrown in for decoration.

The menu also offer a selection of wine, spirits and beer including Cobra, Kingfisher and Peroni, and a selection of soft drinks. For starters my friend, Lara went for the Murgh Malai (£4.50), where three pieces of chicken were presented with a fresh salad and dip. The chicken is cooked in the tandoor with garlic, ghee and mint. The chicken was beautifully tender and had a moreish, garlic overtone. There was just a hint of spice, and the yoghurt dip and mango chutney finished it off a treat.

I went for the Prawn Pathia Puri (£4.75), where you can choose king prawns or small prawns cooked in a sweet and sour sauce and served on a fried bread. Small prawns with onion, tomatoes and herbs were piled in a light flat bread which was folded over- it looked a bit like an omelette. The sauce was delicious and had a nice kick to it- this is a great starter.

For the main course we had a selection of dishes, including two new items on the menu- Lamb Shank (£10.95) and Chicken 65 (£8.95).

Lara had Aam Diya (£8.95) but asked for no sultanas on top. It is cooked with mango, cream and coconut sauce. It was beautifully creamy but the fruity mango flavour made sure it wasn't too rich.

I am a bit nervous about having lamb shank- as this dish can tend to be fatty- but it was recommended to me, so I thought it was worth a try. I need not have worried- it was a lovely piece of lamb, where the meat fell off the bone as I pushed my fork into it.

Sometimes when eating meat on the bone you end up hacking away at the dish like a mad person, but there was no trouble here. The meat was beautifully tender. It was served in a rich onion and tomato sauce, which was lightly spiced.

The Chicken 65 was served in a sizzling plate with chunks of green peppers and onion served in a tomato based sauce with light spices, chilli oil, mango chutney, green chillies and fresh lime.

I liked this dish- it was quite tangy and I liked that it was not as rich as the others.

We also had Prawn Noorjahani, (£11.95) which is cooked with a sauce of yoghurt, tomato puree, crushed garlic, ginger and spices. The prawn dish was probably my least favourite. It was a beautiful looking dish with wonderful colours but wasn't really for me.

The Coriander Rice was delicious with pieces of onion in and the garlic naan was crisp and fluffy as it should be.

The Coriander is a great Indian restaurant with beautifully cooked dishes and friendly, knowledgeable staff.

Go to www.thecoriander.com for details.