Taj Mahal International Foods

Judging by the previously uploaded pictures it’s clear that a few people are getting confused between the various Taj supermarkets around town. This one is the little green place located on Bedford Place just off Western Road. There are two other Tajs in town but I don’t know if they’re owned by the same people. Either way I have to defend this place, as it’s rarely as busy as the other Tajs meaning your visit usually lasts no longer than a couple of minutes. The selection might not be as good but I’ve never been disappointed. If you’re looking for a particularly obscure spice mix or ingredient you’re probably better off going elsewhere but if you’re simply after authentic Indian ingredients, whatever they may be, this place is certainly worth a try.

I love Taj.
If you want any kind of unusual, ethnic foods this is the place to come. If you’re looking to experiment or impress friends with your worldwide culinary skills, it’s a great option.
Out the front is a good range of fruit and veg, and inside there are aisles with dried and canned foods from all over the world, and if you’re on a work lunch break and looking for some food, then they do a great line in unusual sandwiches — I love the falafel wrap.

The original Taj store, this branch on Bedford Place lacks the wow factor of the newer store around the corner on Western Road. The lighting is darker and for some reason that bewilders me, the vegetables and fruit never looks as fresh. There’s still aisles of rice, pulses, pasta, cereal and every sauce and marinade you could dream of however. The music is usually cool too and the staff are way friendlier and more accomodating than at the Western Road Taj. They don’t bruise your produce and they don’t scowl or look at you disapprovingly!

In concurrence with the last reviewers, if you’ve heard about Taj and intend to pay a visit, then the Western Road branch stocks more, and some of it seems to be fresher and better quality too. However, this place is still great and as I live nearby I end up here quite a lot. It offers a great contrast to its newly opened neighbour Morrisons which can certainly win on the prices, with a pack of plums for 50p or whatnot, but Taj wins by a mile on the tickling of the taste buds. Pop in without a shopping list and you’re sure to end up spending a few quid on things you don’t really need — goat’s cheese, ginger pieces, olives, soya chocolate, chewy bread, halal burgers and some flat mushrooms to name a few of my recent purchases. This place is also great if you’ve got specific dietary requirements, being the only place I’ve found in Brighton that stocks dairy-​free ice cream. Taj is great for various more unusual foods — whether fresh or off the shelf — and definitely worth a visit if you’re looking for something specific.

I have to agree with Ross M. that this Taj is not quite the full on visual and olfactory experience that the the full-​grown Taj on Western Road is. But… if you are down this end of town– perhaps having a coffee in Red Roaster, then this is the perfect place to buy much more exciting ingredients than other supermarket chain can offer. When my craving for curry reaches uncontrollable heights– I stop by this Taj. There are all the spices I need, as well as freshly-​made onion bhajis behind the tills, but without the selection at the larger Taj, I’m less likely to overspend! As with Mummy Taj this baby Taj has excellent Indian breads, huge bags of rice, spices and pulses. This branch also has a great cheese and sandwich selection, so if you need to grab lunch this place is sure to offer some unusual snacks

The selection here isn’t as great as the Taj round the corner, but it certainly competes in the ‘playing funky arab music as loudly as possible stakes’. There’s a great choice of fruit and vegetables, but they didn’t look quite as fresh as those in the Western Road Store, and the range isn’t quite as grand. Despite its smaller size though, there is still a lot here, with numerous ethnic food products and imported goods from round the world, including halal meats and poultry, and a variety of different herbs and spices.