Great Wall of Indian

On March 26, 2013 By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)Leave a comment

Ladywell Tandoori, Ladywell, SE13
Review by @Benb111

Sometimes fate can be a right bitch. Other times she can be Emma Stone-mixed-with-Mila Kunis-and-a-twist-of-Helen-Mirren. So it proved when I had a flat tyre on a Saturday night in Ladywell, near Lewisham.

I cursed my bad luck. But then celebrated it. Ladywell is definitely a ‘go through’ place… you go through it to get somewhere else. Nobody stops in Ladywell apart from those who live there, 284 and 122 bus drivers, and deflated unfortunates. Dad’s Taxi Service was operating that fateful night – the last Saturday of February – and I had just dropped my son off at a friend’s house somewhere in SatNav Land.

Heading back to Greenwich, I felt a slight pulling to the right of the steering before hearing the grating sound of the right front metal wheel rim screaming out: “You have a flat tyre, i-d-i-o-t!”

The car rolled to a halt just metres from… the unremarkable-looking Ladywell Tandoori, next to the bus stop and opposite Ladywell Mayil Food & Wine. So guess where I headed?

Opening the door, I was stunned to see the most beautiful murals depicting Indian scenes on the two walls flanking the narrow restaurant, which was packed. I managed to get a table and was equally stunned by the sweet service from husband and wife team Habib and Khalida, who have owned the restaurant since 1982. The food, very reasonably priced, was delicious, by the way.

Subsequently, I have been back twice, most recently with SheWhoMustBeObeyed on a Saturday night in March. The welcome was equally warm, with Habib, who is from Bangladesh, wearing his trademark cap, and a tie neatly tucked into a pullover.

There are four booths on the right as you enter, and tables opposite, with a little bar by the kitchen entrance. For a starter we shared a Sonahara Samosa (£2.95, minced chicken and sweetcorn), which was lovely, with the pastry nice and flaky. We also has a couple of popadoms (50p each), which came with some chutneys.

By now, after this three visits, Habib knows I love my food spicy, so he recommended a Murg Achari (£6.95, and according to the menu, “marinated grilled fillet of chicken cooked in a spicy, tangy sauce of fresh garlic, ginger, green chilli and fresh coriander”).

This chicken immediately passed my Good Curry Test with flying colours, as it was soft and succulent. So many restaurants get it wrong with pieces of overcooked dry chicken just smothered in a sauce. Not the Ladywell Tandoori.

The wife was equally happy with her Chicken Korma (£4.50) and we shared a cauliflower bhaji (£2.50) with a couple of portions of boiled rice (£1.60 each). Unusually, the restaurant also serves game, with pheasant and venison on the menu.

The food was all very moreish, and clearly Habib and Khaleda know the secret of how to run a successful restaurant – it has been around for 31 years, don’t forget. I’m just disappointed I didn’t discover it earlier.

And that tyre? The AA came round and fixed it. And the murals? They are by a brilliant artist called Gill Golding, who has taught Fine Art at Middlesex University. Fine art, fine restaurant… don’t wait for a flat tyre to give it a go.

• Meal for two (inc non alcoholic drinks, and without service) £31.60.

Ladywell Tandoori, 81 Ladywell Rd, London SE13 7JA. Tel: 0208 690 1047. Open daily: 5pm-11.30pm

Scores on the Tandoors

Food 9⃣

Decor (murals) 🔟

Value 9⃣

Atmosphere 7⃣

Service and friendliness 🔟

In need of more Cobra

On February 22, 2013 By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)Leave a comment

Panas Gurkha, Lewisham, SE13
(review by KD)

It was a cold Friday evening when a friend and me went out to eat at Panas Gurkha on Lee High Road. Although it was seven o’clock there was no one else in the small restaurant, although it did fill up while we ate there. The décor in the restaurant has a slightly old-fashioned feel to it and there were quirky pieces of artwork (to say the least) dotted on the walls around the restaurant.

Dinner started by ordering Cobras and a couple of popadoms, the way all of my curries begin. We were going all out so decided to order starters as well as main courses. The two dishes that came first were the Momo (£4.25), lamb dumplings which the menu described as one of the most popular dishes in Nepal, and Sadeko Kukhura, shredded chicken on salad, a signature dish of Panas. Both dishes were pleasant enough, although the salad was very salty, which ruined the chicken a little bit when eaten together.

Interestingly, the main courses were pre-plated, which is not the norm but our waiter had no qualms when we asked for some extra plates so that we could share our dishes. We choose our mains from the chef’s specials and there wasn’t a curry sauce with either, which wasn’t a massive problem, but again unusual. The dishes were Choyola Chicken (£8.95) and Jhaneko Masu Lamb (£9.95), and although the ‘spice rating’ of both was two chillies (out of three) on the menu but were extremely spicy, so much so that we had to order two more beers. I am a fan of spicy food but would hate to try a dish with three chilies at Panas.

The lamb had a sea-salt crunch to it, which meant, again, it was a bit too was a bit salty for our tastes. This came with a perfectly fine garlic naan and a new dish on the menu: green rice. However, this appeared to only be rice with some coriander in it, so it wasn’t exactly special. The one thing we found faultless at Panas was the service, as all the waiters were very observant throughout the evening. Well done to the front of house staff…

Overall, Panas’ food was perfectly edible, although a bit too salty, and not horribly expensive as our meal was under £60, including the drinks. I won’t be rushing there anytime soon, but if I do go back I would be inclined to try the more well-known curries.

Panas Gurkha, 318 Lee High Road, Lewisham, SE13 5PJ. Tel: 020 8852 9891 or 020 8297 8794.

Panas Gurkha snapshot

Food 5⃣

Decor 5⃣

Value 6⃣

Atmosphere (Friday night) 7⃣

Service and friendliness 9⃣

Old school what?

On February 3, 2013 By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)1 Comment

Babur, Forest Hill, SE23

Two of the diners sitting at our table said the same thing.
“My wife doesn’t normally like Indian food, but she is happy to come here and eat.”

There are two ways to take that comment. The first is that Babur serves excellent food (which is does). It has received many plaudits since it opened in 1985, including being named London’s best Indian restaurant in the Zagat 2013 guide. The second is to why wonder you’d come to an Indian restaurant if you don’t like Indian food.

Pot-Roasted Rabbit — Pot-roasted Mustard Rabbit, a broth with ginger and mustard, served with garlic roti

But like all contemporary Indian restaurants, you’re going to get more than the usual list of old-school favourites at Babur. So you can order Buffalo Lal Maas with steamed rice (£15.25), a dish where the meat is clove smoked and served in a dark Rajasthani sauce. Or you can go for Pickling Spiced Duck Breast (£14.95), which comes with a sweet and sour plum sauce and carrot mash. We are, of course, told the where our food is sourced – Laverstoke Park farm and Gressingham respectively, names sure to bring excited organic squeals from some quarters. We aren’t told where the rabbits come from but the pot-roasted Mustard Rabbit (£14.25) is a broth with delicate tastes of ginger and mustard. It comes with a garlic roti.

Chicken Biryani (£13.95), Chicken Lababdor (£12.95) and Chicken Chettinad (£13.75), the later with a fool’s cap dosa as a quirky lid, are there for those who prefer their ‘curry’ dishes to be more than meat with a sprinkling of spice.

Mixed starter of Chicken Tikka, Lamb Tikka, BeetrootCutlet and Mackrel — Mixed starter of Chicken Tikka, Lamb Tikka, Beetroot Cutlet and mackerel

The starters (as recommended by the waiter ‘for large groups’) was a nice tasting mix of Chicken Tikka (£6.95), Lamb Tikka (£7.95), Beetroot Cutlet (£6.75) and pan-seared mackerel (£7.25), all of which get the thumbs up. And it was the right amount. Unfortunately, buoyed by our large table accepting his offer to choose the starters, the waiter hoisted way too many side and rice dishes on us when it came to the mains. The creamy Dal Makhani (£5.25) was the favourite side dish our up-seller came up with.

Service overall was friendly but a bit casual, which we didn’t expect from a restaurant of this calibre. One of the mains was wrong (“sorry, I can’t read my own writing,” we were told by the same waiter who could clearly read his own writing when it came to the extra sides), although in fairness this problem was fixed pretty quickly. And then the wait for the desserts was sooooo long that the chatty end of the table ended up asking for the bill and ordering taxis because they assumed the few sorbet lovers has eaten already. Your wife might like it but she will clearly have to be patient whether she is a fan of Indian food or not.

Babur, 119 Brockley Rise, Forest Hill, SE23 1JP. Tel: 020 8291 2400. E-mail: mail@babur.info. Open: daily noon-2.30pm (Sun noon-4pm), 6pm-11.30pm.

Babur snapshot

Food 7⃣

Decor 8⃣

Value 5⃣

Atmosphere (Monday night) 6⃣

Service and friendliness 5⃣

Load up the table

On January 23, 2013 By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)Leave a comment

The Viceroy, Charlton, SE7

Monday nights are always good nights to go out for a curry. There’s nothing much else to do, it gives you something to look forward to during the Monday Blues at work, and best of all you often have the restaurant to yourself. The Greenwich Curry Club has often turned up mob handed at a restaurant on a Monday and enjoyed what’s felt like a private dinner.

Not so in Charlton’s Viceroy where Monday night is banquet night. And half of Charlton seems to know it because the place was bursting at the seams, especially once 17 of us from the GCC turned up. It felt more like a Saturday night than a sleepy Monday.

And here’s why. It costs just £10.95. And for that you get a starter, a main, a side, a rice, a nan bread, ice cream and coffee. You got it, make sure you go hungry.

The Viceroy, 10 The Village, Charlton, SE7 8UD. Tel: 020 8319 3436.

The Viceroy snapshot

Food 7⃣

Decor 5⃣

Value 8⃣

Atmosphere (Monday banquet night) 9⃣

Service and friendliness 7⃣

So far, yet so near

On September 18, 2012 By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)Leave a comment

Gaylord, London, E14

The foot tunnel linking Greenwich with the Isle of Dogs was opened on 4 August 1902. Prior to that there was a ferry service. On 3 December 1999 the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) line linked the two places. The foot tunnel is free and takes about 10 minutes, while the DLR takes a couple of minutes (one stop from Curry Sark) and costs a bit more than a pound.

My friend tells me his grandad from Deptford never went north of the river in his whole life. And when it comes to curries the people of the south haven’t moved on much.

The Gaylord is a superb restaurant on the Isle of Dogs. Granted, it’s not in the most salubrious of locations but this place consistently delivers great food with friendly service and in a decent setting.

There is a large menu with all the old favourites (Murgh Madras, Murgh Korma, Murgh Dhansak, all £5.50), some even older favourites that have dropped off many other menus (Gosht Ceylon and Murgh Malaya, both £5.50), as well as specialities such as Bakhara (£6.95) with a heavily spiced herb flavour, or Shahi Jhinga Pakeezah (£10.95) charcoal-grilled prawns with diced onions.

It’s worth noting some interesting dishes. Fish lovers rejoice because the Tandoori Fish (£7.25), mildly spiced trout cooked in the tandoor offers a deep fish taste perfectly offset with some salad a bit of mint sauce. Mach Bortha (£5.25) is tagged as ‘exclusive’ and offers mashed mackerel (no bones), fairly hot (in spice terms) which can be served either hot or cold.

Bangladeshi telapia is well represented: Fish Tikka starter (£3.50) is a variation on a favourite, a classic Fish Curry (£7.95), or try Fish Massalla (£7.95) for fillets cooked in a massalla sauce.

But, why oh why is Aloo Bhortha (£3.15), a traditional Bengali dish, not on more menus? It’s worth a visit just to try this mashed potato with mustard, green chilli, fresh coriander and onions (would go well with the Greenwich Curry Club’s specially created curry sausages actually). Remember, people of south London, there is a foot tunnel and the DLR…

The Gaylord, 141 Manchester Road, Isle of Dogs, London, E14 3DN. Tel: 020 7538 0393. Open: daily noon-2.30pm, 6pm-midnight.

Gaylord snapshot

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Atmosphere (Friday night) ① ② ③

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The elephant’s ear and Prince William

On April 4, 2012 By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)1 Comment

Sartaj, London WC2

I’m not sure how big your family is but chances are the Sartaj in London’s West End is used to welcoming very large ones. Its family nan (£4.95 plus £1 if you want it stuffed with garlic, onion, cheese, coriander or mince meat) is ridiculously large at something like 60cm long by 40cm wide but it’s worth ordering just for the experience.

At first glance it looks like a giant pizza and next time I shall order one and pile three or four different curries on it, so maybe it could develop into one eventually. Either way, the elephant ear – as it was dubbed – was certainly enjoyed by the Greenwich Curry Club’s special guest, Prince William, who made an appearance to confer royal status to the curry club.

Prince W 2 — "I hope you don't think I'm eating all that on my own."

In terms of value, when you consider a normal-sized nan is £2.50, the family nan is exceptional value. But there is good value to be found on all parts of the menu at Sartaj.

The Tandoori Mix for two (£5.95) has sizzling portions of chicken tikka, sheek kebab, king prawn and fried onions, which sends a delicious aroma around this smallish curry house, while the Tandoori Lamb Chops (£3.95) was nice and meaty (although it lacked that deep tandoori taste so it could have benefited from a longer period of marinating). One twist was that puree starters – Chicken Chat Puree and Kebab Bashiri (both £3.95) – were served rolled up in the fried bread, rather than being placed flat on the bread as in most other restaurants.

All mains were served in beautiful deep dishes – ideal, in fact, for dipping in chunks of the family nan (which never seems to get any smaller no matter how many bits are torn off it). Thumbs up go to the Bengal Crab and King Prawn Curry (£10.50), its sauce thickened nicely by a generous amount of shredded crab and good amount of fair-sized prawns, and Nawabi Lamb Massala (£10.50) with its soft meat falling off a shank into a thick and dark bhuna sauce. Both meals are fit for a Prince.

Sartaj, 26 Earlham Street, London, WC2 H9LN. Tel: 020 7831 1413. Open: Mon–Wed noon–2pm and 5.30pm–midnight, Thur–Sun noon–midnight.

Sartaj snapshot

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Atmosphere (Tuesday night) ① ② ③

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Spice beyond the 472 bus

On February 4, 2012 By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)1 Comment

Curry Asia, Woolwich, SE18
(Review by @TOWI Woolwich)

Curry Asia in Woolwich is a modest off-Broadway place that doesn’t give much away to passersby. It hides behind ’80s-style vertical blinds that are always at least half-closed, shielding the diner from the shivering gaze of the crowd waiting for the 472 bus.

Inside, however, it’s warm, friendly, and aromatic. An Indian television channel hums quietly away in the corner and the Curry Asia delivery lads scuttle to and fro with takeaway orders. The lighting is mellow — the sort of illumination a lady appreciates after sunset. Comfortably padded timber chairs signal that this is a place for settling in with a few mates, and being on first-name terms with the waiter well before the end of the evening.

You will be asked if you want poppadoms. Say yes, but be warned—these are almost a meal in themselves. They come with four generous accompaniments, which, if you’re only human and as greedy as me, you’ll hoover up with reckless abandon while you watch the tide go down on your first bottle of 2008 Jacob’s Creek Shiraz Cabernet.

The menu offers more than enough choice for some serious dish-envy and fear-of-missing-out angst. To kick off, my partner and I settled on Onion Bhajees (£2.75) and Tandoori King Prawns (£4.95). The latter tantalised our taste buds like a troupe of well-rehearsed showgirls. Think plump and juicy morsels of prawn coated lavishly in a fragrant and smoky tandoori paste, carrying just a hint of citrus tang and served with a crisp, palate-cooling salad. The bhajees were light and crunchy on the outside, enveloping a ball of moist and fragrant oniony goodness. If you were a larger party you could add some tikka (salmon, duck, chicken, or lamb, £2.95 to £4.50) or garlic mushrooms, and really share the love.

For mains, Curry Asia offers a good range of curries with the usual choices of protein. Our King Prawn Dupiaza (£9.95) was well-rounded, aromatic, and mildly spiced, packed with fat king prawns and thick slices of onion and fresh green pepper. The Chicken Jalfrezi (£6.50) boasted more attitude in the heat department, while pulling up short of inducing a full sweat. We spooned raita over the soft pillows of chicken and let the spices mingle with the cooling yogurt. We talked so much we let both dishes go cold, and they were still good.

Little touches complete the experience in this 1962 established restaurant. There’s the Singapore Airlines moment at the end of the meal when the plastic-wrapped freshly-nuked face flannels comes out: perfect for wiping away any post-vindaloo perspiration or, indeed, actual vindaloo. If you become even a semi-regular, the owner will likely offer you a nightcap on the house, and will see you to the door and shake your hand when you leave. It’s that kind of place.

Dinner for two with a bottle of wine was £43.40.

Curry Asia, 40 Thomas Street, Woolwich Arsenal, SE18 6HT. Tel: 020 8855 2941/0144. E-mail: info@curry-asia.com. Open: Sun–Thurs noon-2.30pm, 5.30pm–11.30pm (midnight Fri–Sat).

Curry of Asia snapshot

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Atmosphere (Thursday night) ① ② ③

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A good curry (like this) is so hard to find

On January 31, 2012 By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)Leave a comment

Khan’s, Blackheath
(Review by @Benb111)

There was no Audi Quattro being fired up outside Khan’s and DCI Gene Hunt was certainly not tucking into a ruby when we visited this Blackheath old-timer.

But an outing to this local favourite is like going back to the ’80s with the Ashes to Ashes crew. The restaurant, on Montpelier Vale, opened in 1985 and proudly declares itself to be “the first and the best Indian and Nepalese cuisine in the heart of Blackheath for over 25 years.”

Quirkily, the restaurant is currently celebrating its silver jubilee this year – all the decorations and balloons are up – because it didn’t get round to it in 2010.

When we walked in on a heaving Friday service it was like stepping back in time. I’m pretty certain its first customers through the doors 27 years ago would have seen a similar scene to us: burgundy-coloured velvety wall paper, terracotta-coloured floor tiles, photographs of Nepal, gilt-framed mirrors, and eight old-fashioned chandelier-like ‘thingys’, each with three bulbs and little shades (you know the kind: your nan used to have a dusty one in the hall).

Now, there’s nothing wrong with a little bit of retro (or a lot in this case) if the food is good, and at Khan’s, it’s great! I always reckon you can go a long way to identifying a good Indian by the texture of its chicken. Here it was beautifully succulent and moist, not dry and stringy like at lesser places.

Despite the restaurant being packed – Khan’s also had a staff party for 17 in from a local sixth-form college (A- for behaviour), the welcome was warm and sincere.

Top marks then for suited manager and co-owner, Krish, who was charming and pleasant throughout. I don’t usually ask for recommendations (I’m a boring vindaloo man) but I did ask Krish, who steered me to a £8.95 Gurkhali Chicken, one of 14 Chef’s Specials, and billed as “boneless chicken with Nepalese herbs, cooked with yoghurt and green chilli.” It was delicious, with just the right kick.

My wife (She Who Must Be Obeyed), and son, 15, also accompanied me. My daughter, 14, was at a sleepover with her latest BFF (Best Friend Forever).

The Boy, a Chicken Tikka Masala aficionado, grunted that Khan’s effort (£7.95) was up there with the best, in equal first place with Charlton’s Viceroy.

SWMBO went for the Chicken Tikka Pasanda (£7.95), and loved it, probably because of the large splash of red wine in it.

I also had a moreish Bhindi (£3.95), which tasted so fresh I wouldn’t have been surprised if the chef had told me he’d grown the okra in a greenhouse behind the restaurant. We all shared a yummy peshwari nan (£2.95).

Not so successful were the popadoms (75p each), flat Onion Bhaji (£3.45) and two portions of pricey coconut rice (£7.90). I’ve had more fragrant and tastier rice elsewhere.

Because of the large party of teachers and the place being rammed we had to wait for about an hour for the food, but Krish was so friendly we hardly noticed. He was happy to chat, proudly telling us his chefs had worked there for decades.

If you read my previous review of Welling’s Shampan 3 on this site, you will know I love a peek at the loos, as they often tell a lot about a restaurant. Here, you couldn’t swing a cat in the male lav – a kitten maybe – and the decor was dated like the front of house, but so what? It was clean, with a powerful air hand dryer above a tiny sink.

But it’s the food that really matters. Regrettably, too many Indian restaurants today think they can get away with poor food and service if they blind customers with silly oversized plates, sexy lighting and faux leather seats.

At Khan’s, thankfully, it’s all about the food and the service.

And guess what? The first song on the car radio as we drove home across the heath was A Good Heart by Feargal Sharkey… 1985 & All That indeed!

The bill for three (inc. non-alcoholic drinks and 10 per cent service) came to £61.71.

Khan’s Restaurant, 28 Montpelier Vale, Blackheath, London SE3 0TA. Tel: 0208 852 7091. Open: daily noon-2.30pm, and 5.30pm-11.30pm.

Khan’s snapshot

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Colourful curries

On January 16, 2012 By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)Leave a comment

Curry Garden, Blackheath, SE3

There’s a decent buzz in Curry Garden despite the doors just opening up on this smallish Indian on a weekday night. In a village that has a glut of Indian and Nepalese restaurants you need an angle to stand out. And the Curry Garden’s angle is to offer a series of colour coded meal deals offering popadoms, chutneys, main meal (your choice of chicken, lamb or prawns), veg side dish, rice and nan.

There are 16 of these meal deals, using colours to make things simple for us poor customers befuddled by too many choices. So all you have to do is cast your eye over the options and choose the Red deal, the Blue deal, the Pink deal and so on. The idea, I am told, is to not only to keep things simple but also to offer good value to customers who have less in their pockets these days (please insert your favourite thing to blame here: banks, Brown, Cameron, the ultra rich, unions, the hole in your pocket).

Luckily £12.95 was still in my pocket so I could go for the Prawn Jalfrezi, Sag Paneer, Mushroom Pillau and Chilli nan. This is the Beguni meal deal. Now, you might be thinking, that’s not a colour. Ah, but it is (it’s Bengali for purple). With so many meal deals I just assume the creators of the idea ran out of colours?

The deals start at £10.95 (eg. Lamb Madras, Bombay Aloo, Pillau rice, plain nan) and is cheaper than if you order the same items separately. Swapping of items, within reason, is allowed. But what’s the point of that? At these prices just play Curry Roulette and call out a colour without even looking at the menu I say.

Curry Garden, 72 Tranquil Vale, Blackheath, London, SE3 0BN. Tel: 020 8852 3267/1401. Open: Mon–Sat 5.30pm-midnight, Sun noon-midnight.

Curry Garden snapshot

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Quick and easy

On January 15, 2012 By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)1 Comment

Mehak, Greenwich

Is it me or is up selling in Indian restaurants getting worse?

“Popadoms sir?”
“Not really.”
“Starter sir?”
“No, I’m not that hungry.”
“Vegetable side dish sir?”
“No, I’m okay thanks.”
“Dessert sir?”
“Just the bill thanks.”

How many times have you been in that position in a curry house (often with dirty looks from the waiter)? Or worse still, how many times have you been pushed into ordering an extra dish you probably don’t even want? Sadly it happens, and while I have sympathy with the restaurants who have to make a living, what’s wrong with letting customers pop in for quick and easy curry sometimes (assuming we don’t hog the best table on a Saturday night of course).

So a round of applause to one of Greenwich’s less mentioned curry houses: Mehak. There’s a time and a place for a feast, but one Friday night I just fancied a quick curry. Chicken Vindaloo (£4.40), Pilau Rice (£1.80), Chapati (£1.10) and a large bottle of Cobra (£4.40). No problem. I get my curry fix and I’m in and out of this smart restaurant pretty quickly with a cost of just £12.30 (the other 60p was for the lime pickle).

I was impressed with the food (it’s hard to impress with a basic dish but the Vindy was hot with a thick, dark sauce) and I was impressed with the service. So I’ll be back when it’s time for a feast, probably to taste the sweet and spicy Rista Masalla (£6.50) which is chicken breasts stuffed with mince.

Mehak, 160 Trafalgar Road, Greenwich, Se10 9TZ. Tel: 020 8858 0227 or 020 8293 4752. Open: Mon–Sat 6pm-11.30pm, Sun noon-11pm

Mehak snapshot

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The Royal Curry Club

Category: 1. Reviews (London)

Great Wall of Indian

In need of more Cobra

Old school what?

Load up the table

So far, yet so near

The elephant’s ear and Prince William

Spice beyond the 472 bus

A good curry (like this) is so hard to find

Colourful curries

Quick and easy

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