Lamb Momo – The Royal Curry Club

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

A superb special menu was set up by the Gurkha’s Inn as the Greenwich Curry Club and friends gathered to be part of Britain’s Biggest Curry Party to raise money for the James Whale Kidney Cancer Fund.

Ideal for grazers who like to try a bit of everything, the menu included a lot of Nepalese specialities. The Lamb Momos, tasty balls of mince wrapped in dough, are a favourite of diners at the Gurkha’s, but with succulent Grilled Salmon and Chicken Tikka, there was a feast in the starters alone.

Welcome surprises on the menu were the Achari Paneer Tikka and the Dal Makhani, both dishes that are often overlooked but incredibly tasty. The Dal Makhani has already been ordered in subsequent curry visits and looks set to be a new favourite. The Lemon Rice, with tiny zesty pieces of the fruit, is delicious, and the tang works particularly well with the spicier dishes such as Chicken Chilly Dry Fry.

SAM_0797 — Eyes up for the Mongoose beers

Gurkha’s King Prawn, with prawns that were worthy of the name, Hariyo Lamb, Kukhura Bhutuwa, and supper soft spinach in the Saag Harabara completed the line-up along with garlic naan and rice.

Mongoose kindly supplied the beer for the evening, although there was still time to sample the Nepalese Khukuri beer, naturally.

The total cost for the food and beer was £20 a head, which included a contribution to the charity. This was topped up by a generous donation from the Gurkha’s Inn itself and some of the regulars at the nearby Plume of Feathers pub.