Tag: Spicy food

Thanks Joanna

On By Daniel FordIn 2. Reviews (Other UK)Leave a comment

Gurkha Raj Doot, Aldershot

Thank goodness for Joanna Lumley, that’s all I says. If it wasn’t for her our wicked government (or was it the last government?) would have packed off the Gurkhas to their home in the hills and this restaurant might not be here.

Truth is, there have been a large number of Gurkhas living in Aldershot (as you’d expect from the Home of the British Army) long before all the publicity. And this restaurant is testament to that.

While all the usual Indian dishes are on offer at very reasonable prices (Chicken Kurma £5.95, Lamb Madras £5.45, Prawn Vindalu* £5.95) there’s also a chance to try some Nepalese dishes (which for the geographically challenged is where our fighting force is recruited from). Gurkhali Chicken Chilli (£5.95) has the usual tomato-based hot sauce but unusually comes with green olives. Or there’s the hot pork dish, Gurkha Pork Buhtuwa (£5.95) not a million miles from a vindaloo.

This very casual place (all tables are downstairs from a large, empty entrance upstairs) and seems to be a bit of an institution in the town. The canteen-style appearance of the place attracts people looking for a quick bite as well as those out for the night. And while it may be officially called Gurkha Raj Doot, if you’re looking for the place just ask for Johny Gurkha’s, which is what all the locals call it.

* Please see notes about spelling in About us.

Gurkha Raj Doot, 186 Victoria Road, Aldershot, Hampshire, GU11 1JZ. Tel: 01252 328773. Open: daily noon–2.30pm and 6pm–11.30pm.

Gurka Raj Doot snapshot

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Gurkha Raj Doot (Johny Gurkha's) on Urbanspoon

Tale of East

On By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)Leave a comment

The Tale of India, London E14

West India Dock Road is hardly the most salubrious place for a meal but the Tale of India is great little neighbourhood curry house and judging but the numbers in there the neighbourhood knows it too.

Interestingly there are four Assamese (East Indian) dishes on the menu. Assam is one of the seven Indian states tucked away far to the east and is only joined to the rest of the country by a thin strip of land in West Bengal. Assam itself borders Bhutan and Bangladesh and is pretty close to Myanmar (Burma) and China although Assam often refers to a group of people as well as the place. So now you know. Plus I get to slip a map into the blog.

Assam, tucked away far to the east

Right, history lesson over. The four Assamese dishes on offer (Salaam, Shorisha Batta, Baluchory and Shashli Khana) are all hot, with chick peas, green chillis and spring onion featuring prominently. Salaam (£6.95) is excellent and comes with spinach and lime skin plus a thick sauce of tomato, onion, garlic, ginger, cariander and capsicum. Chicken or lamb, take your pick.

Away from the east, old-school classics like Madras and Dhansak are priced at £6.50-£6.95 and the chef must be very special because he has an extensive list of specialities. The lamb in the Garlic Chilli (£6.95) was melt in the mouth but should be tried if for no other reason than to acknowledge the refreshing humour in the menu, which warns that the garlic is not suitable for vampires. Good stuff.

The Tale of India, 53 West India Dock Road, London, E14 8HN. Tel: 020 7537 2546. Open: Sun–Wed noon–2.30pm and 5.30pm–11.30pm (midnight on Thurs–Sat).

The Tale of India snapshot

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Tale of India on Urbanspoon

Cocktails and dream food

On By Daniel FordIn 2. Reviews (Other UK)1 Comment

Cinnamon Kitchen & Anise, London, EC2M

Cocktails – with added spice…

A curry lover knows he’s found heaven when even the cocktails are spiced. At Cinnamon Kitchen & Anise skip the usual Cobra (£3.50) and delve into the mixer menu. Try the spiced martini with vodka that’s been beautfully infused with cardamon and cinnamon and topped off with a star anise or a spiced kir royal with cassis, champagne and green chillies. This is a place that takes its ingredients seriously.

The menu’s not overcrowded with options but it’ll take you a long time to decide what to settle for. Korma of root vegetables, green peas paratha (£12) with masala mashed potatoes (£2.50)? Maybe Rajasthani roast red deer, stir-fried mushrooms (£32) with black lentils (£3.50)? Or why not keep it simple with steak and chips (officially Scottish Angus fillet with masala potato chips, £25)?

Kick off with Lahore style ‘chapli’ kebab, minced venison cooked with crushed garlic and chilli (£7.50) and flattened. You’ll find garlic and chilli play a big part in the menu but then you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t a fan now, would you? Fat chilli with Hyderabadi lamb mince (£5.50) for more top-quality meat and for those who are really into chilli.

Creamy kulfi

Pollack’s strong taste may be to everyone’s taste but it’s ideal with green spices (mint and coriander) and a creamy yoghurt rice (£12) while the vegetables were crunchy and tasty to perfection in the side dish of Stir-fried greens with cumin & garlic (£3.50). You’ll find more meat and [you’ve guessed it], garlic by ordering Char-grilled rump of lamb with garlic and spinach (£20).

Ideally located just an alleyway’s walk up from Liverpool Street Station the restaurant is tucked away in a covered square where business people and other diners can take advantage of the dry, warm weather (all day long on weekdays). Inside it’s smart and contemporary styled.

The only thing that leaves a bad taste in Cinnamon is the existence of a camera in the toilets. Call me old fashioned but I do prefer a pee in peace.

Cinnamon Kitchen & Anise, 9 Devonshire Square, London, EC2M 4YL. Tel: 020 7626 5000. Open: weekdays 7am–midnight. Saturdays 6pm–midnight.

Cinnamon Kitchen & Anise snapshot

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Cinnamon Kitchen on Urbanspoon

Simply does it

On By Daniel FordIn 2. Reviews (Other UK)Leave a comment

Raka, London E14

There are certainly no airs and graces about Raka, this Indian come kebab and burger joint.

But while its 1970s English caff decor won’t will any prizes its food certainly could.

Served up in patterned bowls, which makes a change from the usual shiny standard issue curry house serving dishes, the Chicken Acharie (£5.95) had a great balance of tanginess from the pickle and kick from the chillies.

The meat (which had been in the tikka oven) was top notch and perfectly cooked. Plain rice (£1.75) is the ideal accompaniment with Acharie I reckon so nothing competes with its tastes.

The menu includes all the old school favourites at excellent prices (Lamb Vindaloo £4.95, Prawn Dhansak £5.50, Chicken Rogon £4.95) and a few interesting dishes which have to go on the ‘to be tried’ list. How about Exotic Papri Massala (£6.95) cooked with onions, tomatoes, ginger, roasted peppers and tamarind or the medium spiced Kalia (£6.95) cooked with herbs and mint?

Raka, 258 Poplar High Street, London, E14 0BB. Tel: 020 7719 8808. Open: daily, noon-11.30pm.

Raka snapshot

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Pick ‘n’ mix

On By Daniel FordIn 2. Reviews (Other UK)Leave a comment
Bombay Duck, Hull
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On the surface the Bombay Duck has not got a lot going for it. Situated in what was once named the worst city to live in the UK by Channel 4. Situated in the semi-industrial outskirts of the said city. Serving a buffet. And, horror of horror, offering Indian and Chinese food (surely none can be any good then?)
Can a restaurant offer more than one type of food and do any of them decently? Ordinarily you’d have to say no. You want a steak you head to a steakhouse. You want pasta it’s an Italian. If it’s good at Indian it can’t be any good at Chinese and vice versa. Yet this place is. Being a curry man I never tried the Chinese but the recommendations were high and judging by the queues these were accurate.
Chosen your curry, now for the sauce…
On the curry front, a tasty Dhansak, super tender Chicken Tikka and excellent vegetable dishes such as Chilli Vegetables and favourite Bombay Aloo get the thumbs up. There are a great choice of sauces and pickles so mix and max accordingly. You have to order nans separately so they come fresh, with Peshwari seeming to be the speciality from the word around the serving trays.
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It was there I met the designer (not of this one but the others owned by the same people – there’s a restaurant called Curry just up the road and a new one serving exclusively Chinese dishes coming soon) and he says the key has been the large windows to the kitchens, giving diners full confidence in the restaurants’ cleanliness. Add in a large, open waiting area and modern, clean-cut, wood-dominated decor and they seem to have hit a winner.
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The only downside was the desserts, which seemed a bit of an afterthought (chocolate cake, fruit salad and jelly!), when a simple sorbet or kulfi would have gone down a treat.
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The buffet comes in at £12.95 a head (£6.95 at lunchtime) with a pint of Cobra at just £2.80.
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Bombay Duck, 164-168 Hessle Road, Hull, HU3 3BE. Tel: 01482 210 800. E-mail: bombayduckhull@hotmail.co.uk. Open: daily noon–4pm and 5pm–11pm.
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Bombay Duck snapshot

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Gone fishin’

On By Daniel FordIn 1. Reviews (London)Leave a comment

Zeen, NW1 London

A group of curry lovers which meets once a month is in search of a regular venue. They’ve got the meeting each other every month down to a tee, found a pub they like to start off the evening with and now just need the curry house they like. It’s safe to say it won’t be Zeen.

Order a prawn dish if you like fishing. As one of the group said, ‘I went in for a prawn and was delighted to fish one out!’. Not that Zeen holds back that much on the quantity (to be fair there were a decent amount of prawns in the Prawn Karwari, £8) but the deep bowls of ‘curry’ are extremely watery.

And so it was with all the other dishes. One of the great joys of eating in a curry house – as anyone who has tried to replicate the dishes at home – is their ability to create thick, rich sauces. Without it the dishes are more like soup. And so it is with Zeen. The Chicken Madras (£7) was the same, so were the, er, other soups.

It has to be noted that the contemporary decor does make this a very stylish place to fish through your spicy soup though.

Zeen, 130 Drummond Street, London, NW1 2PA. Tel: 020 7387 0606. Open: Mon–Fri: noon–3pm and 5:30pm–11:30pm, Sat: noon–3pm and 6pm–11:30pm.

Zeen snapshot

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Zeen on Urbanspoon

Passage to Indian

On By Daniel FordIn 3. Reviews (International)Leave a comment

Indian Jewel, Prague, Czech Republic

Curry? Head for the passage by the Gothic towers

Few curry houses in the world can offer diners such a beautiful walk to their spice fix as the Indian Jewel. Although the actual restaurant entrance is low key, to get there you have to walk through the famed Staroměstské náměstí (Old Town Square) towards the fairy tale Tyn Church with its twin Gothic towers and cluster of spires. Pass through an archway to the side, along a narrow cobbled path, past numerous local restaurants tempting you with their local specialities and then you will reach a large courtyard area where you will find your curry reward. Your reward comes in a restaurant that is simply but tastefully laid out.

Greeted by a Bengali and served by a Czech, advice was quickly offered for descriptions of the dishes on the menu. It’s a fairly limited menu but the dishes are plentiful and well spiced, if a little pricey at around £15 a main dish.

Decor is simple yet attractive. Dhingri Mattar (centre left) and Chicken Vindaloo

The Chicken Vindaloo (360 Kč) had a decent amount of potato in it – it’s amazing how many restaurants hardly bother with what is an essential ingredient of this famous Goan dish. It had a slow burn to it, rather than the kick in the face some vindys deliver. The decent portion of Zafrani Pullao (100 Kč) delivered its delicate saffron taste perfectly, while the Chicken Sag (375 Kč) also got the thumbs up.

The four vegetable dishes are offered as main meals but half portions are offered if you want it as side dish. Dhingri Mattar (90 Kč half portion) was thick and juicy and didn’t hold back on the peas or the mushrooms.

After a quick bit of tourist information as we wrapped up the last bits of chicken and rice it was time to… and you know what’s coming don’t you?… you’ve got it, order the Czech. Boom, boom.

Indian Jewel, Tyn 6, 110 00, Prague 1 – Staré Město, Czech Republic. Tel: +420  222 310 156 or +420 725 107 059. E-mail:ind.jewel@savic.eu.

Indian Jewel snapshot

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From the north

On By Daniel FordIn 4. TakeawaysLeave a comment

Royal Spice, Docklands, London
(Takeaway)

Fed up with the usual? When you’ve had your fill of Chicken Madras, Prawn Bhuna and Lamb Dupiaza for your Friday night takeaway give Royal Spice’s Gosht e Nobabi (£7.95) a try.

The North Indian dish is not found on too many menus, which is what makes it all the more appealing, and the tender lamb comes beautifully infused with the whole spices it’s been cooked in and is topped with soft pieces of green pepper. It’s got a deep, rich taste and is hot, but not too hot, so will appeal to a wide-range of curry lovers. The strong flavour is not too disimilar to a Rougan Josht that’s been traditonally cooked with whole spices (as opposed to the ‘fried-up with lots of tomatoes’ variety that’s served in most restaurants).

The highly recommended Gosht e Nobabi (right) and Balti Chicken Tikka

Plain rice (£1.75) would be a good choice to go with the dish so as not to detract from its flavours but those after a bit more from their side dishes could do worse than Mushroom Piloa Rice (£2.25).

But curry man cannot live on experimentation alone and Balti Chicken Tikka (£6.95), which comes with a nan, ensures you’ve get a decent portion of old-school tastes. The chicken is well cooked and the tandoori flavour doesn’t get drowned out by the sauce, although this may have a bit of an overload of onions for some tastes.

A nice move from Royal Spice is to offer two sizes of their vegetable side dishes (£2.50 for small and £4.25 for large). Too often you can fancy a couple of side dishes but find it sends the overall cost soaring. The small option is ideal for a couple of tasters. Niramish, mixed fresh vegetables in a dryish sauce and with a kick from green chillis, is to be recommended.

Parking: on West India Dock Road, Gill Street, Three Colt Street, St Anne Street or Burdett Road.

Delivery: free within five miles for minimum orders of £10. The receipt shows the food went out 40 minutes after the order was taken.

Specials: 10% discount on delivery orders over £30 and a 10% discount for orders that are collected. Free bottle of soft drink on delivery orders over £20.

Beer while you’re waiting: Royal Spice is a fully licensed restaurant so no problem with a beer if you are collecting your takeaway.

Royal Spice, 815 Commercial Road, London, E14 7HG. Tel: 020 7536 9902. Open: Mon–Fri 5pm–midnight, Fri and Sat 5pm–12.30am). Text: 07950 271 024 or 07588 833 555. Online orders: http://www.royalspice.uk.com. orders@royalspice.uk.com

Royal Spice snapshot

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Royal Spice on Urbanspoon

Le curry

On By Daniel FordIn 4. Takeaways1 Comment

Le Popadom, Greenwich
(Takeaway)

Although there’s no apparent reason for the touch of French (menu includes Le Traditional Dishes and Le Tandoori Grills) this takeaway has quickly established itself as one of the best in the area.

Prices are very good (Chicken Madras £4.15, King Prawn Pathia £8.15, Sag Aloo £2.85), food tasty, service is quick (10-15 minutes) and staff friendly. The waiting area is small but smart. And a round of applause for whoever designed the menu; it’s not often takeaway menu will catch your eye, but this handy sized one is smart and classy.

One day you’ll be telling your children of the days when you could get dinner – Chicken Rogan (£4.50), Pilau Rice (£1.95), Keema Nan (£2.05), some Lime Pickle (65p) and a can of Coke (70p) – and still come home with change from a tenner.

Parking: on Greenwich South Street.

Delivery: free within three miles for orders over £10.

Beer while you’re waiting? it might be a bit down-at-heel for some but The Graduate is on the corner opposite.

Le Popadom, 141 Greenwich South Street, London. Tel: 020 8692 6686. Open: daily 5pm-11pm. le_popadom@hotmail.co.uk

Le Popadom snapshot

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Le Popadom on Urbanspoon

Indians not cowboys

On By Daniel FordIn 3. Reviews (International)Leave a comment

Little India, Calahonda, Spain

Run by friendly Punjabi Sikhs, Little India has a reputation for being one of the best Indians in this popular coastal area which attracts a lot of ex-pats and tourists who often go looking for a spice fix when it’s time to take a break from the beach and the umpteen bars.

Based along a road that is more commonly known as The Strip, which offers a plentiful supply of restaurants and bars, it uses the catchy slogan, ‘You’ve tried the cowboys, now try the Indians.’

One Brit, who’s been in Spain 14 years and run an Indian restaurant here himself, declares this a ‘seriously decent curry,’ and this in an area where he tells me ‘most curry houses aren’t really worth bothering with.’

 

Bold colours and intricate carving work give Little India a striking look

The décor is striking and distinctive, with orange plates, bright, large, red (and comfortable) chairs and plenty of intricately carved arches. The bar, in particular, is worth checking out, for this alone.

Popadums were complimentary, while top of the dishes on the table was the tasty Chicken Patiala (€9; although note that seven per cent tax is added to the bill at the end), served in a large earthenware pot. The Lamb Madras (€9) also got the thumbs up, not only because it was ‘as hot as it should be’ but also because there was a decent amount of lamb despite fears of a small serving because of the cost of the meat in Spain.

A decent, if pricey, Bombay Aloo (€6), a generous double serving of Pulao Rice (€2.50 per serving), and tangy lime pickle (complimentary) completed a decent curry night. Only the Roti (€2), which was more like a half-leavened nan, fell short of the mark.

Little India, Conj. Buena Vista L-21/22, Avenida de España, Calahonda. Tel: +34 (0)952 93 18 29. Open: daily from 4pm.

Little India snapshot

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