Indigo Fusion, Aldridge (29th December 2012)

Lee's latest curry outing was to celebrate his father-in-law's 70th birthday at a new restaurant in Aldridge called Indigo, a Bengali fusion restaurant.

Lee started with chilli paneer, always a good start! Then followed with veg balti madras. In hindsight Lee would have gone Vinda as the madras wasn't quite hot enough but the extra green chilli helped. The cheese nan was like a pizza, lovely!

Everybody commented how much flavoursome the food was! The 2 additional highlights were a) the restaurant is unlicensed so you can take your own booze and b) my father-in-law paid!

If you are in the area, well worth a stop-by.

39 Anchor Road
Aldridge
West Midlands


Tel: 01922 744 444

Cinnamon Club, London (29th November 2012)

Lee's latest outing was to the MP's favourite the Cinnamon Club in Westminster. 

Proceedings started with a Cobra and canapé of lentil balls with saffron mayonnaise.

Starter of deep fried baby corn and onion in a spicy coating with salad and more saffron mayo. Second starter of baby aubergine with a spicy cashew topping served on a spicy lentil soup.

Main was a chickpea kofta served on a bed of spicy sauce accompanied with steamed rice, a selection of nan breads, daal and fried mushroom and spinach.

For desert, a cardamon creme brûlée and an espresso (no after 8's though ....)

A lovely experience, pleasant surroundings, good quality food and as it was a work thing, free of charge.

The Old Westminster Library,
30-32 Great Smith Street,
London
SW1P 3BU

Tel: 020 7222 2555
Website: http://www.cinnamonclub.com/

Shabs, Bedford (26th November 2012)

Lee's latest outing was with the wife to Shabs on Tavistock Street, Bedford. Lee was immediately attracted to the 50% off food sign outside the restaurant!

Popodoms and some quality chutneys to start, mango chutney, red onion, onion salad and a thick mint sauce.

For Starters, Lee had a favourite vegetable chat on puree with green chilli and salad whilst Emma had Shimla Mirch (stuffed pepper).

For mains Lee went veg balti madras with cheese nan, sag paneer and a portion of chips! Emma going for lamb balti and a plain nan.

Overall, very good, with the food having some spice. Lee had a little take away for his lunch and the bill came to less than twenty quid!

77 Tavistock Street
Bedford.
MK40 2RR

Tel: 01234 343347

Bombay Blue, Tenerife (30th September 2012)

Score: 7.534
Price: €30-35

RECOMMENDED

The boys took a trip to Bombay Blue for their final evening in Tenerife (Simon's choice). The first impressions were extremely impressive,  aesthetically very grand, in an upstairs food court in a new shopping centre, a few hundred yards from the beach. The restaurant was full throughout the evening so is a very popular choice.

Popodoms were again adequate, 3 chutneys so getting the obligatory 6 points.

Starters included paneer tikka to allow for consistent scoring and did well achieving a 9.

 

Tony opted for more paneer tikka with his main, going for paneer tikka massala with a side of Bombay aloo which was 'absolutely gorgeous'. Simon decided he'd had enough egg this holiday, having consumed around the dozen, opting for chicken dupiaza, which Simon felt was a little lacking in flavour and a little greasy so summed up as 'rather disappointing'. Lee going for the more standard veggie balti and nan bread, which had a bit of spice and was full of fresh vegetables.

The boys all complemented the restaurant for the portion size; there was no scrimping by the Bombay Blue. The fourth musketeer on this trip, Ian, was abstaining from food this evening as was feeling unwell and decided a mineral water was sufficient then an early taxi back to the apartments.

As a special treat to celebrate the end of the holiday the boys decided to treat themselves to a dessert, Tony opted for lemon sorbet as his favourite pineapple ice-cream wasn't on the menu, Lee choosing his favourite cheesecake which turned out to be very disappointing and Simon going for his all time favourite, gulab jamun, a hot dish which Simon under estimated but summed up as 'very good, always a 10’.

Value for money was a concerning area as the Bombay Blue seemed a little more on the expensive side compared to the other restaurants and with just cause, price was highest of the trip per head and the VFM scores reflected this at just 6.5

Overall, a good restaurant in nice surrounding if a little on the expensive side.

The Plaza

Safari Centre

Adeje

Tenerife

Spain

Tel: 922 797 190

Star of Bengal, Tenerife (29th September 2012)

Score: 7.266

Price: €20-25

NOT RECOMMENDED

Night 3 meant curry 3, precipitated with a day in the pub watching football, seeing Arsenal lose and Tottenham win; Ian thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon being a Spurs fan and consuming 10 pints!  This evening was a little more laid back and chilled out than the previous two.

The usual popodoms with 4 pickles started the evening, onion salad, mint sauce, mango chutney and mixed pickle, which was on the fiery side.

Starters was nearly a clean sweep of paneer tikka again, but Tony mixed it up with a prawn puree. The paneer was served sizzling with peppers and onions. Lee and Ian preferred the more flavoursome version served at the Gandhi the previous evening but Simon really enjoyed tonights version scoring a 9. Starters scored an overall of 8.334.

For mains, egg stole the show, with Simon and Ian going for egg and paneer madras, however a poached egg failed to match up to the more usual boiled egg, Lee going for veg curry with egg and Tony mixing it up again going for chicken korahi.  The curries left a tingle, but were not overly hot this evening. An adequate curry which was reflected with a combined score of 7.334.

Overall the Star of Bengal scored 7.266, so a little below average this evening

C/Juan Reveron Sierra
Edificio Bahia
Los Cristianos
Tenerife
Spain 

Tel: 922 796 975

Gandhi, Tenerife (28th September 2012)

Score: 7.733

Price:  €15-20

RECOMMENDED

Lee's choice on the second night, he opted for the Gandhi, which Abdul promoted very well the previous evening where he explained the special offers in great detail.  The boys went Al a Carte, well being on holiday they shouldn't scrimp or compromise on their choice of food.

Popodoms to start as usual, with the obligatory 3 chutneys, mint sauce, onion salad and mango chutney, nothing special scoring just 6.

Starters were a full house of Paneer Tikka's all round. A sizzling dish full of onions, peppers and tomatoes which went down very well. Scores reflected the full flavour at 8.833.

Tony's main was vegetable and paneer curry, ideally spiced to provide the perfect heat, Lee selecting a veg balti, controversially with chips and nan, Ian chose chicken tikka madras keeping the heat consistent for comparable scoring with the previous evenings curry; Ian commented that tonights offering was "tremendous".  Simon going off menu again with egg and paneer curry, which lacked a little bit of flavour. 

Accompaniments of mushroom rice, which Tony thought was probably the best mushroom rice he's ever had, vegetable rice and nan bread. As always, the lads ordered too much food so Ian was looking at places to conceal a nan bread for a snack later. Mains scored 8.167.

Service was mixed, Ian and Tony didn't take to the waiter but Abdul the owner came out to say hello and the chaps had a photo with the owner and PR legend Abdul.

Overall, scores were a little below par at 7.733, placing the Gandhi 21st in the league table.   Tomorrow is Tony's choice the Star of Bengal in Los Christianos.

Juan Reveron Sierra 3
Playa de las Americas
Tenerife

Telephone: 0034 922 751 632

Bombay Babu, Tenerife (27th September 2012)

Score: 9.004

Price: €27

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

For the first night the boys had a little stroll to build up their appetites after an afternoon of beer, cocktails, crisps and relaxing by the pool. They stumbled upon the Bombay Babu where Steve from Bradford enticed the boys in with a promise of top quality food from a chef who has worked at Michelin starred restaurants along side Raymond Blanc!

A fellow patron popped over to congratulate the club on their choice which the lads took as a good omen!

Popodoms included onion salad, mint sauce and fiery mango chilli chutney, which was the star pickle. Scoring was only 7 which could be improved by greater choice and greater quantity as dished needed replenished 3 times.

Starters, Lee and Ian shared paneer pakora and paneer tikka, with the latter packing a punch of flavour. Simon and tony had the Bombay Babu special starter, recommended by Steve and the waiters. The starter consisted of 8 different bite size spicy morsels, chicken, sausage, and onion bhajis. Scoring reflected the quality and quantity of the starters at 9.667.

Mains were equally as tasty, Simon going for veggie paneer madras which packed quite a punch, even Lee would find hot. Ian went chicken balti madras again packing some heat, Tony chose chicken balti mild and lee went for an eye ball sweating veggie balti vinda. All were fully enjoyed accompanied by mushroom room and plain nan. Scoring wise, mains scored full marks 10/10 for only the second time!

The general thoughts from the lads was 'exceptional'.

Service was tremendous, well Steve had his reputation to deliver against, but he didn't fail! All the staff were friendly, helpful and courteous. A well deserved 10/10 was awarded, again for only the second time!

Value for money has caused some consternation amongst the boys. Overall price-wise the score of 8.333 was comparable to other restaurants, however simon's point that the quality of food was superior meant that the score should be higher, however this is a moot point as the boys take care of their individual scores, so score what each thinks! Simon was at risk of flouncing off but just threw his pen in a girly strop and got over it.

If in Tenerife, this restaurant is well worth a visit!

Centro Comercial La Nina Planta 3

Local 62 Torviscas Playa Costa Adeje

38670 Tenerife – Spain – Cannary Islands

Tel: (+34) 922 71 94 63

Website: http://www.bombay-babu.com/

The Vindaloo, Paignton (16th August 2012)

Tonight’s review is from a takeaway from Lee's trip to Paignton from a small place called The Vindaloo (Editor: we can see why Lee was drawn there!)

The children went for what is becoming their usual of Vegetable Biriani and Gobi Aloo, Emma went for a new dish, and Balti Navtalan mixed vegetable, a delicious blend of chick peas, spinach, sweetcorn, cauliflower and tomato! Lee felt a veg vinda was in order from a place so aptly named. An extra dish of veg bhuna was ordered for good measure.

The vinda lived up to its reputation been probably one of the hottest dishes Lee has had this year. All the other dishes were well spiced and full of flavour with the Nan breads cooked fresh.

Overall, a fantastic takeaway and enough left over to repeat tomorrow!

The Vindaloo

52 Torquay Road

Paignton

Devon

TQ3 3AA

Tel: 01803 558886

Website: http://www.thevindaloo.com/

Himal Tandoori, Torquay (8th August 2012)

Today’s outing for Lee was with the family whilst on holiday in Torquay. The restaurant of choice was Torquay’s highest rated Indian on Trip Advisor, The Himal Tandoori.

Popodoms started the feast with a creamy mint sauce, fresh onion salad, spicy mixed pickle and tasty mango chutney with sesame seeds.

Starters included onion bhaji, Chana Aloo puri, mixed kebab and Aloo chat with green chilli. The Aloo chat packed some heat from the chillies and had plenty of flavour. Lucy enjoyed the Chana Aloo and Caitlyn’s Onion Bhajee didn't touch the sides....

For mains, Caitlyn chose veg biriani, one for a larger appetite, Lee had the usual veggie vinda, packed with plenty of fresh veg, the radishes made a very pleasant contribution not experienced before, and Lucy’s school girl error of over doing the popodoms and large starter meant the lion’s share of her Gobi Aloo is ready for Daddy's tea tomorrow! Emma's Nepalese sweet and sour Lamb Tikka was fruity with a little kick and a resounding winner. Ben let the side down a little bit with nuggets and chips, but some Mutter Paneer and rice added the Indian twist.

Overall very good, I think the reviews on Trip Advisor are well justified and give the right rating, so well worth a visit when in Torquay or surroundings!

330 Torquay Road

Paignton

Devon

TQ3 2DZ

Tel: 01803 524949

Website: http://www.himaltandoori.com/index.html.

The Ruby, Hertford (4th August 2012)

Simon's next solo trip was to continue the celebrations for his brothers 50th birthday.  A trip to Hertford to try the cuisine at the Ruby, as recommended by Alistair, Sean's friend!

Arrived on time, and ordered the papadoms to start the meal off, four pickles and a mint sauce.  Basic error made by Alistair (kept the spoon from the pickles on his plate), school boy error from Sean (overloading poppadom once, and dropping a piece of poppadom in the mint sauce twice).  Fundamental errors by inexperienced curry eaters.

Ordered the Prawn Puri to start (no salad) but a tasty starter which rated as just average in comparisoon to other restaurants.  Went for a main course of Vegetable Madras with Paneer, caused a raised eyebrow from the waiter who said he would have to check with the chef if it was possible to add this to the dish.  Main arrived - paneer included - sauce not as hot as I would have liked - nicely spiced but needed a bit of a kick.  Had Mutter Paneer as a side dish - very sweet with lots of coconut so not one I would recommned.

Overall an average meal which would have scored between 6-7 on an official visit.  Much banter from the table regarding the SLT Curry CLub (jealousy me thinks) and a good time.

Not one I would recommend to visit.

The Ruby
51 St Andrew Street
Hertford
SG14 1HZ

Tel: 01902 504 504

Website: http://rubyhertford.com/

 

The Gandhi, Sandy (1st August 2012)

Todays solo trip for Lee was to the Gandhi in Sandy with his 13 year old daughter Caitlyn.  Lee taking advantage of the wife being away took Caitlyn to his favourite curry house.

The obligatory popodoms started, Caitlyn's preference was for mango chutney whilst Lee favoured the onion salad and lime pickle.

Mains followed with veg biryani for Caitlyn, veg vinda for Lee and veg saag and nan to share. Food was lovely as always and Caitlyn had a Fantastica for pud which Dad seemed to want to share.

All around another good offering by the Gandhi in Sandy.

37 High Street

Sandy
Bedfordshire
SG19 1AG

Tel: 01767 680283

Turan, Hatfield (29th July 2012)

Score: 8.958
Price: £15-20

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Todays outing was to one of Lee's favourite lunchtime places, the Turan in Hatfield, joined by SLT  web designer Richard and Liz!

After an interesting conversation about Lee's potential new car and a slighty less interesting conversation from Simon about eggs (!!!), the boys ordered starters choosing chilli paneer for Lee with extra heat, Simon having it regular and tony going for vegetable manchurian. Overall the Turan did very well scoring 9.667, a 10 from Lee and Simon, tony scoring a very respectable 9. Richard and Liz had chilli mushroom and aloo bhaji respectively.

For main, tony had chicken korai with a little bit of heat, Lee had veg vinda with paneer and Simon was beside himself as the Turan is one of the few restaurants visited to have his favourite, Egg curry, on the menu (ordered with extra paneer!). All served with rice and nan and a mutter paneer side dish. All scored well, achieving 9.167 overall. Liz and Richard both choosing chicken Tikka masala.

Puddings followed, cheese cake and chocolate cake on the menu along with Gajar ka Halida (a carrott based dish) Mr Codd having extra chocolate sauce on his chocolate cake! A nice finish to a great meal.

3 courses for £12.95 making very good value too.  When in Hatfield or travelling down the A1, well worth a stop off!

2 Parkhurst Square
Hatfield
Hertfordshire
AL10 9RQ

Tel: 01707 272 721

Essence of Asia (24th July 2012)

Simon's solo trip to a local curry house in Luton with colleagues from work can only be described as the worst customer service ever received!

Our arrival was greeted with abject disdain, even a look of surprise from the waiter that we had troubled him for a table, almost looked startled that someone wanted to eat there.  Shown to the table without a smile, setting the tone for the service levels to be expected. 

The restaurant offers a banquet night on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesdays, £9.50 for starter, main, rice or nan and side - so excellent value as the food was tasty - not exceptional but adequate.  Decided on chicken chatt to start, followed by chicken dhansak with boiled rice and bombay aloo.  Waiter arrived to take our order, after some time, no smile.

Poppadoms somewhat soft and not great, although had 5 pickles, starter and main courses delivered, still no smile, waiter was so unhelpful and just looked as though he wanted to be elsewhere.

Overall, food average, service dreadful, do not visit!  Plenty of other better restaurants around in Luton - go to those.

25 High Street

Leagrave

Luton

LU4 9JU

Sagar, Covent Garden (13th July 2012)

Harry had travelled down from Birmingham to meet up with the fellow members of the SLT curry club for a cultural pub crawl around London town.  Starting just off the Strand, moving into Covent Garden, Holborn and then the Kings Cross area the boys visited a total of 10 pubs, some of the party able to deal with the alcohol better than others - no names eh Tony!

After approximately 5 or 6, we decided to visit Sagar, a veggie paradise recommended by Lee as his local venue for a quick curry.  The boys all went for the Theatre Menu Vegetable Thali, an excellent choice of quality food, all for £6.

The meal consisted of a Biryani, Tarka Dhall, Channa Massala, Raita, Paratha and a dry Aloo dish.  The Thali also came with a rice desert.  Green chillies for Lee and Tony added the required heat to spice up the dishes, Simon ate his full Thali and then looked for left overs from others. 

No alcohol in the restaurant but a pub next door allowed the party to have a pre meal drink, service was quick and friendly, with really authentic and tasty dishes.

This is a no-frills Indian restaurant producing wonderfully flavoured dishes. Each one is beautifully spiced and balanced.  Everyone really enjoyed the meal, excellent food and exceptional value meant that this is a must visit restaurant.

Difficult to score the meal as it did not follow the traditional format the club are used to, but has to be up there with the best that we have visited.

31 Catherine Street

Covent Garden

London

WC2B 5JS

Tel: 020 7836 6377

Website: http://www.sagarveg.co.uk/

Saffrons, Bedford (8th July 2012)

After seeing the Olympic torch in Cotton End Bedfordshire, Lee, accompanied with the family, visited Saffrons on Tavistock St, Bedford for the Sunday buffet lunch.

Some popodoms and chutneys were followed by a selection of veg bhajis and tandoori chicken, which Emma described as "amazing". Then a choice of 3 meat and 3 veg main meals with rice and nan. Lee and Lucy had a good portion of the mixed vegetable curry, chana massala and Bombay aloo. Caitlyn and Emma enjoyed the chicken balti and chicken Korma along with a Lamb Rogan. Benny enjoyed his popodom, veg bhajis, nan bread and rice!

At 7.95 for adults and 5.95 for kids, proved good value! Lucy summed up the outing as "very good food, nice and yummy"

64 Tavistock Street
Bedford
MK40 2RG

Tel: 01234 325665

Website: http://www.saffronbedford.co.uk/

Scarlet Dot, London. (29th June 2012)

Lee made a second London curry in less than 24 hours with a lunchtime trip to Scarlets, in the old Spitalfields Market, with the wife. To quote Nick Fifer from 2009, there is nothing more decadent than a lunchtime curry!

To start the chosen dishes were both chickpea based, with Pani Puri, a dough filled with chickpeas served with a tamarind sauce and Chani Patti, a spiced chickpea dish served in a sweeter yogurt, mint and tamarind sauce. Both dishes were full of flavour, the Chani Patti having more of a heat kick!

For main, Lee, unsurprisingly, chose Paneer, in a tomato, red chilli and onion sauce, which again was full of flavour, good spice served with a crisp fresh nan bread. Emma chose lamb Dansak, less spicy but very tasty.

With the addition of a non alcoholic cocktail, made a lovely lunchtime stop off, one definitely worth the visit.

St Crispins Place
London
E1 6DW.

Tel: 020 7375 0880

Website: http://www.scarletdot.co.uk/

Moti Mahal, Covent Garden. (28th June 2012)

Lee's latest evening was at Moti Mahal, Covent Garden. And to set the scene, maybe the best Indian meal Lee has ever had, well in the top 3!

The open kitchen is a nice touch and the atmosphere was relaxed for this top end Indian restaurant. In the party of 8, 5 choose the tasting menu and 3 from the al-a-cart. Lee went for the vegetarian taster menu.

Popodoms were served with 4 pickles, a mango chutney and mint sauce and 2 Lee had not encountered before, mushroom chutney and chicken chutney. The mushroom chutney was lovely.

To compliment the popodoms and starters a plate of salad was bought to the table. Interestingly, the salad was uncut and a knife was provided to 'self serve'.

The starter consisted of:

- malai saunfia paneer, paneer with fennel. Amazing flavour and texture, ashame was only one piece, could have eaten that all night!

- bhalla papadi chaat, a chickpea dish served with yogurt, tamarind and mint chutney. Served cold with a fresh taste, lacking a little bit of flavour

- katli, stuffed aubergine steak, full of flavour and a nice kick of spice, another amazing dish!

Mains followed, consisting of:

-wild mushroom kofta. The mushroom kofta had a firm texture in a sweet sauce which worked very well

- saag paneer, chunks of paneer is a dry sauce

-dal makhani, was the star of the show, full of complex flavours with a smooth consistency was beautiful, by far the best flavour on the table and that was amongst some amazing dishes.

-kararee bhyein, fried lotus stem with peanut and coriander, again tremendous flavours on this crispy little offering, eaten with the raita added to the flavour

The extra green chilli added the extra zing to bring everything alive (except George with his rather delicate southern palet). Served with raita, nan bread and saffron baked rice.

Price, well, prices were good for a top end London restaurant, but a different league to the boys usual establishment, but as my nan used to say, you get what you pay for and if you enjoy it, price doesn't matter - it was definitely one of those meals (to be fair, the veggie taster menu listed above was a reasonable £43 a head).

Overall, an amazing meal, plenty of food and a great atmosphere. Very highly recommend for a special night out or as a well deserved treat!

45 Great Queen Street
London.
WC2B 5AA

Tel: 020 7240 9329

Website: http://www.motimahal-uk.com/

Dunstable Cricket Club (27th June 2012)

Simon's solo curry followed a competetive game of cricket between the PCT and the GPs in Luton.  A trip to Sports Direct the previous night meant i looked every part a cricketer.  Would love to say I starred in the game, but only managed 7 not out, I was the last man standing as my last 4 batting partners lost their wickets in 4 balls!

The post match curry consisted of a red kidney bean and sweetcorn curry, very tasty and quite a kick to it as well.  Alternative veggie dish of veg curry with extra aloo was a milder curry yet flavoursome, the non- veggie option consisted of a madras hot chicken curry.  Served with rice and nan, sides of onion barji, samosas and kebabs.

Later found out that the food came from one of Luton's local restaurants, The Alankar, one which the boys have scored before.

All in all a good evening, close game an excellent food.

Humaira Restaurant, Kings Cross (22nd June 2012)

Lee's latest outing was in London, at the Humaira near kings cross station. Due to a recent self imposed diet, Lee had a lighter than normal meal this evening, with only popodoms and a main course, electing to pass on the starter, albeit they served his favourite, Paneer Shashlick, oh what will power. Lee also skipped a side order too!

2 popodoms served with onion salad and 3 chutneys well presented. The mango chutney and mint sauce had a twist on the tradition serving which made a pleasant change.

For main, Lee went for Vegetable Madras with plain rice, a healthier than average choice. The curry had a bit of a kick due to the additional chillis. Lee missed the nan accompanyment, but he saved on the calories!

Overall a convenient stop off if you are around Kings Cross, maybe a better alternative to pass the time than the concourse chain restaurants!

112 Judd Street,
King's Cross,
London.
WC1H 9NT

Tel: 020 7278 6183

Dalia Spice, Cromer (5th June 2012)

Latest curry outing for Lee was Dalia Spice, Cromer in Norfolk along with the family.

Popodoms to start with large bowls of pickles, onion salad, mango chutney, mint sauce and lime pickle, all were well received and quickly demolished!

Mains followed. Veg balti vinda for Lee, lamb balti for Emma and veg biriani for the girls along with nan breads, rice, vegetable sag and aloo gobi. All dishes were tasty and all were finished. Only criticism would be over the use of frozen veg!

Nice restaurant if in the area, not one to go to far out of your way to visit!

36 Prince of Wales Road

Cromer

Norfolk

NR27 9HS

Tel: 01263 519700

Garden Lodge. Letchworth (11th May 2012)

Score: 7.100

Price: £15-£20

NOT RECOMMENDED

The boys latest trip was to the Garden Lodge Hotel in Letchworth. Simon was recovering from a stressful day at the office addressing "IT issues" and Lee was still a little jet lagged from his most recent states trip!

Popodoms and pickles started, Popodoms could have been crispier but pickles were good, good amount and flavoursome, scoring 8 out of 10.

Starters followed, Lee had chana chat + green chillies which would have benefited from being served on a puri. Simon had his regular prawn puri, which could have benefited more spice, more prawns and just more of it!  Tony had haba beta kebab (veggie + paneer) which would have benefited with some flavour. So all round a little disappointing! Scores were an under par 6 out of 10.

Mains arrived, Simon had vegetable and paneer kofta with a mutter paneer, Tony had veg dupiaza with a mushroom rice and veg narimish side, Lee had veg balti vinda, sag paneer and cheese nan. The boys were pleased the quality was higher than the starters, scoring a much improved 8.5. Tony led the scoring with an impressive 9 out of 10 for his choice.

Service was ok, at 6, nothing special, and value for money averaged at 7, giving the Garden Lodge Hotel an overall score of 7.1.

The venue was slightly more impressive than the menu on this occasion.

42 Sollershott East

Letchworth Garden City

Hertfordshire

SG6 3JW

Tel: 01462 683143

Website: http://www.gardenlodgehotel.com/

India Palace, Memphis (5th May 2012)

Lee's latest American visit took him to Nashville and then on to Memphis Tennesse.

Unfortunately Lee didn't get chance to fit in a visit to an Indian in Nashville, so looked to make the most in Memphis, by stopping off at the India Palace at 1720 Poplar Avenue,  with wife Emma. Lee's natural sense of direction meant they found the restaurant in good time and navigated Elvis Presley Boulevard to mid town Memphis.

Complementary popodoms greeted them on arrival, which had a nice kick, along with the mint chutney. Emma's choice of lamb karahai boti sag from the chef's specials was “so so lovely“ and was a generous portion. Lee's standard, veggie vindaloo, packed some heat as requested and the shared side of paneer massala was very tasty, all accompanies with basmati rice and a plain nan bread.

The India Palace has won local awards, so if you are visiting memphis, well worth a stop, after spending the day at Gracelands - Elvis would!!!

1720 Poplar Avenue
Memphis
TN 38104

Tel: 901-278-1199

Website: http://www.indiapalaceinc.com/

Akbar, Leeds (24th April 2012)

Tonight took Lee up to Leeds and a visit to the Akbar restaurant on Eastgates, a chain Lee has visited before, in Newcastle - the local knowledge came in handy, as Lee remembered the vegetable vindaloo last time out was one of the hottest dishes Lee had ever eaten!

Lee was joined with guests Amy and Tim tonight. Lee started with Paneer Pakora which was well presented and very tasty, followed by Balti Mushroom Paneer Madras, which was hot enough and a table Nan - hit the spot. Overall, would have struggled to drop any points as was lovely.

Akbars would rank high in my list and one I'd recommend if in Leeds, but be cautious, it packs some heat.

15 Eastgate

Leeds

LS2 7 LY

Tel: 0113 243 6566

Website: http://www.akbars.co.uk/leeds-eastgate

Noor Jahan, Old Brompton Road, London (24th April 2012)

Simon's addition to the club site followed on from meetings in London.  Arrived at the Noor Jahan after a walk from Earls Court and were greeted by friendly staff, restaurant was busy.

Poppadoms accompanied with four pickles - nothing outstanding but adequate.

 

Decided on Prawn Puri to start - excellent dish - good spicing and heat to the dish, enjoyed the food.  I asked if they could do me a paneer dish, but was told that would not be possible as it was not on the menu, not the response normally received from more accommodating restaurants.  In the end went for Chicken Korahi, which lacked the normal onions, peppers etc, so a little disappointed with this dish.  Also had Matar Paneer as a side.

Service was too rushed, one of my fellow diners was still eating their starter when my plate was cleared, very much a restaurant where they wanted you in and out as quickly as possible.

Food OK, service poor, expensive for what we had.  Not one I will be visiting again or recommending.

2A Bina Gardens

Greater London

SW5 0LA

Tel: 020 7373 6522

Website: http://www.noorjahanrestaurants.co.uk/

Mausams, Cotton End (23rd April 2012)

Score: 8.267
Price: £15-£20

RECOMMENDED

Tonight's impromptu trip came about as Lee's London night out was off the cards due to an extended work meeting, so the boys took advantage and made a trip to Cotton Ends' newly opened Mausams.

Monday nights special offer of starter, main, side, rice or nan and coffee for £7 proved very popular with the locals, so recommended booking if planning a monday evening trip! During the acceptable 20 minute wait, the boys had time to peruse the extensive menu, with a lot of new dishes on offer 

Popodoms started proceedings accompanied by a fresh onion salad, lemony mint sauce, spicy mixed pickle and a smokey mango chutney. All complimented each other which was reflected in high scoring for just 4 pickles at 8.667!

For starter Lee managed to go off the extensive menu with an all time favourite, chilli paneer, Simon choose Lee's second favourite pudina aloo tikka and tony went for paneer nilgiri. The boys were left slightly disappointed as expectations were high, but the food a little bland, scoring was 7.333 overall, a little below par, but still hoigher than average 

Mains, Lee went for another favourite, Veg Balti Vindaloo with a mushroom bhaji and cheese nan, simon went paneer adrakwala with aloo paneer and a special rice and tony, chicken rezalla with aloo paneer and, the usual, mushroom rice - enough food to feed a small nation! 

Scored faired better than starters with overall of 8.333, Lee's main hitting the spot with a fiery 9 out of 10! Tony's main was good albeit the chilli hidden in the dish nearly killed him, the rice could have been better. Simon's main lacked a bit of bite but overall he scored 8. Simon took up the offer of an inclusive cup of tea, at his age he enjoys a cup of tea at the end of a meal!

The vfm scores were a very competitive 9 out of 10 with the fixed menu off of £6.95 proving an excellent deal - limited time only, so take advantage quickly.... Service scored well, with, in the main, very friendly waiters scoring 8 out of 10 Make good use of the Monday night special offer, as other nights, paying full price, could sting the wallet! 

Overall a very good score of 8.267

113-115 High Street
Cotton End
Bedford
MK45 3AX

Tel: 01234 742905

Website: http://www.mausams.co.uk/new/

Indali Lounge, Baker Street, London (13th April 2012)

The latest venture out was to the recommended Indali Lounge on Baker St, London. Reportedly the healthiest curry in the world!

The occasion was Lee's birthday and he was joined with wife Emma, Ian and Emma (Emma 2) and Liz and Richard!

Complimentary popodoms accompanied with mango chutney, onion chutney and mint sauce, then a complementary spicy lentil soup and crispy mushroom followed. A tasty surprise!

Lee struggled to choose a starter as the 8 veggie starters all sounded fantastic! Lee decided on having 2, Paneer 3 ways and chat baked aloo tikki. Both would have scored 10! Emma and Richard went for crispy mushroom masala, Ian and Liz joined lee with Paneer 3 ways and chat baked Aloo tikki respectively. Emma 2 chose lonavala crispy batatawade (lentil balls), which Emma 2 said was a little bland.

Mains, Lee had pander tava jaipurifor, a lovely shredded Paneer and veggies dish with extra spice, Liz had the same with regular spice, sindhi sai bhaji (spinach and veg) for Emma, Richard and Ian going for the old delhi chicken kofta, but reported the dish to be on the bland side lacking flavour and spice, Emma 2 kashmir chicken (v nice at a 9) with some healthy garlic chilli nan and saffron rice. Just the one side of black dal makhni.

Plenty of booze accompanied the meal, including two bottles of wine and the bill came in at £37 a head, so very reasonably priced for a high end London establishment!

Very highly recommended, and one the club will be returning to, to conduct an official review and full scoring.

50 Baker Street
London
W1U 7BT

Tel: 020 7224 2232

Website: http://www.indalilounge.com/

Mother India, Birmingham (7th April 2012)

Score: 8.067
Cost: £15-£20

RECOMMENDED

Saturday night in Birmingham, second day of the Birmingham trip!

The day was spent in the Black Country, Tipton and Wolverhampton, having a few beers. A visit to the Fountain Inn, Mad O'rourkes and the Red Lion then into Wolverhampton to the Wetherspoons and Tap and Spile took most of the day.

In Tipton

The club were joined with Harry, Chainsy and the OAP for the evening Chas (Lee's father-in-law). The 1 oap per evening law threshold was maintained, Lee's dad last night and Lee's father-in-law tonight!!

Back to Boldmere to Mother India an unlicensed establishment. 4 paneer shashlick, veggie samosa and lamb chops to start. Chas's 3 lamb chops made good value, unfortunately Chris's first attempt at the veggie samosa failed being uncooked, second (free of charge) attempt was better!  Scores excelled at 9.5 for Lee, Simon 9 and Tony 8.

Mains, 2 veggie madras, chicken dupiazia, prawn madras, paneer shashlick and, for the second time this week, egg paneer madras for Simon.

Scores came in, good with Simon topping the charts with a top marks 10 out of 10, Lee and Tony scoring 8 each.

Vfm was good, not as cheap as the previous evening, but well under 20 quid a head, which the BYO booze helped achieve.

One last beer afterwards at the Wetherspoons in Boldmere, then home!

So, 12 hour extravaganza over, plenty to drink, some good food, seen parts of the midlands either not seen before or not seen in over 20 years with some good company, all in all a successful day!

60a Boldmere Road

Sutton Coldfield

Birmingham

B73 5TJ

Tel: 0121 354 1923

Taste of Khyber, Alum Rock, Birmingham (6th April 2012)

Score: 8.833
Cost: £10


HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Harry and Lee's dad, Dave joined the club for the 4th outing in Birmingham. Harry chose this evening's restaurant.

A treat was in store for the boys this time around with a visit to alum rock. The restaurant was more of a cafe and the boys were thrown as the concept of popodoms, starter and main were loosely followed.....

After making the order, the boys were left wondering what food would actually arrive. And as predicted all the food arrived together.

2 chana massala, 3 mixed Veg curries, 4 side salads, lamb kebab (peshwari chapal kebab) for 3 and a large chicken karahi accompanied with 2 king size table nan breads - see photos!

Food was tasty, well spiced but nothing too hot, everyone enjoyed the mint sauce and Chilli sauce that complimented the food.

1 of our table nans

It turned out that 2 king sized table nans was a bit much for the 5 chaps, so Harry contemplated the remainder for his jam sandwich breakfast in the morning.

The very friendly service kept coming, with the offer of green, sweet or desi tea, and some sweet coated almonds.

Scoring was a little tricky, as a culturally different experience, but Simon scored the food 8.5, Lee 8 and tony 7. 7.887 overall. Service scored 8 from tony and 9 from Lee and Simon, so 8.667.

A bill at £50.25 for food and a cup of tea each hit the financial spot too, making the Taste of Khyber the cheapest venue in club history at 10.05 a head!

20 Alum Rock Road
Birmingham
B8 1JP

Tel: 01213 287733

Gandhi, Sandy (4th April 2012)

The boys made a trip to the local, Gandhi in Sandy (see 1st May 2009) for the official review and scoring), Lee's regular!

Popodoms started proceedings, albeit only 4, lowest count to date! Puree’s were big for the starters with Simon electing for chicken, Tony prawns and Lee veggie saag on purer. Lee's choice seemed to confuse the waiter somewhat... All starters hit the spot.

Mains included Lee's weekly dish of Veg vinda (his third in 24 hours), prawns biriany for Tony (double prawns for Tony) and a surprise choice for Simon of Egg and Paneer Madras, which took Lee and the waiter by surprise as isn't a typical choice for Simon (and I'd go as far to say, probably the first person in the Gandhi's 25 yr history to order this particular dish!!!!).

All dishes delivered to the Gandhi's high and expected standard - clear plates all round.

Tony, as predicted, went for the pineapple ice-cream to finish.

Another good outing, in preparation for the bi-annual trip to Birmingham at the weekend, so further reviews with scoring to follow.

37 High Street
Sandy
Bedfordshire
SG19 1AG

Mem Saab, Bedford (31st March 2012)

Simon's next individual entry for the club. Following the rugby which Bedford won, decided to go to the award winning restaurant in Bedford, following a few beers at The Cricketers, great pub with a Welsh theme.

Started with the prawn puri, which was good, but needed a little more spice. Followed with the club favourite ingredient, paneer, had it in a madras sauce, with rice and nan, teamed it with a mutter paneer, really good. Then pudding, my favourite gulab jamon, as fellow members know a guaranteed 10! Really excellent pudding, served with a coconut kulfi - best gulab I have had.

This restaurant was ok but expected a bit more quality than we got. Not bad but have been to better.

4 Kimbolton Road
Bedford
MK40 2NR

Tel: 01234 344440

Website: http://www.mem-saab.com/bedford/