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/