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/

Gandhi, Kennington, London (30th March 2012)

Lee's latest UK curry was in Kennington, following his return from the US only 7 hours earlier!

To start, Paneer Tikki read well on the menu, slight disappointment with only 2 pieces of paneer, normally 6-8!! An average 6 out of 10 if official scoring was being undertaken. Lee did successfully introduce other members of the party to paneer.

The regular veg vinda and plain nan followed, accompanied by aloo gobi - did not disappoint - hot an spicy and very tasty. Highly recommended if you fancy a hot ruby.

Great curry when south of the river, with a celeb or two thrown in if your lucky.

347a Kennington Road

London
SE11 4QE

Tel: 020 7735 9015

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

Little India, Toronto, Canada (27th March 2012)

Lee's second state-side curry of the week was in downtown Toronto with the lit-up CN Tower in the background. Lee hot footed the 200 yard walk from the hotel, to the highly rated Little India!

Popodoms with red onions and mint sauce started proceedings, followed by a starter of paneer tikka, Lee's favourite which was good, but could have been better!

Main was a veg jalfrezi hot with a plain nan, and hot was hot, a good vindaloo!

A very popular restaurant, almost full, not bad for a Wednesday evening.

255 Queen Street West
Toronto
Ontario
Canada

Tel: 416.205.9863

Website: http://www.littleindia.ca/index.aspx

Tantric Indian Bistro, Boston, USA (26th March 2012)

Lee's latest trip to the US created another opportunity for some state-side Indian food. First stop off in Boston.

Popodoms and pickles good, could have done with bigger bowls for chutney as needed replenishing. Paneer pakora was awesome, stuffed deep fried paneer, 10 out of 10 for sure.

Followed by vegetable and paneer vindaloo. A first for Lee, he was asked if he wanted 10 out of 10 hot! He elected for 9 out of 10 - he did have client meetings the following day!! Accompanied with a plain nan. Great curry, full of flavour and 2 green chillies gave it a bit of a kick.

Good place to visit if you find yourself in Boston.

So, not a bad start, on to Toronto tomorrow to see what the Canadians can offer this time around, as last time Lee was in Canada he had a great value feed.

123 Stuart Street
Boston
Massachusetts
USA

Tel: 617.367.8742

Website: http://tantricgrill.com/home/

Khushma Cottage, Hitchin (9th March 2012)

Score: 8.633

Price: £15-20

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

After making the decision to head south towards Hitchin rather than north to Huntigdon, a late call as we stood on the platform at Sandy station. Once in Hitchin, we stumbled across a little gem in the Khushma Cottage, a small but delightful restaurant. What this restaurant lacked in size (about 20-25 covers) it surely made up in the quality and quantity of the food which was served (doggy bags were needed!!)

As the scores for the Khushma Cottage show, the pinnacle was nearly reached, just falling short of the magical 10 in some areas. Starters good, Tony going for the unusual Vegetable Tikka Rolls, all of the starters scored highly.

For the main courses all three of the SLT Curry Club decided to chose the balti dishes. Lee deciding on the Vegetable Balti Paneer with his customary green chillies. Simon and Tony went for the Balti Paneer Khandai which on the night proved to be a very good decision. It was not too spicy but had an abundance of flavours. The SLT curry club decided against deserts on this occasion as all three were full to the brim.

The staff at the Khushma Cottage were extremely helpful and most welcoming in their service to us as the scores have reflected.


32 Walsworth Road

Hitchin
SG4 9ST


Tel: 01462 435936

Biggles Tandoori, Biggleswade (17th February 2012)

Overall Score: 7.800
Cost: £15-£20

RECOMMENDED

The first SLT curry of 2012, Tony has been ill so this was the first date we could all make. Glad to say that Mr Codd is now on the mend, although has a slight cough. Lee arrived with his money, £43 in £1 coins in his big envelope.

The initial curry house we intended to visit, the old Hope Bine has closed, so we travelled back through Biggleswade to try Biggles.

Greeted on arrival by the helpful waiter who guided us to a table in the corner, we asked to move to another table in the middle of the restaurant.

PICKLES
Poppadoms ordered (5) with associated pickles. Choice of five pickles, including the mint sauce, all of the usual pickles present. Not a bad selection but nothing out of the ordinary, hence the average score given.

STARTERS
Now settled at the table, Simon went for the Reshmi Kebab, which was a little underspiced and a tad bland, wrapped in the customary omelette it deserved no more than a 6. Tony went for his Prawn Puri, something that he is now choosing regularly, no salad served, but Tony enjoyed it and scored a good 8. Lee decided on the Aloo Chat with green chillies, would have scored higher if there had been a salad to accompany the dish - still scored a very good 8.5.

MAIN
Simon decided on a Chicken Balti,medium hot, although it has to be said that the lack of spice in the dish was somewhat of a disappointment - a little bland again; deserved only a 7. Lee had his usual Veggie Vindaloo with side of Mutter Paneer, Lee questioned the authenticity of the spicing for a Vinda, not hot enough which resulted in a score of 7. Tony went for something different, Chicken Methi, nice thick sauce, a preference for Tony which he really enjoyed - this dish scored a highly respectable 8.5.

No desserts for the boys, no longer a scoring section for the club.

This was a good meal, service was acceptable and very friendly. Excellent value for money, bill was £45, including a couple of beers for Simon and Lee. Tony had water (ill and driving).

Biggles Tandoori
4-6 Shortmead Street
Biggleswade
SG18 0AP

Tel: 01767 600122

Himalayan Cuisine, Frisco, Colorado (9th February 2012)

Lee has recently returned from a skiing trip and visited this curry house in Colorado, this is his first contribution to share his restaurants.

STARTER
Paneer Kebab and Paneer Pakora

MAIN
Paneer Makhani
Veg Vindaloo
Shahi dall (Lamb)
Rice and Garlic Nan


Himalayan Cuisine
409 Main Street
Frisco
Colorado

Tel: 970.668.330

Wesbite: http://himalayancuisinefrisco.com/

Alankar, Luton (8th February 2012)

In a new development for the SLT club it has been decided to add restaurants which we have visited individually. The first post from Simon, who went out with colleagues for a local curry in Luton after work and a few drinks.

This restaurant is within walking distance from the office and it was decided that a main course was only required.

STARTERS
Prawn Puri - very good but no salad let this dish down. Prawns perfectly cooked and a good tomato and spice sauce.

MAIN
Simon went for a Veggi Balti and rice, something simple, but very tasty. Would recommend this dish, served with a plan nan.

Alankar
276 Dunstable Road
Luton
LU4 8JL

Tel: 01582 410374

Raj Pooth, Biggleswade (22nd November 2011)

Overall Score: 8.033

Price: £20-25
RECOMMENDED

The SLT went local following their trip to warmer climates and ventured down the A1 to Biggleswade. The Raj Pooth, a new Indian restaurant, situated in the centre of the market square had only been opened for 5 months when the boys decided to visit. The club were very pleasantly surprised by the hospitality and the food that was brought to the table.

PICKLES
Reasonable selection of pickles on offer, the standard selection, all good so scored a reasonable 7.

STARTERS
Simon and Tony each enjoyed a succulent Prawn Puri; whilst Lee went for Aloo Chat, all were good ans this is reflected in the marks awarded.

MAIN
Simon decided on a veggie main course and went for the Veg Balti, madras hot, very flavoursome with some good spices in the sauce. Lee joined Simon with the baltiand decided on vindaloo hot, both were very good and enjoyed by the balti lovers. Tony decided on Chicken Katta Matta, a new dish for Mr Codd, one which he managed to polish off - very good dishes all round for main courses, all scoring very well.

This Indian restaurant should only grow into a much better restaurant and we would recommend a visit to give it a try.

Raj Pooth
30 Market Square
Biggleswade
SG18 8AQ

Tel: 01767 314360

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

Masala, Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote (1st October 2011)

Overall Score: 8.400
Price: £20-25

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Well as the old saying goes, "we've save the best till last”! Third night, third curry and what a curry it was! The location was the furthest away from the hotel, so Tony insisted on taking a taxi...no surprise there - the dodgy knee excuse again. Near the casino, it was a little difficult to find, Lee politely told a waiter outside a restaurant that they were eating elsewhere, to then, rather embarrassingly, found himself being seated by the same waiter, albeit having entered a different entrance to the same restaurant.

Guest Harry was all curried-out and decided to abstain from proceedings, taking the opportunity to have a bit of "self time" at the apartment - least said........

Once seated, the boys decided on a manly sangria as the drink of choice instead of the traditional pint of lager which made a nice refreshing and rather Spanish-feel to the evening and ordered what turned out to be a mostly vegetarian menu.

PICKLES
Popodoms and pickles were served, with the immediate request for additional servings of pickles – what is it with Indian restaurants in Lanzarote, only serving enough pickles to feed an anorexic mouse!! With ‘large bowls’ of onions and mint sauce now on the table, the popodoms could be properly enjoyed. Whilst pleasant enough, the pickles choice was limited so the entrée only scored 6.667!

STARTERS
With the new love of Paneer, both Lee and Tony opted for the Paneer Pakora – 2 days on the bounce for Tony – and it did not disappoint, with both scoring an impressive 9 out of 10. Simon’s regular choice of Prawn Puree didn’t impress, so scored a rather average 7 out of 10, giving starters an overall score of 8.333.

MAINS
Now onto the mains, Vegetable Thali for Lee and Simon and more paneer for Tony with an off-menu Paneer Tikka Shashlik. The boys were mighty impressed all round, with content mmmm’s and a few ‘that’s lovely’ comments throughout the meal. All scored full marks, 10 out of 10.

DESERTS
Tony and Lee were content with their food, but as soon as Simon saw his favourite Gulab Jamon on the menu, he found a little extra space to fit a portion in. Again, some rather disturbing noise coming from Simon indicated he was thoroughly enjoying the Gulab Jamon experience. As for the score, another full marks, 10 out of 10!

All that was left was to pay the bill, score value for money, not bad at 8.667 out of 10 and Service, a “could do better but not bad” at 8.333. This gave an overall score of 8.400, so one the boys would certainly recommend if you ever go to Puerto Del Carmen in Lanzarote.

As a side note, the restaurant also has an Italian menu (which led to Lee’s confusion finding the restaurant…), so it’s a great place if the wife or kids don’t fancy Indian, but you do!

Avenida de las Playas 41
355100 Puerto Del Carmen
Lanzarote
Spain

More details can be found at Mesoncafemasala.com

India Zaffron, Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote (30th September 2011)

Overall Score: 7.900
Price: £15-£20

RECOMMENDED

India Aroma, Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote (29th September 2011)

Overall Score: 7.667
Cost: £10-£15

RECOMMENDED

Following a successful journey from Stanstead to the beautiful island of Lanzarote we took Lee's recommendation for the first restaurant. Having had a relax around the pool, followed by playing some pool and a few drinks we felt it was time to eat.

PICKLES
Pickles arrived, limited selection, including all of the usual suspects, adequate but nothing out of the ordinary. Mid range scores from everyone, average of 5.333 accurately reflected the feeling on the table.

STARTERS
Starters only for Simon and Tony, Lee did not fancy a starter as well as the main meal. Tony went for Aloo Vada, fried potato dumplings, which Tony really enjoyed, scroing a well earned 8.5 Simon went for the curry club favourite ingredient, Paneer, pakora style - excellent dish and really tasty - well worth the 8.5

MAIN
Lee decided on Paneer Shashlik for his main, really pleased with the dish and the meal was of an excellent standard, scoring a deserved 8.5. Tony went for the Chicken Biryani, again another good meal, nice and tasty, scored 8. Simon decided on the Chicken Curry - good but not exceptional so scored a middle of the road 7 - average for main meals 7.833 .

No deserts appealed so they were not scored. Service was good - always on hand to replenish either drinks or pickles when required. Scored an acceptable 7.667.

The VFM scored highly, excellent quality of food for the price we paid, one of the cheaper indian meals we have had but still delivered a good quality of food which compares favourably with some of the others we have visited. Scored 9 for VFM.

If in the resort definitely one to try - good quality food at reasonable prices - well worth a visit.

Avenida De las Playas
Commercial center Las Tabaibas
Puerto Del Carmen
Lanzarote
Spain

Dine Bangla, Baldock (21st July 2011)

Overall Score: 7.667
Cost: £20-£25

RECOMMENDED

Simon's choice of restaurant on this occasion so off to Baldock to try Dine Bangla, reviews said it was a good curry house, so the SLT decided to give it a go.

PICKLES
Good selection of pickles provided, five in total including a spicy tomato and chilli sauce which was very good. One of the better selections to go with our popadoms.

STARTERS
Simon decided to go off menu and ask for a Paneer starter, however the restaurant did not have any Paneer courses, so opted for the Prawn Puri, which had an excellent kick to it, very good. Lee decided on Aloo Chat, with green chillies - very good and would have benefited from a Puri. Tony went for a Prawn Cocktail, too much sauce and not enough prawns, so one to avoid. Two out of three not bad.

MAIN COURSES
Tony decided on the Chicken Korahi, accompanied with a Mushroom Rice and Resham (mixed vegetables) - enjoyed it very much. Simon went for the Chicken Balti, was a good taste but had too much sauce and no peppers or onions, side dish of Chana Masala which was slightly bland. Lee opted for his usual Veggie Vindaloo which was very hot and equated to a Ghandi Phall, side of Mushroom Bhajee. Main courses good, some improvements needed to compete with the better restaurants we have been to.

No deserts appealed so this was not scored. Overall a good quality of food, not the best we have been to, but one which we would recommend. Slightly pricey but probably worth a visit.

Dine Bangla
21 Whitehorse Street
Baldock
Hertfordshire
SG7 6QB

Tel: 01462 893643

Sitar 2, Hitchin (8th June 2011)

Overall Score: 7.233
Cost: £20-£25

NOT RECOMMENDED

Average quality of food in the restaurant - not the best we have been to but did score well. Mid table for this restaurant.

3a Sun Street
Hitchin
Hertfordshire
SG5 1AE

Tel:- 01462 451896

Dalchini Spice, Shefford (12th May 2011)

Overall Score: 7.542
Cost: £20-£25

NOT RECOMMENDED

Visited this restaurant on the recommendation of Lee, a good standard of starters but the main courses were a slight disappointment. The real blemish on the score was the pudding created for Tony, ice cream with mango slices - one which was not particularly liked by Tony. As you can imagine Tony expressed his views on this clearly and concisely.

Not great - would think twice about visiting this one.

3 South Bridge
Shefford
SG17 5DB

Tel: 01462 815778

The Shalbon, Sutton Coldfield (18th March 2011)

Overall Score: 8.583
Cost: £15-20

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The Shalbon is a very accommodating restaurant, a light and bright feel to it but still holds that Indian style. They are also willing to go off menu if asked which is not uncommon now for the members of the club, but when the food comes back and tastes as good as you want it to, it just goes to show how good this Indian really is, especially with a number of other restaurants near by in competition.

With just a little longer to wait in between dishes, which is not a bad thing, this restaurant gave time to truly enjoy the food in your own time - no rushing at all.

As you will see in the scoring this is a must if in the area when looking for that special Indian.

65 Birmingham Road
Sutton Coldfield
B72 1QF

Tel: 0121 355 5836

The Magna, Bedford (6th October 2010)

Overall Score: Did not score please see review
Cost: Too much for the quality of food.

NOT RECOMMENDED

As you will see from the above, all curry club members felt that the meal we had at this restaurant did not merit a score as the food was so poor.

Following last weeks visit to The Curry Leaf we were told by the owner of the Magna that we should try his restaurant and he uttered the immortal words "if you don't like the food then you wont have to pay for it" - bear that comment in mind as your read our experience.

Arrived and our first impression was the smell as we were shown to our seats, a table for four, Lee's father in law joining us.

PICKLES
Adequate, nothing special, lime pickle a disappointment.

STARTERS
Starters ordered and not good, all of the dishes poor, every one of them had a problem. Simon's Prawn Puri was dry and had a very powdery taste. Tony's pepper much the same as was Lees - ate them hoping that the main course would be greatly improved.

MAIN COURSE
Unfortunately the mains were poor too, Simon's Chicken Korahi not nice, again the overriding flavour was one of a harsh powdery taste, not at all good. The Mutter Paneer was dreadful, overcooked frozen peas coated in a curry powder. Lee's meal so bad that he did not eat it nor have any for his lunch for the following day. Tony's meal not good either - the worst meal that the SLT Curry Club have experienced since their formation in 2008.

We made our complaints to the two waiters, the first one did nothing apart from say that no one else had complained and that he would tell the chef! The second waiter took the plates away as we entered into negotiations about the payment. We were adamant that the food was so poor that we were not going to pay - duly noted by the waiter, who returned with a revised bill of £65 (£20 discount). We reopened negotiations and after much deliberation it was agreed that we would pay for the drinks and nothing else. Interestingly the waiter informed us that there were 10 brain surgeons also in the restaurant and that they had not complained.

All in all an awful meal, which we did not feel we were able to mark as it was so poor. Unheard of for Lee to leave a curry - beer good.

Magna Tandoori
50 Tavistock Street
Bedford
MK40 2RD

Tel: 01234 356960

The Curry Leaf, Bedford (28th September 2010)

Overall Score: 7.950
Cost: £15-20

RECOMMENDED

Tony's belated birthday curry trip and we went local to try the food at the Curry Leaf on Tavistock Street in Bedford. Excellent offer at this restaurant - starter, main, side, rice and naan for £9.95 on any day of the week - exceptional offer!

PICKLES
Arrived and ordered our 7 poppadoms, 3 pickles offered by the attentive waiter and we also asked for lime pickle and mint sauce. Pickles let down by the lime pickle which was not enjoyed by either Lee or Tony - this reflected in the score.

STARTERS
Simon opted for the Prawn Puri, Lee going for the Vegetable Puri - both were excellent and served on a slightly thicker Puri than in other restaurants that we have visited. Tony decided on stuffed pepper, enjoyed it but would have preferred another colour from the green one served. All in all not a bad start to the meal.

MAIN COURSE
Tony decided on the Chicken Rogan and his side dish of Madra Samba, a lovely combination of spices which also had a nice little kick to it as well. We all had a taste and agreed that this would have made a really tasty main course. Simon went for the Chicken Korahi and Mutter Paneer as his side dish. Very good portion which contained a lot of chicken, excellent main course. Lee chose Vegetable Jalfrezi with Saag Paneer, again another excellent main course and side combination. Everyone enjoyed their main courses which is truly reflected in the score awarded.

No desserts this time as we had all eaten a fair bit of food - plenty left over for lunch the following day. In summary a restaurant that offers a very good deal and provides a good quality of food. Service good, only slight problem with the pickles, this brought the overall score down for The Curry Leaf.

The Curry Leaf
60 Tavistock Street
Bedford
MK40 2RD

Tel: 01234 328237

The Woburn Fort, Woburn Sands (13th May 2010)

Overall Score: 8.028
Cost: £15-£20

RECOMMENDED

We ventured to Woburn Sands with Lee's dad as the nominated driver. The journey took a while as Dave was unfamiliar with the route and was a little conservative with his speed on route.

PICKLES
With one more member of the group we had to settle for just the nine poppadoms, pickles arrived a good selection, which were replenished upon request. Better than some of the previous curry houses, but a little way to go to match the best, still scored a creditable 7.834.

STARTERS
Simon went for Prawn Puri, his favourite starter, Tony for bharjis and Lee for his paneer. All were good and scored a reasonable mark.

MAIN COURSE
Simon opted for a new dish, a vegetarian thali, excellent selection of food which provided a good variety of flavours. Tony went for lamb rogan, following advice from the friendly waiter who insisted he tried the lamb ahead of the chicken. Lee decided on his vegetable vindaloo and enjoyed the dish. Overall the main courses were good but not exceptional.

DESSERTS
Simon and Tony decided on desserts but were disappointed that they did not match the pictures on the menu - somewhat of a let down, hence the lower scores.

This restaurant was good and worth a visit and is in the top third of our restaurants but has some way to go to reach the top.

The Woburn Fort
37 High Street
Woburn Sands
Milton Keyns
MK17 8RB

Tel: 01908 282002

Koh-I-Noor, Horse Fair, Birmingham (1st May 2010)

Overall Score: 6.900
Cost: £15-£20

NOT RECOMMENDED

The second trip to Birmingham to try another restaurant in the heart of the midlands. Tony and Simon met up with Lee and Harry, they had returned from the Villa game in Manchester in high spirits after a few beers!

Following a visit to some of the lively bars in the centre of town, we walked to the Koh-I-Noor, whilst the rain poured down, Tony less than impressed with the distance we had to travel to the curry house. This is the only curry house that I have been to that has a tree in the middle of the restaurant.

PICKLES
The selection of pickles were disappointing, the onion salad arriving on a saucer and we had to ask for the lime pickle too. The poppadoms were not crispy and although the waiter would replenish the pickles, we felt that this was one of the poorer selections we have had, hence the low score.

STARTERS
Simon and Lee decided on the Mushroom Puri, exceptionally good indeed, both enjoyed this and awarded 9. Tony went for Onion Bharjis and was slightly disappointed with them, hence his score lowered the average for the curry club.

MAIN MEALS
Lee opted for his veggie madras, his option when in Birmingham as this is equivalent to the Vinda down south, Simon went for a Chicken Korai and Tony for the Lamb Rogan, on the recommendation of the waiter, who insisted that this was the best choice. All enjoyed their meals, Simon and Tony giving theirs a 9, while Lee awarded his a good 8. Main meals very good and were exceptionally tasty, Lee and Tony taking their left overs for breakfast.

All decided against the deserts, as we had all eaten our fill and the days drinking had made us a little tired. Overall this restaurant provides good food, the service is a little slow and we waited a while for our two courses. The value for money is very good and its worth a visit, but does not figure in our top selections.

Koh-I-Noor
28/29 Horsefair
Birmingham
B1 1DD
Click here for a map

Tel: 0121 622 2053

Asian Grill, Sutton Coldfield (27th March 2010)

Overall Score: 6.560
Cost: £20-£25

NOT RECOMMENDED

The second curry evening for the club members was locally in Sutton Coldfield. Following a few drinks in town and meeting up with two of Lee's friends we wandered to the Asian Grill.

PICKLES
A limited choice of pickles, only four to choose from was a slight disappointment to the curry club members. This was reflected in the scores given, a top score of 5 given.

STARTERS
Tony decided on a new starter, Chuza Pakora, which he thought was very tasty and awarded a very sound 8; Simon decided on his usual Prawn Puri and was disappointed with the lack of a salad garnish, not traditional in the Midlands apparently. Traditional or not, Simon scored it a 6, lacked a bit of spice as well which affected the score. Lee decided on the Vegetable Puri and was pleased with the spices and taste and awarded a 7.

MAIN MEALS
All members decided that as we were in Balti country we should all have our own choice of the famous dish. Tony went for the Chefs Special Balti which he thoroughly enjoyed, awarding it an 8.5. Simon went for the Chicken Balti and again enjoyed it, awarding an 8. Lee decided to have a Vegetable Balti Madras with Paneer, not the usual Vindaloo as the spices in Brum are a lot hotter than down south in the Home Counties. Lee awarded an 8.5. An overall impression of the main meals was that they were good, not exceptional, portion size very generous.

DESERTS
A poor choice for deserts so we all passed on those, decided to finish off our beer and move back into the town centre for more beers.

In summary, although the food was at an acceptable level we were disappointed with the style of service; the waiter we had was a little bit too overpowering and did not make us feel that comfortable, also had to wait for the starters. Value for money was OK but this is not one we would be returning back too, after all there are so many more to try in the Balti Triangle.

91 Park Road
Sutton Coldfield
B73 6BT
Click here for a map

Telephone: 0121 354 7491

Al Faisals, Birmingham (26th March 2010)

Overall Score: 9.250
Cost: £15-20

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

For many months now Lee has been going on about the curries of Birmingham & saying how great they were, so we decided to travel up there to find out.

PICKLES
A varied choice of pickles suited everyone’s tastes, refilled by the waiter without even asking, this went down very well with the boys nearly as much as the stack of popadoms which was given free.

STARTERS
With Tony's palate ever changing he decided on this occasion to venture for the Paneer Pakora, very rarely seen in the restaurants further south, his decision was justified with the perfect 10 given, with Lee deciding on the Paneer Tikka, commenting that his choice was one of the best he had chosen, so when a score of 9 was given there was no shock what so ever. Simon decided to score another 10 for his Vegetable Pakora we then knew that the food that we were about to have would be absolutely great.

MAIN MEALS
Moving swiftly on to the main meals, Tony now getting a little braver and wanting to put some heat into his meals it was no surprise when he asked the waiter if he could have some chillies with his Chicken Korai, topped off with mixed vegetables. Tony awarded a maximum for his main course. High scores were to follow from both Simon & Lee, Simon giving a 9.5 for his Chicken Bhuna, using the term absolutely gorgeous for this meal; Lee not to be outdone also scoring a 9.5 for his unusual choice of vegetable madras with extra Paneer instead of his usual Vindaloo, explaining that the madras was the equal to a Vindaloo here.

DESERTS
With only Simon having desert on this occasion & going for his much loved Gulab Jamon it was not surprising that once again another perfect 10 was recorded for this restaurant that was absolutely outstanding.

With this restaurant being rather large & an open space you would think that you might feel a little uncomfortable, this is definitely not the case, this is a great place to visit knowing that the food & the service is top class.

NOTE- Alcohol is not sold here on the premises but can be taken in with you.

136-140 Stoney Lane
Birmingham
West Midlands
B12 8AQ
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Telephone:- 0121 449 5695

The Maharajah, Sandy (19th March 2010)

Overall Score: 6.801
Cost: £20-£25

RECOMMENDED

This newly opened restaurant in Sandy was a definite must for the curry club. The Maharajah only opened five days before our visit, is a modern restaurant with lots of open space and allows you to feel very relaxed.

PICKLES

The Pickles will have to improve quite radically with just three choices, consisting of Mango Chutney, Red Onion and Yoghurt & Cucumber, very poor selection to say the least. Subsequently a low score of four was given.

STARTERS

Moving onto the starters, after waiting half an hour, these were worth the wait. All three starters recorded high scores. Lee having chosen Paneer Shashlik scored a nine, Simon the Prawn Puri which scored a respectable eight while Tony chose the Pongila Delight which was well worth the second nine.

MAIN MEALS

Moving swiftly on to the main meals, once again for a restaurant that had just opened we were in for a pleasant surprise. Lee chose his beloved Vegetable Vindaloo which scored a good eight. Simon and Tony in two different minds as what to choose, and at one stage were both going for the Chicken Madras. Eventually, Tony went for the Chicken Byriani while Simon stayed with the Madras, both dishes were given an eight.

An overall opinion of this restaurant was that the food was very good; however teething problems were in evidence. Service was a little slow; however the waiters did all they could to appease the diners and were very courteous. This restaurant will be well worth a return visit in another four to five months when the teething problems with service are ironed out.

22 Market Square
Sandy
Bedfordshire

Click here for map

The Viceroy, Biggleswade (27th February 2010)

Overall Score: 5.900

Cost: £25-£30

NOT RECOMMENDED

A journey to Biggleswade for our next curry club evening out. We decided on the Viceroy before heading off into the town to have a few beers.

The restaurant was very busy, seems to be a popular venue for a curry on a weekend night. Popadoms arrived with a selection of pickles, nothing that you could describe as out of the ordinary but an average selection, which was reflected in the score.

We ordered our starters, Simon went for his prawn Puri, Lee for his Paneer and Tony for his samosas. The starters were all OK, although nothing exceptional and again an average mark was given by all of the members.

Main meals arrived, all looked good, Simon went for his chicken dish, Tony for a Byriani and Lee his veggie vinda. Then the Naan breads arrived, one keema one plain, on the same plate. As you will all know Lee is a strict vegetarian and he asked for a fresh naan on a separate plate - after some chat this was sorted out. The food was, unfortunately just average and not that impressive.

No deserts for any of us, we just needed the bill. When this arrived we were shocked by the overall price as it came to well over £25 per person, that's without deserts; this is one of the most expensive restaurants that we have been too, and frankly the food was distinctly average. This is one that missed out on taste and value for money - one which we will not be going back to.

51 Sun Street
Biggleswade
SG18 0BY
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Tel: 01767 316267

The Ruby Murray, Bedford (13th January 2010)

Overall Score: 6.529
Cost: £20-25

NOT RECOMMENDED

Following our first visit here and subsequent trip to the Ritzy in Potton, we were asked to return here to see if the opening night scores were a little harsh. The standard of the food had improved, although we still feel that this is a curry house that is trying to hard to impress. More attention to the food would be impressive in the club members eyes, rather than the fancy decoration.

Starters were a vast improvement on the last visit and scored a very healthy 8.8, the main courses were all good with everyone enjoying their own choices, however the deserts were a disappointment and scored a very low 4.

We still feel that the Ruby Murray needs to improve on their service and the VFM. As this is one of the more expensive restaurants we have visited it needs to improve to warrant the extra cost

17 High Street
Bedford
MK40 1RN
Get directions

Telphone: 01234 353419

Ritzy India, Potton (15th December 2009)

Overall Score: 9.167
Cost: £20-£25

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Whatever is written about the Ritzy should definitely be written in stone, this was absolutely Indian food and service at its best. Starting with the pickles, not a huge choice, but the waiters always ready to replenish the bowls.

For starters Lee chose his favourite, Paneer Tikka, scoring just one short of the maximum. Tony and Simon went for the mixed starter, very good, scoring a nine. Moving on to main course, Lee went for the veggie vindaloo and once again came up with a high score as did Simon and Tony who went for the Chicken special. Seems that Simon and Tony wanted to eat the same thing this evening.

Moving quickly on to deserts; a high score from Tony - the obligatory maximum for the pineapple ice cream, which wasn't on the menu but seemed to appear from nowhere when ordered.

Our overall view of the Ritzy was that this was a restaurant that delivers qulaity Indian food with a service that you would get in a 5 star restaurant. The waiters were willing to listen to our comments and were there and not there when you needed them. Ritzy top of the pile, this is a place that will take a lot to beat, if ever.

2 Blackbird Street
Potton
Sandy
SG19 2LT
Click here for a map

Telephone: 01767 260 332

The Raj Garden, Welwyn Garden City (11th November 2009)

Overall Score - 7.389
Cost - £20-£25

RECOMMENDED

This was Lee's choice of venue, a little further to travel but was worth it in the end. To start with were the ever present 7 popadoms but with only 4 pickles to choose from this was a little disappointing, but the quantity more than made up for that.

For starters Tony decided to go for the veggie samosa, Lee deciding on aloo chat while Simon choose the prawn puri, nothing to shout home about, as the scores show. For the main courses Lee decided to go for his usual veggie vindaloo, Simon felt the chicken dupiaza was calling out his name but was to be slightly disappointed saying it tasted very bland; however the same couldn’t be said for Tony's choice the old classic a chicken curry, and the 9/10 score that he gave for it should really be enough said, truly gorgeous & full of flavour.

To end the evening all 3 decided on having a desert & were not to be let down in anyway, Lee scoring a 9 for his, only to be out done by Tony scoring his beloved pineapple ice cream with the obligatory 10.

This restaurant was slightly further a field but was worth travelling to, with its traditional décor, this is one restaurant that we shall be recommending

78 Haldens,
Welwyn Garden City,
Hertfordshire,
AL7 1DD.

Telephone: 01707 373386

Click here for a map

SLT Curry Club

The Lancer, Baldock (15th October 2009)

Overall Score: 5.933
Cost: £20-£25

NOT RECOMMENDED

The club ventured to Baldock to try the cuisine in The Lancer, this one was Tony's choice. Reasonable selection of dishes - Lee went for Aloo Chat, Simon decided on the Ali Special and Tony went for Onion Bharji. Mains arrived and OK, but nothing special, we all thought that the service was quite poor, cutlery not placed down on the table but thrown down - definitely room for improvement there. Decided against the selection of deserts, this is one restaurant that we would not recommend.

14c High St
Baldock
Hertfordshire
SG7 6AS
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Telephone: 01462 892766

Nawab Lounge, St Neots (16th September 2009)

Overall Score: 8.600

Cost: £20-£25

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Simon's choice of restaurant; after much research it was decided that the Nawab Lounge would be the next venue. Very impressive choice on the menu, the standard 7 papadoms and a very impressive pickles selection arrived - all enjoyed by the club members. Starters arrived, prawn puri for Simon, onion bharji for Tony and saag paneer on puri for Lee - all excellent. Mains were all really tasty too - veggie vinda for Lee, chicken korai for Simon and chicken rogan for Tony; the main courses were really very good. We all decided against pudding, even Tony rejected the Mr Egg ice cream. Complimentary drink to complete the meal and very reasonably priced too - all in all a very good choice and second best that we have visited.

6 New Street
St Neots
PE17 1AE
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Telephone: 01480 473473

The Raja Tandoori, Knebworth (3rd June 2009)

Overall Score - 5.833
Cost - £25-£30

NOT RECOMMENDED

Lee's choice of restaurant - and we ventured south to Knebworth on the recommendation of one of his colleagues. Fairly busy when we arrived, ordered the usual 7 papadoms - pickles were OK, nothing special. Starters arrived, Simon went for the Prawn Puri (no salad garnish), Tony had Onion Bharji and Lee went for the Aloo Chop - bit bland. Main courses arrived - all very good - veggie vindaloo very spicy indeed, easily the best part of the meal. We all had puddings - Lee and Tony went for Creme de Menth ice creams, Simon chose Orange Blossom ice cream (very poor). Overall not a great meal and the most expensive restaurant we have visited - overpriced for the meal we got.

129 London Rd
Knebworth
Hertfordshire
SG3 6EX
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Telephone: 01438 813321

The Gandhi, Sandy (1st May 2009)

Overall Score: 7.945
Cost: £15-£20

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Having travelled to review restaurants the club decided it was time to visit Lee's regular local curry house. Tony liked the decor, much more traditional than some the club have visited. Starters arrived, all very good, Simon decided on a Chicken Madras for main course and he thoroughly enjoyed it - "the best he has ever tasted". All of the meals were very good and to complete the evening, Tony was in heaven with the Pineapple Sorbet, a "guaranteed 10". The food was excellent and the value exceptionally good. Would recommend the Gandhi as one to definitely visit.

37 High St,
Sandy.
Bedfordshire.
SG19 1AG.

Click here for a map

Telephone: 01767 680283

The Akbar, Sandy (13th April 2009)

Overall Score: 6.867
Cost: £20-£25

NOT RECOMMENDED

Birthday celebration for Lee so the members of the curry club decided on this local curry house, within easy walking distance. Starters OK, nothing exceptional, but all acceptable. Lee had his veggie vindaloo and paneer (the latter too sweet), Tony and Simon opted for chicken dishes. Food OK, but would not be the first port of call for the club members. Very convenient but not the best.

144 London Road
Sandy
Bedfordshire
SG19 1DN
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Telephone: 01767 699066

The Ocean, Lower Stondon (18th March 2009)

Overall Score - 8.337
Cost - £20-£25

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Tony's choice this time after hearing good things about the curry house. Started very well with seven pickles for the popadoms, only the Clifton beats that with nine. Starters were all good, Tony's not too dry and all eaten very quickly. Took advantage of the "gourmet option", starter, main, rice or nan and side dish for £10, exceptional value. Main courses really good too, full of flavour and enjoyed by all of the members. Simon went for the Ocean Special option, the house specialty which consisted of chicken in a rich spicy sauce - very good. Only downer was the lack of Pineapple Sorbet, even though on the menu - this one definitely deserves to be the second best recommendation from the SLT Curry Club - visit it on the gourmet evenings - but you will need to book.

Fakeswell Lane
Henlow
Bedfordshire
SG16 6JY
Click here for a map

Telephone: 01462 819296

The Nawaab, Magaluf, Majorca (28th February 2009)

Overall Score: 4.400
Cost: £25-£30

NOT RECOMMENDED

Sitting on the beach front in Magaluf did very little to please the member of the SLT Curry Club. The members were not sure if coming to this restaurant in the off season would make a difference to the food, but we were soon to find out. With a choice of three pickles to go with the popadoms, which were more flexible than the plastic in our wallets; did not create the best first impression. Things did not improve with the starters which were either very dry or bland. Main courses improved slightly with both Simon's Jalfrezi and Tony's Rogan not quite up to the mark, still a disappointment. To round things off just one desert(ice cream) which did not go down well with the group. Hopefully this venue will improve in the summer months, it needs to! Please let us know if it does.

The Himalaya, Santa Ponsa, Majorca (27th February 2009)

Overall Score: 7.600
Cost: £25-£30

RECOMMENDED

The Himalaya was traditional in decor, much to Tony's liking, beer all round whilst we contemplated our choice of food. Pickles tray arrived - very good red onion salad which had a bit of a kick to it - replenished happily by the attentive waiter. Lee's veggie vindaloo hot and very good, Simon's jalfrezi bit too mild for him while Tony's Rogan Josh was the "best ever" he had tasted. Decided against the desert but was given a schnapps to wash the food down. Very good curry and good service -if you are in Santa Ponsa go to this one.

Ruby Murray, Bedford (31st January 2009)

Overall Score: 2.445
Cost: £25-£30
Website

NOT RECOMMENDED

After all of the local media hype about the modern style of the restaurant, the overall consensus was that the food and service were disappointing. The open grill area meant that the restaurant had a strong smokey atmosphere which affected the eyes! The experienced curry lover, Lee, was shocked at the Cheese Naan (Mozarella sprinkled on top), the limited deserts (four choices) was very disappointing to say the least! Once again the gallery effect did not impress Tony, who is more of a traditionalist. Simon was surprised that the hot towels arrived between the starter and main course, an interesting service idea. Overall this is not a restaurant that we will be returning to.

17 High St
Bedford
MK40 1RN
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Telephone: 01234 261475

Raj Villa Tandoori, Arlesey (6th January 2009)

Overall Score: 8.003
Cost: £20-£25

RECOMMENDED

Simon's second choice of venue was a pleasant surprise to all of us after reports that this curry house should have been avoided. Traditional decor, attentive service and very good food from starter to desert. Atmosphere good and very little to complain about with this restaurant; this is one to visit.

27 High Street
Arlesey
Bedfordshire
SG15 6RA
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Telephone: 01462 835145

India Lodge, Stotfold (13th December 2008)

Overall Score: 8.280
Cost: £20-£25
Website

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Good Indian restaurant - pickles and starters very reasonable and good size portions. Vinda quite spicy, Simon completely mis-ordered with his Nawabi Chicken (very very mild!) needed to be spiced up with a spoonful of vinda! Tony's usual Chicken Korai was slightly dry, but again a good size portion. Once again nothing to complain about with this restaurant.

49 High St
Stotfold
Hitchin
Hertfordshire
SG5 4LD
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Telephone: 01462 733222

Clifton Cuisine, Clifton (7th November 2008)

Overall score: 9.004
Cost: £20-£25

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Fantastic Indian restaurant - good choice of pickles, best you'll ever find (9 to choose from), quality food all round, great service and very reasonably priced. Hard one to beat, definitely worth a return visit.

39 Broad St
Clifton
Shefford
Bedfordshire
SG17 5RL
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Telephone: 01462 811813