Bombay Masala, Corralejo, Fuerteventura (30th September 2018)

RECOMMENDED

After a few pre-dinner cocktails the 3rd curry of the trip took us to Bombay Masala. A quiet restaurant just off the music quarter. Very friendly welcome and attentive service made for a very pleasant meal.

Poppadoms started as usual with some red onions, mango chutney and mint sauce. Supplemented with lime pickle and chopped green chillies.

Starters followed with Lee and Simon sharing Paneer Tikka once more. Good dish with a bit of sauce which made it more moist than others. Tony went for a Veg Pakora which he said was dry and not the best which resulted in a 4. Harry and Ian both opted for Chana Puree which was a first for both, both enjoyed it. Paul finished off the starters which his favourite Chicken Chat which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Mains consisted of Veg Jalfrezi for both Ian and Lee who had a chilli and coriander naan and a cheese naan respectively. Lee scored his dish an 8. Tony went for a Chicken Korai and enjoyed the spices and had a cheese naan to mop up the sauce, scoring it an 8.  Paul went for a Chicken Bhuna with a cheese naan, really enjoyable tasty dish.  Harry chose Sag Paneer Vindaloo with a Peshawari naan. Simon went for a Chicken Dupiaza and enjoyed the meal scoring it a 9.

After dinner free drinks turned from one to two as the attentive service continued. So much so that Lee opted for a bottle of wine which he shared with Ian. Drinks all round ended the meal in a relaxed manner.

Definitely one to visit as the food and service were both good.

Calle Jesus Machin Santana
9, 35660 Corralejo
Las Palmas
Spain

Tel: +34 928 53 76 80

Indian Tandoori Spices Restaurant, Corralejo, Fuerteventura (29th September 2018)

NOT RECOMMENDED

3rd night of the trip and the 2nd curry of the tour. After a day of drinking and watching a sporting combination of football and golf, Spices was the venue and after a move round of the tables we were seated.

As normal we started with poppadoms and pickles, four pickles to choose from. With poppadoms done it was then a long wait for the starters. Paul decided on veg samosa, Simon and Lee shared a sizzling paneer tikka, Tony went for prawn puree, prawns on the side and not in the puree. Hara Bhara Kebab for Ian and Harry completed the starters.  Simon and Lee scored their paneer an 8 and Tony giving a 7 for his dish.  An additional dish of chilli pakora for the table completed the starters.

Another hour wait for the main course. When I came Paul opted for the Chicken Shami Mughali & egg rice, a particularly beige looking dish consisting of a creamy sauce with the addition of a fried egg - Paul was warned of his mis-order at the point of ordering but didn't take the hint. Lesson learnt. Simon went for a Chicken Korai & Pilau rice which was a little bland and didn't have the spices you would normally expect- scored a 6. Harry went for a Mutter Paneer & Peshawari naan. Lee decided on a Veg Korai and plain naan, curry lacked a lot of flavour and wasn't well spiced  which resulted in a 6. Ian went for a Veg Korai & Onion and Cheese naan which wasn't the best. Tony decided on a Chicken Rogan & mushroom rice which was good but nothing exceptional. Tony scored it a 7.

Spices - food not great, service poor and expensive, not one to visit when in Corralejo.

Av Ntra Sra del Carmen
64, 35660 Corralejo
Las Palmas
Spain

Tel: +34 928 89 79 57

Jaipur, Corralejo, Fuerteventura (28th September 2018)

RECOMMENDED

The 2018 boys holiday had a slightly slower start on the curry front, with day 1 being good at the hotel but day 2 corrected the situation with dinner at Jaipur, “best Indian in town” as the billboard outside stated! TC had recovered from the previous nights excess and the boys we’re back on form!

Popodoms as usual kick d things off with onion salad and 3 pickles, the ‘spicy curry’ dip hitting the spot!

Starters including Paneer tikka - impressively served on a sizzling platter, Paneer Pakora, Cauliflower Pakora, Onion Bhaji and Chicken Pakora. Everyone enjoyed the starters and cleared plates went back into the kitchen! The boys scored 6.66 - lower than it should have been as Simon didn’t heed the warning given by Lee and suffered with a bland and dry dish!

For mains, Harry went a bit mad with Saag Paneer Vindaloo, Lee going Veg Balti with extra green chilli, Ian Veg Jalfrezi, Simon Chicken Biriyani, Tony Veg Curry, Paul Chicken Bhuna with a variety of rice, nan and chips (...northerners!!). Scoring-wise 6 was the average, but this was impacted by TC giving a 1 for a bland dish but Lee went 8 and Simon 9! The veg curries were heavily garlicy which will no doubt linger for a day-or-2

If in Fuerteventura, swing by the Jaipur for lovely meal.

Avenida Grandes Playas

35660 Corralejo

Las Palmas

Spain

Tel: +34 928 53 72 20

Calcutta, Stony Stratford (8th February 2018)

RECOMMENDED

Tonight was Tony’s choice from a radio advert (given the last radio advert Tony heard, things could only improve on the 3/10!). Today was the Calcutta Brasserie in Stoney Stratford (Milton Keynes). The setting is a little unusual, what looks like a modern refurbed Christian church which Lee was a little hesitant to enter for fear of being struck by lightening....

After an altercation with the staff over the acceptance (or not as it turned out!) of the tastecard for 4, popodoms were ordered. Pickles-wise, a tasty red onion chutney, a sweet chutney, mixed pickles and a creamy masala chutney.

For starter, Lee and Tony opted for the North Indian part of the menu with paneer tikka with a small salad and red chutney, Simon going South Indian with the veggie dosa and Paul going for the deep fried aloo chop. Starters scored a group score of 8/10.

Mains, Simon stayed veggie with the vegetable thali which Lee also chose, Tony went Murgh Tikka Lababdar which was a cooked in an onion, cream and butter sauce.  Paul going for a traditional chicken tikka with special fried rice. All seemed to enjoy the meal with pretty much clean plates all round! Mains scored a group total of 8.5/10, with Lee going 9/10 and Simon going 8.5/10 and Tony 8/10!

Overall a place we’d recommend if you’re in the Stony Stratford district!

7 St Pauls Court
High Street
Stony Stratford
MK11 1LJ

Tel: 01908 566577

Web: http://www.calcuttabrasserie.co.uk/

Jai Mata Di, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife (1st October 2017)

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

After a steady day around the pool the boys headed off to the Bee Hive again for a few drinks whilst watching the Grand Prix and football and playing pool - enjoying many drinks and inclusive shots.

Popodoms started proceedings again with a flavoursome chutney combination of sweet tamarind, medium coriander & mint and a very fiery chilli!

Starters included spinach pakora (TC commented that he doesn’t eat spinach however the spinach pakora was lovely) and a spicy chilli paneer. The boys scored starters an impressive and top marks 10/10.

Mains included chicken tikka masala, veg soya jalfrezi, chicken saag chilli chicken and malai kofta. The mains were served with substantial amount of rice and, for a change, buttered chapatis. The main were very well received and definitely the best curry whilst on the island! As for scores for mains, topped out at 9!

Overall a tremendous curry with Simon saying “it was fantastic” and Ian added a comment “cracking” - highly recommended if in Puerto de la Cruz!

Calle Zamora 17

38400 Puerto de la Cruz

Tenerife

Spain

Tel: +34 922 385946

Aromas de la India, Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife (30th September 2017)

RECOMMENDED

After an all day session in the Bee Hive the boys went straight for a curry at the Aromas de la India. Simon had had plenty to drink then decided to drop a glass of red wine over both himself and Lee, luckily missing Lees white tee shirt but getting lees new super dry (“less dry”) shorts!!

Popodoms started the dinner with a spicy onion and a mint chutney.

Starters included many paneer tikka, onion Bhaji, sheesh kebab & chicken tikka. Paneer was a little dry  but worked well with the chutneys. Overall the score was an 8 overall.

Mains: Lee decided on taking advantage of the veggie soya Balti, others had chicken rogan josh, chicken pathia, Lamb karahi, sag aloo, chicken madras & chicken tikka jalfrezi with a selection of nan breads. The mains seemed to go down well....maybe accounting for the preceding 9 or 10 beers.... and they were well flavoured and a little spicy. The score for mains was another commendable 8.

Overall a nice curry and a great day out in the main part of Puerto de la Cruz.

25 Calle Agustin de Bethencourt
38400 Puerto de la Cruz
Tenerife
Spain

Tel: +34 822 902838

Restaurant Indian Express Tandoori, Puerto De La Cruz Tenerife (28th September 2017)

NOT RECOMMENED

The boys landed in Tenerife after a particularly early start and were at the hotel in time for lunch. After a bit of sunbathing, light drinking and cards, the boys headed out to the Restaurant Indian Express Tandoori in Puerto De La Cruz.

Poppadoms were served with a very spicy onion salad, mint sauce and mango chutney.

Starters included many Paneer Tikka’s, chicken tikka, chicken chat and a lighter option for TC of a tuna salad! Food was mostly well received albeit a cold chicken chat didn’t float Mr Smiths boat!

Mains included veg biryani, veg karahi, chicken chilli, chicken madras, mushroom curry, chicken dansak and chicken karahi with a plethora of nan breads. Overall mostly enjoyable but again Mr Smith who “wouldn’t be defeated” by the heat of a chilli chicken .....was defeated!!

So, as far as scores go.....starters scored 7 with the paneer tikka being a little dry.

And mains scored 7.66 with Simon docking a point for overly seasoned rice and TC docking a point for not using fresh mushrooms. Lee thoroughly enjoyed the veg karahi.

C/Esquivel 18

38400 Puerto de la Cruz

Tenerife

Spain

Tel: +34 922 367254

Ury, St Neots (12th April 2017)

RECOMMENDED

New year, and the first new restaurant of the year for the club. The boys had been to a few curries but no new ones to report on.  A trip to St Neots to visit Ury on a recommendation from Lee.  

When we arrived it was busy and the food looked good as we waited to be served. Interestingly in addition to the normal pappadoms the waiter recommended the Achappam as an extra pre meal snack.  

The Achappam consisted of a flower shaped snack made of rice flour and coconut, black sesame seeds and cumin seeds.  The snack began life in the Christian home of Travancore and is now eaten all over southern India.  Unusual and enjoyable when combined with the pickle tray.

Starters 

Simon and Lee shared the paneer dishes - one chilli and one tikka - both were good and scored a 9.  Tony went for chicken pakora which only scored a 7 as they lacked a little spice and not enough salad.  All dishes were presented nicely.

Mains

Simon decided on Chicken Malabar Kozhi Curry which was a delicately spiced dish, not hot but certainly had a lot of flavour.  Served with rice and a side of Mutter Paneer it was certainly a very good dish - scored an 8.

12 High Street
St Neots
PE19 1JA

Tel: 01480 475767
Web: http://www.uryrestaurants.com/

Namaste India, Costa Teguise, Lanzarote (1st October 2016)

RECOMMENDED

3rd night and 3rd curry. Today was a little more subdued due to the 6am finish from the previous evening - DJ Daz taking the biggest hit struggling with his beer.....(note: he was the youngest in the group by some distance - the youth today!!)

Tonight's choice was the highly rated Namaste Indian, scoring 5 stars on TripAdvisor.

Poppadums' with a fiery red onions, mint sauce and mango chutney kicked off the food followed by starters including a very tasty Chana chat, Paneer Pakora, Onion Bhaji, Veg Samosa and Chicken Samosa.

Mains tonight were Saag Paneer Vindaloo, Veg Balti, a hot Chicken Jalfrezi, Malahi Kofta, Chicken Biryani and Chicken Tikka Chat with a selection of rices and nan breads - all curries were good, full of flavour, plenty of it and well deserved the 5-star review on TripAdvisor (DJ Daz almost managed 2 mouthfuls!

Calle Las Olas Numero 1

Costa Teguise

35508

Tel: 928346093

Tandoori Palace, Costa Teguise, Lanzarote (30th September 2016)

NOT RECOMMENDED

2nd day in Lanzarote with the boys watching some Ryder Cup in the afternoon and some beers, pool and Lee's diving show in the hotel pool moved to tequila sunrises and other cocktails in the hotel bar before a stroll to the Tandoori Palace for tea.

Paneer pakora was the popular choice with 67% choosing that option as starter along with a Sheesh Kebab and Chicken Pakora. The paneer was a little dry but some of the chutneys moistened the batter.

Mains included Veg Balti Madras, Mushroom Vindaloo, Chicken Curry, Chicken Jalfrezi, Chicken Madras, Chicken and Mushroom Balti. Mixed feedback with the Mushroom Vinda being a bit bland, the Veg Balti being flavoursome packed with plenty of fresh veg. Simon seemed to struggle with his Chicken Madras but I think that was more down to Simon than the madras.

Overall an entertaining evening of spicy food followed by some more drinks!





Avda Isla Canarias 5
Costa Teguise
35509

Tel: 928827088

Masala Lounge, Costa Teguise, Lanzarote (29th September 2016)

The 2016 boys holiday to Lanzarote started with the disappointing news that Mr Codd would have to drop out due to severe back pain! The rest of the group pushed on, this including the usual of Simon, Lee, Ian and Paul with the addition of the returning Harry and the virgin DJ Daz.

The first day was the usual, beer at 6am at the airport, hotel, pool, more beer, cards, beer and a couple of mali p's and tequila sunrises then off for a curry.

So, day 1 curry was at the Masala Lounge. Starters included Chili Paneer, Onion Bhaji, Chicken Samosa, Veg Samosa and Chicken Pakora! Very enjoyable, moist bhajis, spicy panner, all seemed to be enjoyed.

Mains included Veg Madras, Chicken Madras, Chili Paneer, Chicken Karahi, Chicken Saag and Chicken Neeligri with a selection of breads with a high degree of garlic; luckily Ian and Paul both went garlic cheese nan so they won't suffer at each others expense in their shared room.

A minor hiccup with Simon's accompaniments was soon rectified and the mains were demolished with satisfying results.

Overall a good curry, nice atmosphere and friendly staff.

Avenida Jablillo 13

Opp../ Frente a Hotel Teguise Playa

Costa Teguise

35508

Tel: +34 928 346 497

Cafe India, Watford (9th May 2016)

Today's review is from Lee. Lee found himself in Watford with a few hours to spare so decided to pop into the Cafe India for dinner, with his choice being influenced by the 4.5/5 on tripadvisor (and due to the fact is was 400 yards from where he parked his car!).

Lee started with a couple of popodoms with 6 accompanying chutneys, mint sauce, Chilli chutney, lime pickle, onion salad, mango chutney and coconut. For starter Lee went for one of his favourites, paneer tikka served with a good sized salad followed by veg balti madras and a plain nan - the balti was well spiced!

If you find yourself near the Watford Colosseum then the Cafe India would be a good place to visit for your India food fix.

159 The Parade

High Street

Watford

Hertfordshire

WD17 1NJ

Tel: 01923 212 888

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

Grand Indian, Bedford (30th March 2016)

Price: £20-25
Score: 7.500

NOT RECOMMENDED

Tonights trip for the curry club was to Bedford to try the gourmet night at the Grand Indian restaurant on Tavistock Street, the oldest running restaurant in Bedford opening in 1980.  A five course meal for £10 sounded like a good deal.

The meal started off traditionally with the poppadoms (7) in total as Tony was feeling rather hungry.  The poppadoms were accompanied with two onion salads, mango chutney, mint sauce, coconut and lime pickle.  A very good selection with plenty of it too.

Starters for Simon and Lee were Paneer Tikka with Tony going for a mixed grill to give him the protein hit.  The paneer was a little dry and needed the mint sauce, Simon scoring it a 6 and Lee going 2 points better.  Tony enjoyed the mixed grill and scored it a 9.  Overall the starters got a 7.667.

Mains followed with Simon going for the Chicken Rezalla, a medium curry with keema meatballs in the sauce with a generous amount of tender chicken, topped with an omelette.  Simon went for Pilau rice and a side of Sag Paneer.  Good food and reasonable portion size scored a good 8.

Lee decided on the Vegetable Jalfrezi, a Naan and Chana Massala.  Lee was disappointed with the vegetables, felt that it was all frozen and lacked some fresh vegetables, bit of a let down and not one of the best dishes Lee has had, therefore only scored a 6.5

Tony continued his meat fest with an Imperial Masala from the Chefs special selection.  A dish packed with all sorts of meat.  A little too mild for Tony which slightly spoiled the dish but the amount of meat made up for that.  Tony had a mushroom rice, as normal, and also had a Mushroom Bhaji.  Overall Tony gave a 9, giving an average score for mains of 7.834.

Service was good and attentive which earned a 7.5.  There was some debate about the VFM, the prices of the drinks really upping the overall price quite considerably, which meant that the final bill came to £20+ per head which meant a 7 for VFM.

Overall score - 7.500.

39 Tavistock Street

Bedford
MK40 2RB

Tel: 01234 359566
Website: http://www.grandrestaurant.co.uk/index.html

Cafe Spice Namaste, London (15th March 2016)

Today Lee was trying a new London venue, Café Spice Namaste.


This Indian restaurant is owned by celebrity chef Cyrus Todiwala. Lee was with 2 meat eating work colleagues and one of the dishes he had never seen on a menu before!


To start Lee had the Vegetarian platter, consisting of a 5 different starters including paneer tikka, veg samosa, lentil pancakes and potato poori and turned out to be a fantastic choice! His work colleagues ordered the meat platter for 2, again, came with a selection of meat and non-meat starters including chicken tikka, lamb, shish kebab and samosas.


For main, Lee went for the veg Thali so he could sample a selection of curries. The curries included Bindi Bhaji, Aubergine bhaji and a sweeter curry with a dumpling along with a daal, rice, raita, a roti and some potato crisps. One colleague ordered the salmon tikka along with a palak paneer and the other went for a surprise choice of Ostrich Boona – not something Lee had seen before in any Indian restaurant around the world!


The food was of a high standard and the price was sensible, given this is a celebrity chef restaurant in London!


16 Prescot Street

London
E1 8AZ


Tel: 0207 488 9242
Website: http://www.cafespice.co.uk/#!homepage/mainPage

The Indian Summer, Bedford (16th December 2015)

Price: £20-25
Score: 7.500

NOT RECOMMENDED

This was the boys first outing since Gran Canaria. A quick trip to Bedford and a late switch of venue to the Indian Summer (Lee had eaten there before albeit jetlagged and after 8 pints so not a reliable assessment)

Poppadoms started and were very ordinary. Starters followed with 3 x Chilli Paneer and a Chicken Chat. The Chilli Paneer was very tasty with the extra heat of the green birds eye chilli!

Mains included Veg Balti, Veg Balti Madras, Chicken Tikka Korai and Chicken Tikka Bhuna. Lee enjoyed the madras, hot enough but not too silly. The very tasty large portions disappeared quickly off Simons plate! Tony was disappointed with the mushroom rice but enjoyed the Balti.

As for scores, starters came in at 8.334. Mains also scoring 8.334. Service an average 7.334 and finally Value for Money, a disappointing 6 - given location and day of the week, expectations were greater that the price would be more competitive.

Giving the Indian Summer an overall score of 7.500

69 Tavistock Street
Bedford
MK40 2RR

Tel: 01234 351251
Website: http://indiansummer-bedford.co.uk/
 

Zayka, Gran Canaria (27th September 2015)

Price: €20
Score: 8.833

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The final curry of the tour was just a few minutes from the second curry house, a leisurely wander from the hotel after a day of drinking and relaxing around the pool playing cards. The Zayka is a quiet restaurant which had a homely feel.

 

The third curry of the tour and the usual poppadoms to start the meal. This time a different hot chutney, made from chili and yoghurt which certainly packed a punch, setting Ian off with hiccups and others taking large sips of water, beer or sangria, whatever was nearest quench the burning in the mouth. 

 

Starters consisted of Paneer Tikka for Simon and Lee, Tony opting for his favoured Prawn Puree.  The Paneer Tikka came on a sizzler with what looked like the same sauce as the chutney from the pickles tray. Luckily it was milder and very flavoursome.  Tony enjoyed his starter and all scored a very good 9. 

 

Mains followed, Murgh Dhania for Simon,  chicken in a very dark coloured sauce which had some heat but not too much. The dish was ok but nothing special and scored an 8.   Lee went for a Vegetable and Paneer Jalfrezi with another Tarka Dhall, which although tasty did not outscore the previous mains for Lee, 8 scored. Tony decided on a Mixed Vegetable Curry with mushroom rice, thoroughly enjoyed and scored a 9. Overall an average score of 8.334. 

 

Service was of an acceptable standard and scored a 7.5.  The VFM was better tonight, bill coming to less than €20 per head so scored an 8.

 

Overall score a very creditable 8.210.

Avenida de Gran Canaria 32
C.C. Gran Chaparral
Commercial Center Gran Chapparal
35100 Playa del Ingles
Gran Canaria

Tel: Spain 928769531
 

Gorkha Palace, Gran Canaria (25th September 2015)

Price: €25
Score: 8.833

RECOMMENDED

The second curry of the tour and the boys decided to go to a local curry house,  a ten minute stroll from the hotel.  Upon arrival the boys created mayhem in the Gorkha Palace as the staff tried to accommodate the group with some table shifting, which unfortunately spilled over into disturbing a couple out for a romantic meal.

Once settled plain and spicy poppadoms were ordered with the accompanying pickle tray. This included a hot chilli, mint and coriander pickle which was well received by Tony, Lee and Ian.

So on to starters, Lee went for Paneer Shashlik,  Cauliflower Pakora for Tony and Simon went for Paneer Pakora. Starters scored a combined average of 7.334, Lee and Tony scoring an 8 for their first course, Simon a disappointing 6 for his which lacked a bit of flavour.

 

Mains next, Mixed Veg Korai  for Lee, Paneer Shashlick for Simon and Chicken Tikka Balti for Tony.  All scored well, a nine from Lee who particularly enjoyed his Tarka Dhall side dish.  Tony and Simon went for an 8 each.  Overall average score of 8.334.

 

Service was as you would expect and nothing exceptional although we were offered a complimentary liqueur after the meal, reasonable 7 scored.

 

VFM next and the bill coming in at about €25 euros was what was expected and on a par with other meals, 7.667 scored.

Overall score of 7.584.

Avenida Gran Canaria 22
cc Jardin de sol E
35100 Playa del Ingles
Gran Canaria

Tel: +34 928 76 21 84
 

Maharaja Palace, Gran Canaria (24th September 2015)

Price: €20
Score: 8.833

RECOMMENDEDDay 1 in Gran Canaria was eventful - early start to Stansted, cheeky beer, 4 hour flight then bar, pool, bar, lunch, bar, cards, bar, then curry! And tonight was at Maharaja Palace.

The lads were rather peckish given their busy day.

Beer and poppadoms started off the meal served with mint sauce,  mango chutney,  onion salad and lime pickle.

Starters followed with chilli Paneer chat, shish kebab, chicken chat and Paneer Pakora - clear plates all round . The overall assessment was positive with Lee and Simon scoring 8 for the Paneer Tikka and Tony agreeing with 8 for the Paneer Pakora.

Mains followed with Paneer Tikka Balti, egg Balti, chicken Tikka masala, chicken Tikka jalfrezi and mix veg curry. Lee enjoyed his spicy Paneer Tikka Balti scoring a well earned 8. Simons egg curry was very tasty, everybody agreed, with Simon scoring a 9. Tony scored an 8 for his veg curry and mushroom rice with a side note of 'more mushrooms needed.

Service was very friendly if not altogether competent scoring 7.

And value for money was pretty good, again scoring a solid 7.667.

Overall a very enjoyable meal and one the boys would return too if in Gran Canaria in the near future.

Yumbo Shopping Centre Local 232
35100
Playa del Ingles
Gran Canaria

Tel: Spain 928961620

Kauq, Toronto, Canada (20th July 2015)

Lee hasn't been to an Indian restaurant on his recent work trips so looked to put this right in Toronto - his choice, just 40 mins after arriving he found the rather conveniently located Kauq restaurant, a couple of hundred yards from his hotel.

The simple inexpensive menu had a number of favourites, so Lee went for Veg Samosa to start, followed by Chilli Paneer and Veg curry served with a nan bread

The food did not disappoint! The samosas were home made and freshly cooked, the veg curry full of flavour and the Chilli Paneer stole the show - cubes of Paneer in a gravy with hot chilli, sweet chilli, garlic and what Lee thought was a hint of soy sauce to give the dish an Indian-Chinese fusion flavour

Great value for money too!

The restaurant is located close to Toronto Pearson airport, so worth a stop if passing by!

 

 

Indian Quality, Boston, USA (15th April 2015)

Tonight took Lee for his birthday celebration to the India Quality Restaurant in Boston, MA

The restaurant has held the 'No 1 Indian restaurant in Boston' title for consecutive years from 2003 + many other awards!

Popodoms accompanied the large Kingfisher to start proceedings! 

With such a varied menu, it was difficult for Lee to make his selection but went for paneer tikka to share amongst the guests. With 8 good sized pieces this worked well. The paneer was marinaded in a spicy coating which added to the flavour. To follow Lee choose a vegetable jalfrazi "hot". When checking how "hot" is "hot", the waiter agreed it would be either Phall or vindaloo and said it would be "hot"! He wasn't wrong!! The dish was a good UK vindaloo strength! 

With the bill coming in under £20 including 2 beers, very good value for money!  

Recommended if in Boston, Massachusetts

Taj Mahal, Sandy. (1st April 2015)

Price: £10-£15
Score: 8.833

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The boys decided to keep their next choice of restaurant local and decided on the newly refurbished and newly managed Taj Mahal (previously The Akbar).  Wednesday is banquet night, starter, main, side, naan or rice and coffee for £9.95 which sounded superb value.  

 

Bring your own alcohol to the restaurant means that you don't pay the normally expensive prices for beer.

 

Poppadoms first, with four pickles, plenty of them too, included a chilli sauce with the usual mint sauce, mango chutney and onion salad.

Starters included three portions of Paneer Tikka for Simon, Lee and Tony, Paul decided on the Chicken Chat with a puree which on reflection was probably not needed.  The Paneer scored 9 from all, a very good start to the meal. 

 

Continuing the banqueting night Simon went for Chicken Sagwala, a medium spiced curry with spinach and a boiled egg.  Paul followed Simon's lead and had the same.  Lee and Tony opted for the Veg Balti, one vindaloo hot and one not!  Tony went for mushroom rice, Paul a special rice whilst Simon and Lee went for a chilli naan and cheese naan respectively.  A plethora of side dishes included a lot of spinach combined with other ingredients to give six in total.

 

• Sag Paneer
• Sag Aloo
• Sag Chana
• Sag Chandra (scrambled egg with spinach)
• Mutter Panner
• Mushroom and Potato Bhaji

Not unsurprisingly there was a lot left over, due to the over ordering rather than the quality of the food.  Mains scored a solid 8.5 from Lee and Tony, Simon scored his at 8 as it lacked a bit of spice.

 

An excellent standard of service and exceptional value for money, worked out that the banquet night saves approximately £5 per meal.  Far better than the old Akbar and well worth a visit to enjoy the good standard of food - in the top 10 of our restaurants visited.

 

144 London Road

Sandy

Bedfordshire

SG19 1DN

 

Tel:

Web: http://tajmahalsandy.co.uk/

 

Indian Summer, Bedford. (6th March 2015)

Indian Summer - Tavistock Street, Bedford

Lee's next curry was at the relatively newly opened Indian Summer on Tavistock Street in Bedford.

After poppadoms and pickles, Lee went for a favourite, Chilli Paneer - a large portion and with extra green chillies, hit high on the spice scale.

For main, Lee chose Vegetable Balti with a plain naan with a tasty tarka dhall and some sag paneer on the side.

Overall, good quality food at reasonable price and good portion size.

69 Tavistock Street
Bedford
MK40 2RR

Tel: 01234 351251
Web: Indian Summer

Bengal Tiger, New York, USA. (4th March 2015)

Bengal Tiger - 56th and 6th Street, NYC.

On Lee's recent work trip to New York he stopped at the Bengal Tiger with a couple of colleagues.  

Poppadoms and pickles started proceeding followed by vegetable samosa.  For main, Lee went for the Paneer Makhani which was a bit on the mild side, but with some green chillies on the side, picked up the heat nicely.

The restaurant is BYO booze, do make sure you stop at the liquor store en route.

58W 56th Street
2nd Floor
New York
NY 10019

Tel: (212) 265-2703
Web: Bengal Tiger Website

Saffrons, Bedford (26th February 2015)

Score: 8.417
Price: £15-20

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

The boys decided to go to Bedford on the back of a Groupon voucher which Tony acquired.

The Saffron has a bright & airy feel to it and can accommodate over 50 people.  The service is what you would expect from one of the better Indian restaurants on Tavistock Street or India Row as its sometimes called.  The food on the night did not disappoint either, with a varied menu that is packed with choice.  There is plenty to choose from whether your a vegetarian or a true meat eater. 

Prices in Saffrons are slightly on the higher side than other restaurants in the area but we feel this is due to the standards & quality of food and service received.
 

SLT choices on the night with scores below:-
 

Simon

Chilli Paneer (10) followed by Chicken Saffron with Pilau Rice (8)

Lee

Chilli Paneer (10) followed by Vegetable Korai Masala with extra green chillies (9)

Tony

Prawn Puree (8) followed by Bombay Chicken with Mushroom Rice (8)

The mains were accompanied with sides of Brussel Sprout Bhaji and Sag Aloo.

The Saffron also have a banquet night and a Sunday buffet.

64 Tavistock Street
Bedford
MK40 2RG

Tel: 01234 325655
Website: http://www.saffronbedford.com/
 

Lounge Inda, Marston Moretaine (23rd January 2015)

Score: 7.875

Price: £15-20

RECOMMENDED

Tonight the lads visited the Lounge India in the quaint village of Marston Mortaine in Bedfordshire.

Lee and Tony had eaten there before but S from SLT was MIA on that occasion so a return visit was necessary to complete the scoring and the official review.

Popodoms to start, served with 3 types of onions: plain Onion salad, red onions and a cumin onion salad as well as mint yogurt, lime pickle and mango chutney.

Starters, Lee went for a Dahll soup with extra green chilli, Tony, Prawn Purée and Simon a Ragda Pattice (potato cake served with a chickpea curry). Simon said his was a little dry and bland, whilst Tony's had a little kick. Scoring 8 overall.

For mains, Lee went Garlic Vegetable Chilli Balti with plain nan and a vegetable Niramish side, Simon went off the special menu, which is normal a mistake, but tonight turned out good with the Chicken Roshuni Modhu.  Tony also went for a special, chicken special Bengal style with a "fresh" mushroom rice. Mains did well scoring 8.667 overall.

Value for money would have been improved had the lads gone the night before and taken advantage of the banquet night, but tonight's score was 7.667

As for service, nothing bad but nothing special so a solid 7 scored!

Overall a good night at a good Indian.

171 Bedford Road

Marston Moretaine

Bedford 

MK43 0LE

Tel: 01234 767106

Web: http://www.loungeindia.co.uk/

Bude Tandoori, Cornwall (28th October 2014)

Tonight's outing was a take away for 8 from the Bude Tandoori in Bude, Cornwall!

Overall the food was very well received. All had a little spice to them, with my brother saying his madras was Birmingham-hot! Lee had a vegetable garlic chilli, which had plenty of both, served with garlic naan to add to the flavour.

Dishes of note: vegetable garlic chilli, chicken shatkori and the lamb sag.

The naan breads were a little dry

Overall a solid 7.5 / 10

12A Burn View
Bude
Cornwall
EX23 8BZ.

Tel: 01288 352504
Web: http://www.budetandoori.co.uk/

Hosseins Persian and Indian, Manila (22nd October 2014)

Tonight Lee chose Hosseins Persian and Indian restaurant in the Makati district of Manila.

Lee started with a masala poppadom, which is a regular poppadom dressed with onion and tomato salad with paprika the followed by veg samosas (4 to be exact) served with a very fiery green chilli chutney....

Then in rapid fire came aloo paneer and a fresh veg curry served with a plain nan bread (more of a cross between a Nan and a pita bread) and some toasted and fresh green chilli

The pineapple lassi was the star of the show! 

Overall a very pleasant meal

2nd Floor 7857

LKV Building

Makati Avenue

Makati City

Phillippines

Tel: 890-61-37 / 890-59-28
Web: http://hosseins.com/

Aryaas, Bangkok (20th October 2014)

Lee continued his January Bangkok vegetarian Indian restaurant tour with a trip back to the Nana indian district. Following Googles recommendation, lee visited Aryaa's Indian Restaurant specialising in both South and North Indian cuisine.

Lee ordered a samosa chat to start followed by a paneer Hyderabadi which the waiter warned is the hottest dish on the menu...... Accompanied with onion nan and a Dal tadka with a mango lassi to calm thing down if the main proved to be too fiery.

The samosa chat, a samosa covered with tomatoes and onions in a yogurt sauce was lovely....tasty, spicy and full of flavour.

The main was as billed, hot hot hot with a mix of fresh green and dried red chillies with a flavoursome dal and the second best nan bread I've ever had! Tremendous. The mango lassi did help calm the mouth down afterwards....

All in all a very good meal, so Google was right again! Maybe Bangkok is on the list for next years SLT trip.....

Shop No. 164/1, Sukhumvit Road

Corner of Soi 8 

Klongtoey

Bangkok 10110

Thailand

Tel: + 66 2653 1 446

Website: http://www.aryaas.in/index.php