Monday 7 January 2008

Oh good Indian curry, where art thou?

London, to my extreme surprise, does not seem to have good Indian curry anywhere! I've tried and I've tried and it's nowhere to be found. Like a noob I went along to Brick Lane only to be very disappointed. I took a recommendation from a friend who is married to a Hindu to try Bengal Spice on Holloway Rd and was very unimpressed at its pitiful effort of a Saag Paneer (not to mention disturbed that it made Mitch sick). I went along to Shah on Drummond St (apparently the home of some of the first Indian restaurants in the country) and was again unimpressed, staying on Drummond St I've also gone to Ravi Shankar's (rubbish) and Diwana which is probably the only one to receive pass marks out of the lot. And only because it is all you can eat for 6.99 and they give you platters instead of plates (I'm a tight Scot, what can I say?), although the food is pretty decent. I've also eaten at Rasa at a friend's recommendation, although admittedly not at the exact restaurant he recommended in Stoke Newington but in W1 instead. It was ludicrously expensive and my dish (a spinach and daal combination) was watery and tasteless. I've been to Khan's in Bayswater/Queensway which was not good either, although the decor almost made up for it- think of being in the jungle in a restaurant, but with no actual plants, only painted plants and bushes on the walls and ceiling and you've got an idea. Mitch liked it as it had a fairly astonishing selection of non-alcoholic drinks as it doesn't have a drinks license. I thought it was crap. I probably wouldn't have written this post if I hadn't had a curry from Mother India when I was back in Glasgow. Mother India and Glasgow in general has ruined me for curries in this city. Any one fancy bringing down a delivery of Saag Paneer, Peshwari Naan, Mushroom Rice and some Poppadoms with Spicy Onions when they visit?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

My son and I, and we've experienced Mother India after a cultural visit to Kelvingrove, like the Bengal Lancer in Kentish Town High Rd and, not quite so good, A Passage to India in Paxton Green/ W Norwood/Crystal Palace borders or whatever the estate agents are calling it. Chacun, however and especially in this area, a son gout.

niall said...

I like Kentish Town more and more I visit it so any excuse for another visit is good by me. Thanks for the recommendation- I'll try and find it and report back. Honestly, in a city of 7.5m people with a sizable Asian population you'd think there would be a good number of decent places to eat Indian curry!

Anonymous said...

Dunno about stinky old London but next time you're in the P try Shandar. Not only the best in town but Cobra beer on tap! Wangy-dangy!