tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80469676760624841732024-03-13T20:54:32.969+00:00Tooting Curry BlogCurrying favour with the locals since 2012, the Tooting Curry Blog is a lighthearted collection of reviews, rating the curry restaurant scene in TootingMike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-90478885330410464022018-02-04T22:00:00.002+00:002018-02-04T22:02:59.367+00:00Site move<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">We've (finally) updated the site and expanded to the whole of London.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">As a result we've moved to:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"> <a href="http://www.londoncurryblog.com/" target="_blank">www.LondonCurryBlog.com </a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Please check it out and let us know what you think!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="1351" height="299" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icvmoUDmtbE/WneCR27yoAI/AAAAAAAAI2g/QXxewoM85CUbP6gNc0nTEcvtGU5splPBwCLcBGAs/s640/site.PNG" width="640" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-70219020930494129392017-01-24T09:52:00.003+00:002018-03-22T21:10:39.109+00:00Kabul Darbar<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Please read this review and others on our new site </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.londoncurryblog.com/">www.londoncurryblog.com</a></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">12 January 2017 - Kabul Darbar: Abra-kabul-darbar - Curry magic</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>Its the New Year, a time for fresh perspective and new challenges. I myself, upon realizing that Balham has a ridiculously high concentration of hairdressers, considered starting a new blog - the Balham barbers blog, in which I get my haircut in each of the 18 or so salons. However, my hair can only grow so quickly and I'd rather just eat curry instead. <br />
<br />
So, seasonally affected by post Xmas blues and dried out in Jan, what better way to start the year than a trip down Upper Tooting Road. After an impressive debut visit late last year I was desperate to return to Kabul Darbar so I took 7 friends along. Another Afghanistani joint, promising kebabs, lamb curry and big naans, is always welcome in our books, especially with the sad demise of Rayyans. 2.5 hours, 4 courses and £160 later here's the review.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zkVTe_3NaDM/WIZv55u3OnI/AAAAAAAAIzU/Gorn291m_k8_bjwJlvFI1Fv4nroLErhXACLcB/s320/20161112_204912.jpg" /></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Venue</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Kabul Darbar is a fairly new player on the scene and has set up stall in the heat of the battle, a short kebab’s length North of Mirch Masala. However, it has opted for a more relaxed, spacious environ than the hectic curry canteen conveyor belts nearby (Mirch Masala, Lahore Karahi and Saravanaa Bhavans).<br />
<br />
Its smart black sign with orange writing and draped with fairy lights sets a relatively classy tone, whilst inside the spot lit interior is tastefully adorned with greenery and pictures alike. There's still a place for the ubiquitous, high backed leather chairs- red this time - but as with the rest of fixtures everything was new and in good condition. Not something you can say about most local establishments. A bar-shaped counter at the far end completes the setup, but alas, this only serves as a waiters station as no alcohol is served or allowed here.</div>
<div>
<br />
In general, a very pleasant setting with a reasonable level of custom witnessed throughout our stay. No real faults apart from the drinks situation so it's a solid 7 for venue. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Starters and sides</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
Mantoo (minced lamb dumplings)<br />
Bale Murgh (chicken wings)<br />
Mixed grill<br />
Bandenjan buranie (aubergine) x3<br />
Qabuli maecha (lamb shank rice)<br />
Plain naan x4<br />
Afghan green tea<br />
<br />
So, as you can see, we didn't hold back on this front. There were 8 of us so that helps explain the volume but so does the quality of the food that had us ordering more.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The centrepiece of the order was the mixed grill which initially drew mocking laughter from the waiter who thought I was ordering it as a starter all for myself. This made sense when a boat sized dish ran aground on our table. He still seemed incredulous after the explanation but perhaps this was less about the size and more about the price of the dish, which splashed in at a weighty £30 sterling. Perhaps he's more financially savvy than us and waiting to pounce with his Afghan Afghani savings once the Brexit pound plummets even further, who knows; we can only assume. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KBRtd0MBpsM/WIZyqi0t7wI/AAAAAAAAIzc/235FWCIabDwu_37KtKBP1BhsP6b1_lVWACEw/s320/mixed%2Bgrill.png" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Mixed grill</i></div>
<br />
Whilst expensive there was still a fair amount of bang for our buck. I don't know if 'half a chicken on top' is an Afghani idiom but that's certainly what we got. Piled else wise amongst a sea of rice were chicken wings, minced kofte chicken kebabs, lamb chops, and lamb and chicken tikka pieces. A tidy feast but not as succulent as other similar local offerings, despite strong individual performances from the lamb tikka pieces and chicken kofte. I was particularly disappointed by the lamb chops, but only as they were excellent on a previous visit (the four-piece, Qaborgha Lamb on the menu). The side dish of Bale Murgh (chicken wings) were equally average, but the other excellent plates made up for this.<br />
<br />
Firstly, the Mantoo, a generous dish of eight minced lamb dumplings topped with yoghurt are a deliciously juicy bite. Equally well presented is the Bandenjan Buranie, thin aubergine slices topped with yoghurt, garlic, mint and spices, that left my friend still eulogising days later. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S1CCUbwcMJQ/WIZ0qh0hdaI/AAAAAAAAIzo/_Oz2gIrxoV8Amyk1HucrRlkIAKQOLaWnQCLcB/s320/starters.png" /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Bandenjan Buranie, Mantoo, & Bale Murgh</i></div>
<br />
In addition to these unique sides, we added several plain naans and rice. The kayak sized naans offered excellent value for money at £1.50 with fresh, fluffy texture to boot, whilst the mountain of carrot and raisin topped rice managed to hide a whole lamb shank. Whilst this plate (the Qabuli Maecha) is fairly novel we had experienced something similar before at Namak Mandi. However, it was quite pricey here (~£10) and wasn't ordered intentionally (a mix up over the pilao rice order). Nevertheless the rice was nicely flavoured and the lamb within was beautifully tender.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HIBf0xbP1qE/WIZ2HEBoz6I/AAAAAAAAIzw/ssiNtFNTuVU-6nYDlf4F4daWBj6i3FEiQCEw/s320/tea.jpg" /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Afghan Tea</i></div>
<br />
To end the meal we ordered a round of Afghan green tea to wash everything down. This turned out to be a bad decision as it took a while to arrive and by this point it was nearing 10pm. However, it was still a nice way to close, with ginger adding a nice spicy kick to see us on our way.<br />
<br />
Thanks to the quality of the better dishes it's a big 8 out of 10 for sides and starters.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curry </b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
Channa Dal x3<br />
Qurma e Murgh (chicken curry) x2<br />
Charsi Chicken Karahi 1/2kg x2<br />
Mixed Veg Curry<br />
Bamiya Gosht (okra with lamb) x2<br />
<br />
Having only ordered the starters at first, we had another round of ordering for the mains. This in turn prompted another, third round when the first failed to satiate the ravenous appetites of my fellow eaters.<br />
<br />
The Channa Dal proved most popular with positive noises accompanying almost every mouthful. This chickpea showstopper offers a deep smoky taste that keeps you going back for more. Likewise, the Bamiya Gosht - lamb with okra - and the Charsi Lamb Karahi were richly flavoured and the meat melted in the mouth. The latter came cooked and served on the bone adding even more tenderness and flavour. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s5_WA4TREtE/WIZ4p63Y1yI/AAAAAAAAIz8/G27BoKE5x_cVI5bZprFik3RDFsf0v9QIACLcB/s1600/channadal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-s5_WA4TREtE/WIZ4p63Y1yI/AAAAAAAAIz8/G27BoKE5x_cVI5bZprFik3RDFsf0v9QIACLcB/s200/channadal.jpg" width="196" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Channa Dal (We forgot to take pictures after this point!)</i></div>
</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Some criticism can be levelled at the portion size especially the Charsi which, sold by the half kilo, feels slightly less weighty when you take the bones into account and the Qurma e Murgh was fairly lightweight in size and taste too. However, these are matters of value for money not quality, which was high.<br />
<br />
The veg curry was average, but flavour-wise the best dishes were close to 9. On balance an 8 seems an overall fair assessment when taking the slightly weaker dishes and portion sizes into account. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ib2cS0-xTXY/WIZ5XoC1XjI/AAAAAAAAI0A/vPZSR7RXossKE-Vwuofhsu3JvpEoILLKACLcB/s1600/20170112_210621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ib2cS0-xTXY/WIZ5XoC1XjI/AAAAAAAAI0A/vPZSR7RXossKE-Vwuofhsu3JvpEoILLKACLcB/s320/20170112_210621.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Service</span></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>Our waiter had a touch of Adam Sandler to him both in air and appearance. However, one can only assume he has had a far less successful film career (a walk on role in the Kite Runner, at best). <br />
<br />
He had a very happy-[Gilmore]-go-lucky demeanor and general laid back attitude. The parallels don't stop there either, whilst one has made a career churning out mediocre to poor family comedies the other proved equally productive as the only one visibly working in the restaurant - a sort of water boy character if you will. If, as suspected, he was pitching in in the kitchen as well as serving tables, it would explain the long-ish wait times between courses. This slightly sluggish service could be forgiven as he was completely unfazed by his isolation and was what can only be described as (in somewhat patronising tones) a 'good lad'. He was also well turned out in apron and bow tie, which is more than can be said of 80% of Tooting curry house employees.<br />
<br />
So thanks to Little Nicky, it's a 7 for Service<br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Value For Money</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
Given the number of us and the number of dishes it's hardly surprising we racked up a substantial bill; £160 in fact. £20 a head may not seem too much to pay in our nation's capital for a veritable feast, but we weren't paying for alcohol and might've expected a few more economies of scale from a Tooting curry. This, added to the price of the big ticket items and the fact that some of the portions were on the relatively small side make this less value for money than neighbouring restaurants. As a comparative example, I remember being stuffed in Mirch Masala with 5 others for £8 a head plus BYO alcohol - you do the math!<br />
<br />
With stiff competition in this category, value for money is a slightly harsh 6 on this occasion, despite the top quality dishes adding significant credit.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span></div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
In summary, Kabul Darbar is a worthy addition to the Tooting curry circuit that comes highly recommended by us. With the disappointment of Afghan Palace on our last outing, Kabul Darbar is finally the replacement for Rayyans we've been looking for. We would love to return to try the fish dishes to be doubly sure, but two visits so far have left a solid impression. With an overall total of 36/50, Kabul Darbar shoots firmly into the top end of our leaderboard.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-15041597677525735852016-10-23T19:47:00.005+01:002018-03-22T21:10:51.932+00:00Afghan Palace<b><span style="font-size: large;">Please read this review and others on our new site </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.londoncurryblog.com/">www.londoncurryblog.com</a></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">22 September 2016 - Afghan Palace: Rayyans' Ruins </span></b><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vnh6rUAWAVQ/WAz8gJfYDMI/AAAAAAAAIyM/wPMM-L9ifiMJY4OSaRkEXjOuMn9msD2KACLcB/s1600/afghan%2Bpalace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vnh6rUAWAVQ/WAz8gJfYDMI/AAAAAAAAIyM/wPMM-L9ifiMJY4OSaRkEXjOuMn9msD2KACLcB/s400/afghan%2Bpalace.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<br />
When we heard the news that Rayyans had been replaced by another restaurant called Afghan Palace we hoped it was merely a re-brand. After all, the name 'Rayyans' hardly shouted 'curry house' as it rolled off the tongue whereas Afghan Palace sounds more apt in that regard. However, there was only one way to find out for sure. Would Afghan Palace be fit for a pair of curry kings? Tom and I went to check it out for ourselves.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Venue</b></span><br />
<br />
Afghan Palace, for those who didn't know Rayyans, is situated on the Mitcham Road, a long way past the Antelope pub and Vijaya Krisha curry house. Given it's distant location relative to other Tooting favourites it really needed to live up to Rayyan's reputation to make the trek worthwhile.<br />
<br />
At first glance you could be forgiven for assuming little had changed: the same furniture was laid out in a similar fashion and the same artwork adorned the walls. However, the ever-changing lighting -cycling through a rainbow of garish colours - is enough to raise suspicion. Then the unfriendly stares from the staff and natives alike, along with the new inability to drink alcohol or BYO, confirm that things have changed for the worse not better.<br />
<br />
Sad times, but the food is what would make or break this review. Unfortunately, the absence of two TCB Rayyans' favourites - the Afghan lamb and fish karahi - from the menu added to our early fears. <br />
<br />
In fact, the menu is far more limited in general. It is similar all-round to Namak Mandi with dishes built for sharing and options available to scale up the amount of meat, but would it live up to its local rival?<br />
<br />
5/10 for Venue </div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Starters and sides</b></span><br />
<br />
1 massive peshwari naan<br />
<br />
There are several standard options for starters here ranging from kebabs and chops to tikka and mixed grills, but, not being in the most ravenous of moods, we skipped straight to the mains. However, we did pick up a peshwari naan to accompany our karahi dishes and what a naan it was. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Fans of anything novel, we could not turn down the opportunity to have a naan the size of a small child for only £2.50. If you've been to Namak Mandi you'll know the sort, but these here are even bigger, so big we didn't finish it. The novelty of the size soon wore off as the taste failed to impose in the same way, with any peshwari flavouring seemingly absent. <br />
<br />
6/10 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RpAENVz0-DI/WAz8d6t1IAI/AAAAAAAAIyI/P7qPn1A5Xkk_F-mwtWh7rlOgrf3QbJKaQCLcB/s1600/IMG-20160922-WA0007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RpAENVz0-DI/WAz8d6t1IAI/AAAAAAAAIyI/P7qPn1A5Xkk_F-mwtWh7rlOgrf3QbJKaQCLcB/s400/IMG-20160922-WA0007.jpg" width="225" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6QS4n7DyceM/WAz8mEmsqDI/AAAAAAAAIyQ/TR34ln_wTJs6UBMfle0zwqRkF0X4CMuKgCLcB/s1600/20160922_210217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6QS4n7DyceM/WAz8mEmsqDI/AAAAAAAAIyQ/TR34ln_wTJs6UBMfle0zwqRkF0X4CMuKgCLcB/s400/20160922_210217.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
There is no trick of perspective here - these are right next to our heads!</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curry</b></span><br />
<br />
1/4kg Lamb Karahi (Namak Mandi style)<br />
1/4kg Chicken Karahi (Charsi style)<br />
<br />
For mains we chose two karahis - stews prepared in a authentic karahi, metallic cooking pan. As mentioned, you can scale up the meat portions here, but as there were only two of us, we chose the smallest 1/4kg portions. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iLLoqk8_pWs/WAz8mh0EXSI/AAAAAAAAIyU/nSHM-He0YDsaKepywVXUlQBJoTGulLbXQCLcB/s400/20160922_210226.jpg" width="225" /></div>
<br />
Size wise they were fine, nothing particularly generous, but the meat was quite disappointing. It came on the bone, something we expected, but which meant only a fraction of the 250g of 'meat' was edible. It could have been forgiven had the quality matched our old Rayyans favourites - falling off the bone deliciously and melting in the mouth - but alas this was not the case. The measly amount of meat in both dishes had to be pried off the bone. <br />
<br />
As for the flavours, they were ok, but wouldn't have redeemed either dish in any case. Tomato dominated each dish, but little differentiated the two styles. There was a decent bit of heat that could have been increased had we wished, but all in all quite disappointing.<br />
<br />
4/10<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /><br />Staff</b></span><br />
<br />
Judging by the difference in name and food, we can only assume this was a complete takeover of Rayyans. In this vein, the staff were also different as the absence of a usually smiley manager highlighted. Not only were they less friendly (to the point of unwelcoming) when we came in, but they also struggled a bit with English and simple questions about the food. I'm sure they were trying their best, but service as a result wasn't great.<br />
<br />
4/10</div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Value For Money</span></b><br />
<br />
On price alone Afghan Palace fares well, as indicated by the huge naan we got for £2.50. But price is only one factor in value, quality and service are others and Afghan Palace, just doesn't deliver in these areas.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There is no BYO policy here either so the bottle of wine we bought stayed firmly un-corked and, whilst we only spent around £20 overall, value scores have to take a hit for the relatively poor food and overall experience.<br />
<br />
5/10<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<br />
If you've reached this point and haven't gathered that we were less than impressed with Afghan Palace then I suggest you either weren't really reading properly or have a problem with your scrolling. <br />
<br />
As huge fans of Rayyans, we're sad that its replacement couldn't even come close to serving up the same levels of curry enjoyment. Rather than a phoenix rising from Rayyans' ashes, Afghan Palace is more of a cuckoo stealing the nest of a better bird.<br />
<br />
We don't like to deliberately put a restaurant down, but the result is that Afghan Palace now sits firmly at the foot of our Tooting leaderboard, pushing Apollo Banana Leaf up another place much to the relief, I'm sure, of many of our readers (although we still stand by the ABL review on the visit in question!).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
24/50</div>
Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-19361060468442561012016-09-05T17:29:00.003+01:002018-03-22T21:11:11.154+00:00Saravanaa Bhavan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Please read this review and others on our new site </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.londoncurryblog.com/">www.londoncurryblog.com</a></b></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b style="font-size: x-large;">8 June 2016 - Saravanaa Bhavan: Bhavan a great time</b></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wENgGuEZROw/V8yCcVDhspI/AAAAAAAAIxc/9Ob_riR8REcbnuT45kS4dJt2gXSIkrvEACLcB/s320/20160708_212619.jpg" /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div>
As meat consumption is on the decline and popular documentaries tell of the horrific implications of carnivorous activity, what better way to embrace this trend in vegetarianism than by gorging on curry.<br />
<br />
We've done a vegetarian review before in Sarashwathy Bavans. On that occasion we sampled a 4ft long dosa. Sadly, it seems the lack of custom we witnessed that night continued as they are now closed. A real travesty. Novelty food has its place, but a place nonetheless.<br />
<br />
Never fear though as, not only did we go in search of more veggie fare, but we also eyed a lengthy dosa on along the way too. On this occasion it was found on a neighbour's table in Saravanaa Bhavan. Intrigued? Then read on.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Venue</b></span><br />
<br />
Saravanaa Bhavan is the third bhavan of our curry travels so far. My extensive research tells me that bhavan means building, so...there you go!<br />
<br />
This one is situated opposite the Tooting legend, Lahore karahi, and is evidently a popular bhavan in its own right, something they are not shy in shouting about. Their sign and menu boldly claims Saravanaa Bhavan is the 'World's No.1 Indian Vegetarian Restaurant Chain' and looking at the impressive list of their locations you'd be hard pushed to argue. Tooting ranks alongside over 50 exotic venues including Hong Kong, South Africa, Australia... and East Ham.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1vgY_cESoQ4/V8yEKD8LSOI/AAAAAAAAIxs/F8OIx3XhAUYDHrgYPAL4_pNvSwni4k7lACLcB/s320/20160708_202345.jpg" /></div>
<br />
The menu is also fronted with the message 'Gateway to the flavours of India' which, on this Friday evening, was at first a blocked gateway, as the start of a queue greeted us on arrival. Upstairs was full - a promising sign - but luckily an enterprising member of staff soon showed us and the rest of the crowd in the doorway to the extra dining space downstairs.</div>
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zchmxnHXjuA/V8yEH6ywtzI/AAAAAAAAIxo/EIMaGh_kq90HfObhtx7W8wemd0Lr9np9wCLcB/s320/20160708_202212.jpg" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
On both floors familiar sights greeted us: utilitarian furniture bought for function not comfort as well as signs of heavy use evident in their chipped surfaces. Likewise, Indian artwork adorned the walls, but at this particular Tooting curry house it was a bit more tasteful and uniform than elsewhere and seemingly put up with a bit more care and attention. Nevertheless, upstairs still had the standard Windows screen saver style landscape image on one wall, in case we forgot where we were.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vv7L-t34zQg/V8yBu79ozeI/AAAAAAAAIxk/Y_0P1fLer8IJ2MylnL34vRxmKICocCc4gCEw/s320/20160708_202218.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_gYm7nWtz8s/V8yBq1sfI2I/AAAAAAAAIxk/z0C-HkO8yD0ONmBND_bx4JN_KvWoNi-uwCEw/s320/20160708_202149.jpg" /></div>
<div>
<br />
There was also an air of authenticity, as metallic crockery and a lack of cutlery (encouraging one to eat with their hands) gave a very real taste of eating in India, much like Chennai Dosa up the road.<br />
<br />
Nothing hugely special with the venue here, but a deserving bonus point for their international reach - 7/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Starters & Sides</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
Chapati<br />
Parotta <br />
Chana batura<br />
Hot idly<br />
<br />
The menu was quite confusing, divided into themes and styles as much as by food type. Nevertheless, we were able to navigate towards some favourites from visits to India and previous Tooting meals.<br />
<br />
On this occasion there was a bit of a blurred line between starters and mains as most of the breads were central to each dish, coming with a small portion of curry as a side, much like they would for a typical Indian meal.<br />
<br />
We got a bit carried away and ordered 6 dishes which came one by one. <br />
<br />
The chapati and parotta both came in pairs with the same sides of potato masala and a gobi (cauliflower) curry. Both breads were fresh and a great accompaniment to the incredibly delicious cauliflower curry side, but the potato masala was less exciting.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tYYx_AdTKeM/V8yCGSjxlcI/AAAAAAAAIxk/xu253CR8Ai4EjtOcGpY4wHFoxSr5b4jQQCEw/s320/20160708_204832.jpg" /> <img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHBWOvtWQpY/V8yCUXyKzDI/AAAAAAAAIxk/NiLfOKxuggATSoK8RpOOacPQaMCFYsdmQCEw/s320/20160708_205115.jpg" /></div>
<div>
<br />
The hot idly (rice and lentil patties) were also accompanied by a range of chutnies and lentil and chili sambar (a lighter, broth type curry) which soaked nicely into their spongy texture.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5QUTpFGLXr8/V8yB9GRmGFI/AAAAAAAAIxk/HZJDgJh6cVc7_fXsWOk6-zoTF8hqRuCSwCEw/s320/20160708_204406.jpg" /></div>
<div>
<br />
The chana batura was a chickpea masala dish that came with a puffed up, oily, poori bread. This was also excellent and evoked memories of delicious Indian breakfasts.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0aHTsMJ9Mg/V8yCa6DnqqI/AAAAAAAAIxk/Gc7Bcv45xxMkBWnM1ZYLJxH9VkgjoOcDQCEw/s320/20160708_205255.jpg" /></div>
<div>
<br />
Much like the atmosphere, these dishes were really authentic and whilst marks for presentation wouldn't be high, it's all about the taste. We really liked these! 8/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curry</b></span><br />
<br />
Daal butter fry<br />
Paneer jalfrezi<br />
<br />
In addition to the curries that came with the breads, we also ordered a paneer jalfrezi and a daal butter fry.<br />
<br />
The paneer jafrezi (the two on the left) was also wonderfully rich in flavour too. I prefer the cheese to be cooked a bit more - preferably tikka - but the overall dish was very good.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mqqFS43PP4c/V8yCFZxOf-I/AAAAAAAAIxk/cIRMApzp2CAOkVh8Y6sF-CLyKrV9cODmACEw/s320/20160708_204542.jpg" /><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fXiwBZ-C3jk/V8yB74euHGI/AAAAAAAAIxk/tRng5Ac1yrICAnZMC9F_XaCEwt5WH-hXwCEw/s320/20160708_204359.jpg" /><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jqj4L365lJw/V8yCOQuj0wI/AAAAAAAAIxk/bzL5v-F8ojkm5XpCuCzqeA-daSwn1VfmQCEw/s320/20160708_204839.jpg" /></div>
<div>
<br />
Finally, the daal butter fry (on the right) was good, perhaps a dish too many for us, but tasty nonetheless. I would have preferred it to be a little bit thicker in it's consistency, but it still went down well.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
7/10<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Service</b></span><br />
<br />
Whilst we had to wait to be seated initially, the service was amongst the friendliest we've received. <br />
<br />
The staff were all uniformly white-shirted (a rare bit of consistency for Tooting) and the waiter who served us downstairs was very polite and helpful. <br />
<br />
I had to go upstairs to pay and waited a while, but the food came very promptly and no real complaints.<br />
<br />
7/10<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value For Money</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
Saravanaa Bhavans is a BYO venue which is always welcome here. On this occasion we were well behaved and didn't take advantage of this, but did indulge in the food. Between the two of us it came to £27.70, which is pretty good going, especially if you consider how full we were left. Between two, six dishes was a bit excessive, but all were well received. Another good value curry in Tooting - 7/10.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<br />
It's fair to say that, despite its simple interior and food presentation, Saravanaa Bhavan charmed us due to its good authentic dishes and flavours. It is similar to Chennai Dosa and Dosa N Chutny in that respect if you're looking to compare or try something similar elsewhere.<br />
<br />
We'll be coming back to try more of the dishes and recommend you do too, even the meat lovers amongst you - embrace the veggie revolution!<br />
<br />
36/50</div>
Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-71237743227611282732016-08-29T20:35:00.001+01:002018-03-22T21:12:17.952+00:00Ale & Spice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Please read this review and others on our new site </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.londoncurryblog.com/">www.londoncurryblog.com</a></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">17 June 2016 - Ale & Spice: Yes please, two</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
Obviously it's been far too long since the last review.<br />
<br />
We got a bit lax, but are hoping to pick things up again, whilst also widening our reach to cover more restaurants in and around the Tooting area.<br />
<br />
This first review back is for Ale and Spice in Balham.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_rqiP36zeGQ/V8SIsRjG3KI/AAAAAAAAIu8/tuTxOKgBaVwzWMUcSFUhNfQwy4FJiIccgCK4B/s400/20160720_183640.jpg" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Venue</span></b><br />
<br />
Ale and Spice is a Sri Lankan restaurant situated just up from The Bedford pub on Bedford Hill, no more than half a mile from the top end of Tooting Common.<br />
<br />
This rather unimaginatively named restaurant sounds more like a port-based pub than a curry house, but the rather prosaic, 'say what you see' naming convention has a slighter deeper meaning. Ale and Spice was born from the ashes of Hop and Spice by some of its former employees so the name is seemingly a nod to this earlier incarnation. <br />
<br />
We didn't visit the Hop and Spice ourselves but believe it was on the site of what is now Franca Manca which, like Ale and Spice, contributes to a rich row of restaurant revelry along Bedford Hill. However, these neighbours offer some stiff competition for Ale and Spice, especially as it assumes a less than prominent position in this line up. <br />
<br />
Nevertheless, you've got to be in it to win it, and there was certainly a lively atmosphere when we visited on a Friday night (not to mention the particularly rowdy group of girls having a few glasses at the front of shop). Inside, the decor is not quite up to the standard of nearby establishments, but would not be out of place in Tooting - Ikea-style tables and chairs in an open plan layout, surrounded by burgundy red walls and some questionable wall art - sound familiar? At least here there's a little more room to move and there's even a few tables outside offering the opportunity for some al fresco dining.<br />
<br />
So, a pleasant surround, but nothing special. 6/10<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Starters and sides</span></b><br />
<br />
We opted for thali as our main course so pretty much rolled the starters, sides and curries into one. We did however tuck into a few poppadoms to kick things off. They were fresh, but quite greasy as a result, so a bit hit and miss.<br />
<br />
The thali came with mountains of rice in true, South Asian style, but rising to the peak was the paratha which was excellent; good enough to bump our rating up to a 7 for starters and sides.<br />
<br />
7/10<br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curry</b></span><br />
<br />
Vegetarian Thali (Set menu for two)<br />
Seafood and Veg Thali (Set menu for two)<br />
<br />
Between four of us we shared two set thalis - the vegetarian and the seafood and veg.<br />
<br />
The vegetarian came with pea and paneer, spinach and coconut, masala potato, aubergine salad, vara, dahl, spinach rice, paratha and chapati.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HY7iO0vX3R4/V8SLJ-rDziI/AAAAAAAAIvI/Mne0-fb4Dmk6Ozxq1m9SD1hkgSgRkqVtwCEw/s320/20160617_203757.jpg" /><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c6WyBeTupck/V8SLKZS06EI/AAAAAAAAIvM/45WraJSPMQ0K_4rrDgLDsUqjI-0FOtzUgCEw/s320/20160617_203751.jpg" /></div>
<br />
<div>
<br />
The seafood and veg came with prawn kulumbu, jack fish, squid, mushroom, mixed varuval, steamed basmati, paratha and chapati.<br />
<br />
Firstly, yes they were thalis, but at £14 per person they were a little small. A hungry diner could easily manage one on their own and, whilst I understand rice is quite literally central to a thali, the amount was disproportionate to the other components.<br />
<br />
Nevertheless, some of the individual components were a real treat, particularly on the seafood plate -the squid and jack fish were delicious. However, apart from the paratha the rest failed to excite despite being of a decent quality.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PWm4DF261aE/V8SLP9WAXqI/AAAAAAAAIvY/I-GhW60kZaY6Wuv-r9kVXp6aIos6yYvXgCEw/s400/20160617_213204.jpg" /></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SsG-1lNQNoA/V8SMgLg_iHI/AAAAAAAAIvw/xCR7kayrhJc829lP6l3qtaxyaALAfvHwACK4B/s400/20160617_213156.jpg" /></div>
<div>
<br />
Average would be the word and, whilst thalis offer variety, between four we could probably have got a better value mix from the rest of the menu. We shall have to visit again for a broader perspective but on this visit a 6 seems fair. 6/10<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Service</span></b><br />
<br />
I hate Deliveroo. Just putting that out there. Apart from the black and green jacketed men that seemingly haunt my every waking step, they piss me off for two reasons:<br />
<br />
1) You're in central London, get off your lazy arse and go to the restaurant yourself! No one lives more than 5mins walk from decent food!<br />
<br />
2) Deliveroo orders seem to take priority over orders being placed in person, in the bloody restaurant!<br />
<br />
On this occasion at least a pair of be-helmeted couriers were present at all times and I've no doubt it affected our service, not least in terms of time but also in terms of distracting our hosts with idle chatter. I exaggerate a little, but it did have a slightly adverse effect on our experience.<br />
<br />
Beyond Deliveroo's influence, our service was a little slow and unfriendly anyway. This was summed up when our request for dessert, that came as part of the thali set, was very reluctantly met. They did seem a little short staffed but a smile wouldn't have gone amiss.<br />
<br />
5/10<br />
<br />
(The irony of this site hosting a Deliveroo ad as I publish this post is not lost on me - thanks Google Ads/Deliveroo ;) )<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value for money</b></span><br />
<br />
As I said, quality wasn't an issue, but the quantity in the thalis for £14 per head certainly was and, whilst Ale & Spice is BYO (always a positive), corkage is still charged.<br />
<br />
The other mains on the menu were also a bit pricey compared to Tooting equivalents but in fairness this was in Balham, hardly London's bargain basement! Still it did generally feel a little overpriced on this occasion. 5/10<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
Sri Lanka seems to be the place to be on the tourist trail at the moment and I certainly hope to visit in the near future. Nevertheless, so far on our South London curry travels the Sri Lankan dishes have yet to get us waxing lyrically. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Seafood is an obvious strength and Ale and Spice didn't disappoint in this respect, but offered little in terms of price and quantity. The quality of the food was generally good to be fair, and we'll have to sample some other mains for a more comprehensive view, but the thalis may not be your best option.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Good to know there's a another dinner choice in Balham, but it may still be worth staying in Tooting for your curry as price and quantity lowered our overall score on this occasion.<br />
<br />
29/50<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-32941119095899156472015-05-14T22:56:00.003+01:002018-03-22T21:12:35.844+00:00Kolam<b><span style="font-size: large;">Please read this review and others on our new site </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.londoncurryblog.com/">www.londoncurryblog.com</a></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">21 April 2015 - Kolam: Drawing out the curry</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TyEPBRybUcI/VVUXlxTSTpI/AAAAAAAAIsM/OBqpuOM8Iwk/s1600/KF1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TyEPBRybUcI/VVUXlxTSTpI/AAAAAAAAIsM/OBqpuOM8Iwk/s320/KF1.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<br />
<div style="display: inline !important;">
Running low on new options still available we finally chose to visit Kolam, a venue previously dismissed on account of it never seeming busy and not being BYO.</div>
<br />
A kolam is apparently a geometrical line drawing widely practised by female Hindu family members in front of their houses to bring prosperity. We were hoping a visit would bring us good fortune, but instead we were joined again by the unflappable Louise Hitchen who waddled her way from Balham to join us. On this rare occasion Tom was the first to arrive and cut a very lonesome figure sat inside on his own with only the proprietor as company. Eventually, Louise and I arrived to begin the meal and review.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Venue</span></b><br />
<br />
As alluded to already, Kolam is not the liveliest of venues on the high street. I walked past it every day for the best part of three years and rarely saw anyone inside. I even wondered how it ever stayed in business, tucked away as it is very unassumingly opposite the Job Centre Plus. Indeed, on our visit only two other tables were occupied – one by two guys and another by a sole female diner. You certainly won’t find the hustle and bustle of Spice Village or Lahore Karahi here, but we didn’t mind. You’ll find instead a calming ambience, with even the road outside seemingly silenced by curry reverence.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aSnp-Elm8gA/VVUWBVC7ipI/AAAAAAAAIp0/si5zkKfFb78/s1600/IMG_20150421_200517.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aSnp-Elm8gA/VVUWBVC7ipI/AAAAAAAAIp0/si5zkKfFb78/s320/IMG_20150421_200517.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mhJw3DtjZAs/VVUWC7mn_JI/AAAAAAAAIp8/n02M2b_5BhA/s1600/IMG_20150421_200526.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mhJw3DtjZAs/VVUWC7mn_JI/AAAAAAAAIp8/n02M2b_5BhA/s320/IMG_20150421_200526.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Kolam offers a very pleasant dining experience. Everything is neat, ordered and clean – something that can’t be said of other local rivals. There is a warm and welcoming feel, enhanced by the authentic art on the walls and pleasant greeting from the owners. Perhaps one for the more discerning curry eater or just if you’re looking for a more peaceful experience than can be found elsewhere.<br />
<br />
7/10 for venue.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rQdvE2cVbRs/VVUXQfFFf_I/AAAAAAAAIsE/tBPHRyVuXzE/s1600/IMG_20150421_220104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rQdvE2cVbRs/VVUXQfFFf_I/AAAAAAAAIsE/tBPHRyVuXzE/s320/IMG_20150421_220104.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Starters and sides</span></b><br />
<br />
Aubergine bhaji<br />
Carrot poriyal<br />
Idly with sambhar and chutney<br />
Poori<br />
Naan<br />
Rotti<br />
Pilau rice<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CgusMHMY-T0/VVUWDXSGXLI/AAAAAAAAIqE/Hte2Xl9SF38/s1600/IMG_20150421_202442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CgusMHMY-T0/VVUWDXSGXLI/AAAAAAAAIqE/Hte2Xl9SF38/s320/IMG_20150421_202442.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JdqdAEZ3g7w/VVUWnoxlzYI/AAAAAAAAIq8/JKhBwS-vOtg/s1600/IMG_20150421_205100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JdqdAEZ3g7w/VVUWnoxlzYI/AAAAAAAAIq8/JKhBwS-vOtg/s320/IMG_20150421_205100.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
First thing to say with regards to the food is how usefully descriptive the menu is. Each sub-genre is given a little blurb explaining the defining features or typical time each dish is eaten. This gives an insightful view into the food choices on offer and emphasises the range of authentic dishes available.<br />
<br />
For starters we chose the aubergine bhaji and idly(steamed baked rice cakes) that proved delicious and generous in number, especially when dipped in the accompanying sambhar and chutney. While I gorged on idly, Tom was enamoured with the carrot poriyal - shredded stir fried carrot in a dry style, cooked with onions, black mustard seeds, coconut flakes and mild spices. This was a rather unique offering and also comes in cabbage and bean varieties.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lf0wp6Xii0E/VVUWRqJt0gI/AAAAAAAAIqY/COe35h-keGw/s1600/IMG_20150421_202450.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Lf0wp6Xii0E/VVUWRqJt0gI/AAAAAAAAIqY/COe35h-keGw/s320/IMG_20150421_202450.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLg4mlAl6wQ/VVUWR1Wd3nI/AAAAAAAAIqU/NdzITL-fezQ/s1600/IMG_20150421_202454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLg4mlAl6wQ/VVUWR1Wd3nI/AAAAAAAAIqU/NdzITL-fezQ/s320/IMG_20150421_202454.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Kolam also offers a range of 'rotties' or breads - plain rotti, kothu rotti, poori and naan. We sampled three of the four, the highlight of which was the poori which came as a pair. Perhaps a little too oily for some, it provides a lovely deep fried accompaniment to curry. The naan and plain rotti weren't as good, but were nevertheless decent.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sgVPBPgA4-A/VVUWwQ8xSLI/AAAAAAAAIrE/wzEhDifrDj4/s1600/IMG_20150421_205108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sgVPBPgA4-A/VVUWwQ8xSLI/AAAAAAAAIrE/wzEhDifrDj4/s320/IMG_20150421_205108.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZKjWFBdRls/VVUXEzaEhGI/AAAAAAAAIrs/fafXcoBOOps/s1600/IMG_20150421_205221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ZKjWFBdRls/VVUXEzaEhGI/AAAAAAAAIrs/fafXcoBOOps/s320/IMG_20150421_205221.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
All in all, the range of starters and sides at Kolam is commendable. For kebab or meat lovers this perhaps isn't the place for you, but for more authentic, dosa, vadai, bhaji and uthappam options Kolam really hits the spot. For this reason, and the fact that the breads were good, it's a solid 7/10 for starters and sides here. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qpv1tE7F20/VVUW-g8cYMI/AAAAAAAAIrc/R6I1uPmYBck/s1600/IMG_20150421_205207.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qpv1tE7F20/VVUW-g8cYMI/AAAAAAAAIrc/R6I1uPmYBck/s320/IMG_20150421_205207.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j_b0DlzEBc0/VVUW_CznAQI/AAAAAAAAIrg/MmxHgj2ttFI/s1600/IMG_20150421_205212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j_b0DlzEBc0/VVUW_CznAQI/AAAAAAAAIrg/MmxHgj2ttFI/s320/IMG_20150421_205212.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curry</b></span><br />
<br />
Prawn masala<br />
Kolam keerai lamb<br />
Kolam bhuna chicken<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sSdpMOBCVU8/VVUXNEpKN_I/AAAAAAAAIr0/PRqEl60V-7c/s1600/IMG_20150421_205225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sSdpMOBCVU8/VVUXNEpKN_I/AAAAAAAAIr0/PRqEl60V-7c/s320/IMG_20150421_205225.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H2Zu6VnaJcg/VVUWxaKUlNI/AAAAAAAAIrI/NKfGYvrGTq8/s1600/IMG_20150421_205103.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H2Zu6VnaJcg/VVUWxaKUlNI/AAAAAAAAIrI/NKfGYvrGTq8/s320/IMG_20150421_205103.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The curry followed the form of the starters with generous portions and strong flavours. Notably, all three were packed full of meat and veg, so you get good bang for your buck. The highlight was probably the lamb kolam keerai, a mild spinach curry with tender meat pieces from the restaurant's speciality menu. The chicken bhuna, another special, packed more heat and came with tomato, capsicum and fenugreek leaves. The prawn curry was also tomatoey, but it wasn't quite as good - as a rule of thumb, I prefer king prawn dishes for a more textured bite, but nonetheless there were plenty of prawns in this dish.<br />
<br />
Again, the curries here were a solid offering and well worth a try. 7/10.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YjFlGDEYVps/VVUWgmSwhYI/AAAAAAAAIqw/pStM-HGT2-U/s1600/IMG_20150421_205053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YjFlGDEYVps/VVUWgmSwhYI/AAAAAAAAIqw/pStM-HGT2-U/s320/IMG_20150421_205053.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JxkZb2BF0WY/VVUW2RU9ofI/AAAAAAAAIrU/WD-M9JQEwhc/s1600/IMG_20150421_205203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JxkZb2BF0WY/VVUW2RU9ofI/AAAAAAAAIrU/WD-M9JQEwhc/s320/IMG_20150421_205203.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Service</span></b><br />
<br />
This feels like a family run place and the owners (presumably husband and wife) are very friendly and welcoming. Their warmth makes this a very pleasant dining experience. Each dish came with an introduction and a smile. The restaurant was in pristine condition, reflecting the general courtesy and good service. The only possible criticism is that we waited longer than average for the food, but we were in no rush and this could be forgiven as the husband and wife seemed to be the only two employees; the absence of hustle was replaced with serene politeness which is often amiss elsewhere in Tooting curry houses. 8/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value for money</b></span><br />
<br />
It's difficult for restaurants without BYO to score top marks on VFM, but the quality and size of portions here mean Kolam still scores highly. Including alcoholic drinks the bill came to over £20 each so not the cheapest around, but certainly worth it. 7/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dqesBrjaQ5o/VVUXNpu8uyI/AAAAAAAAIr4/anjReEMuR2I/s1600/IMG_20150421_205228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dqesBrjaQ5o/VVUXNpu8uyI/AAAAAAAAIr4/anjReEMuR2I/s320/IMG_20150421_205228.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
I'll let our guest Louise summarise this one, the last point being particularly worth noting:<br />
<br />
<i>"I declare Kolam a success. In summary: a hidden gem. Family service with a beaming smile and a particular highlight was the lamb and the bread thing [the poori] that Murphington [sic] ordered. Delicious! The lack of an ambience actually worked in this establishment's favour. (obviously meant I could pay more attention to the witty table repartee)."</i><br />
<br />
All in all, a high scoring 36/50.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/kolam-tooting"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Kolam on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6110499/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<br /></div>
Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-61869806859905065042015-03-18T22:36:00.002+00:002018-03-22T21:14:25.102+00:00Chennai Dosa<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Please read this review and others on our new site </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.londoncurryblog.com/">www.londoncurryblog.com</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>16 March 2015 - Chennai Dosa: A cheeky dosa curry blogging</b></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nAycxk1-1ko/VU9m5z03iGI/AAAAAAAAIoo/HrCOAwZBHL0/s1600/chennai5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nAycxk1-1ko/VU9m5z03iGI/AAAAAAAAIoo/HrCOAwZBHL0/s320/chennai5.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
Yes, it's been a while, too long some might say. Nevertheless, we go onwards into 2015, continuing on our curry quest. </div>
<br />
We haven't posted since August last year, but don't worry, we have been eating... just not anywhere new in Tooting. Most recently I was again impressed by Namak Mandi, and also got my first taste of India in November (Kerala) which reaffirmed my love of the food and opened my eyes to a host of new culinary delights.<br />
<br />
On this occasion though, we were back in Tooting and tried Chennai Dosa for the first time. Often overlooked by us due to it's lack of alcohol, on a Monday evening that didn't seem too important.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Venue</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b-Ro8UNUF7k/VU9m6BR-u_I/AAAAAAAAIo8/ode4xsRsOYg/s1600/chennai6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b-Ro8UNUF7k/VU9m6BR-u_I/AAAAAAAAIo8/ode4xsRsOYg/s320/chennai6.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Chennai Dosa, Tooting, is one of several in the same chain found across South East London. Situated on the corner of the main road and Foulser Road, it's bright white signage is very welcoming, and draws the eye if travelling Southbound from Tooting Bec, even with the luring lights of Spice Village in the middle distance behind.<br />
<br />
Whilst Spice Village has recently had a refurb, sadly the same can't be said of Chennai Dosa. Inside you'll find garishly coloured window ledges, red and white warning tape covering broken mirror edges and similar, masking-tape repairs made to the chair cushions.However, I am torn (much like the chairs) about this bleak sounding eatery. On the one hand it doesn't sound pleasant, but on the other hand it evokes fond memories of similar restaurants I frequented in India, with the metallic crockery and distinctive menu only adding to this sense of nostalgia. Maybe I'm just a romantic or my nostalgia formed a pair of rose-tinted spectacles upon my nose (yes Jon Inverdale, rose-TINted), but I quite liked what I'm going to describe as the 'character' of this place.<br />
<br />
That said, this blog and our reputation has always been based on our objectivity and integrity (my nose strangely grows as I write this), therefore, it's only right to compare like for like. In this respect, Chennai Dosa's decor doesn't compare to the likes of Spice Village. But then again the curry scene in Tooting is certainly not based on contemporary interior design (far from it), and I for one found Chennai Dosa uniquely charming and I hope others who have visited India share my thoughts and feelings upon eating here.<br />
<br />
In the interests of a balanced view, I'll give Venue a 6 out of 10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Starters and Sides</b></span><br />
<br />
Chilli Fried Idly<br />
Chicken Varuval (Medium Dry)<br />
5 Parotta<br />
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9TNYJw7PN4/VU9m5hyVn1I/AAAAAAAAIok/ySxTPMHFhIs/s1600/chennai1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R9TNYJw7PN4/VU9m5hyVn1I/AAAAAAAAIok/ySxTPMHFhIs/s320/chennai1.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kQaKqpRgkE8/VU9m45Ef0oI/AAAAAAAAIoc/79c4t5IZBPU/s1600/chennai4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kQaKqpRgkE8/VU9m45Ef0oI/AAAAAAAAIoc/79c4t5IZBPU/s320/chennai4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
The menu here is as authentically Indian as the interior. This is quite distinctive from the rest of the high street in so far as it doesn't try to balance the menu with your typical Anglicized dishes, (I'm looking at you chicken tikka masala!).<br />
<br />
The starter menu is dominated by vadai (savoury fritter-type donuts), gobi (cauliflower) and dry meat dishes. Not being a huge fan of the former two, we opted for a medium dry chicken dish -the chicken varuval - and the one idly dish - the chili fried idly.<br />
<br />
Having overlooked the fact that the idly was fried, this wasn't quite as expected. The idly itself was actually quite nice, but it came in almost a sweet and sour sauce that was more Chinese than Indian and a little odd.<br />
<br />
The varuval was arguably the stand out dish and when scooped up with the parotta was most evocative of the dishes I'd had on holiday in Kerala, with real strong, cardamon and fennel flavours coming through. However, I don't think you wouldn't want to eat it without rice or bread.<br />
<br />
The bread we had was parotta. Despite sounding more like an Italian footballer, parotta is actually a layered flatbread, a bit more pancake-like and stodgy than a chappati or naan. They tend to be a little greasy, but these were very good and a perfect accompaniment to the varuval and curry.<br />
<br />
Whilst the varuval and parotta were good, the idly wasn't great and, compared to other starter menus elsewhere, Chennai Dosa's isn't overly exciting. Perhaps harsh, but I'll give a 6 for starters, particularly as the varuval was more like a curry anyway.</div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WKOCm4JvreU/VU9m470b2RI/AAAAAAAAIoY/W4KwzyEpfIU/s1600/chennai2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WKOCm4JvreU/VU9m470b2RI/AAAAAAAAIoY/W4KwzyEpfIU/s320/chennai2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Curry</span></b><br />
<br />
Special chicken curry<br />
Special mutton curry</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0vw-e9YLNNI/VU9m7kl9z4I/AAAAAAAAIpA/-qA382qCltc/s1600/chennai8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0vw-e9YLNNI/VU9m7kl9z4I/AAAAAAAAIpA/-qA382qCltc/s320/chennai8.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dhAxEjjZ_0c/VU9m7OL_9QI/AAAAAAAAIo0/2otGLkpAv5k/s1600/chennai7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dhAxEjjZ_0c/VU9m7OL_9QI/AAAAAAAAIo0/2otGLkpAv5k/s320/chennai7.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
In a slightly criminal stance, and hiding behind our moniker of curry blog, we didn't actually try the dosa. Instead, we opted for two of the eight curries on offer. After the prawn masala was out, we asked the waiter for his recommendation and ended up with the special chicken and special mutton curries. Not giving much away with their names, upon tasting they were both decent, but slightly nondescript. The quality of the meat was ok, but difficult to tell the difference between the two beyond their colour. However, once again they tasted of the real thing and, throwing the varuval into the mix, worthy of a 7 out of 10 even if a little generous.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Service</b></span><br />
<br />
The lads in here were much friendlier than others, quite attentive and offered recommendations willingly. It wasn't too busy and the two starters came out separately, but otherwise no complaints. 7/10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value For Money</b></span><br />
<br />
Good value to be found here, both of us were amply filled for £30 including a generous tip. No beers here to add to the cost either and curries were no more than a fiver each. Perhaps other places have surprised us more with greater quantity and quality for similar prices, so a 7/10 is fair score.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<br />
My nostalgia aside, Chennai Dosa is not going to blow you away, but is a solid choice for dosas and the like for those with slightly more authentic leanings. Not the one for a big, sociable group curry, perhaps more of a lunch or breakfast choice, but nonetheless decent flavours and a nice diversion from the usual options.<br />
<br />
33/50<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.zomato.com/london/chennai-dosa-tooting"><img alt="Click to add a blog post for Chennai Dosa on Zomato" src="https://www.zomato.com/logo/6101452/minilink" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a> </div>
Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-38955476243022913322014-08-26T22:57:00.002+01:002015-02-07T15:09:13.323+00:00Al Mirage<span style="font-size: large;"><b>5 August 2014 – Al Mirage: A curry haze</b></span><br />
<br />
Many times I’ve passed Al Mirage and questioned whether my eyes deceived me or not – how could any curry house try and upstage Mirch Masala at such close proximity? Nevertheless, this restaurant really does exist right next door and, as such, has to be counted in its own right.<br />
<br />
Like two nomads, we wandered towards Al Mirage in search of another curry oasis. Here’s what we found...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QUL9vsTBOO0/U_0Ao5O02SI/AAAAAAAAAYk/C8przJWJiZI/s1600/IMG-20140826-WA0004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QUL9vsTBOO0/U_0Ao5O02SI/AAAAAAAAAYk/C8przJWJiZI/s1600/IMG-20140826-WA0004.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Venue</span></b><br />
<br />
Whilst most locals will be familiar with the virtues of Mirch Masala, I’m not certain the same can be said of its neighbour Al Mirage. However, one could be forgiven for assuming Al Mirage was the more famed of the two, given its more prominent position on the corner of Kellino Street and its more eye catching frontage. With glass walls and brightly lit interior it has a more welcoming feel than its rather understated rival next door. However, when seeing its palm tree logo and shabby chic exterior I can’t help but compare it to something out of Lego’s Paradisa range. Inside, a spiral staircase completes this allusion, as does the somewhat low budget, faux brickwork that fills two circular wall alcoves.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20090924114607/lego/images/2/2e/Poolside_paradise.jpg" height="228" width="320" /></div>
<br />
Recent refurbishments have been made, but the overall feel is one of incompleteness. The cut away first floor, staircase and overall space suggests Al Mirage has potential, but an idle fridge (more on this later) situated in the dining area sums up the haphazard layout and seemingly unfinished interior design.<br />
<br />
The local scene is hardly awash with seven-star, Abu Dhabi-style lavishing, but Al Mirage doesn’t seem to be taking advantage of its assets. This can be summed up by empty tables, while punters queue next door. 5/10 for venue.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Starters and sides</b></span><br />
<br />
Grilled masala fish<br />
Roghni naan<br />
Peshwari naan</div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hk2KEBWveQk/U_0BuA_wZXI/AAAAAAAAAYs/9yoh9p-oTSc/s1600/IMG_20140805_201959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hk2KEBWveQk/U_0BuA_wZXI/AAAAAAAAAYs/9yoh9p-oTSc/s1600/IMG_20140805_201959.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Feeling a bit worse for wear, we took it easy on the starters and shared a grilled masala fish that came with cucumber and lettuce. Not the highest marks for presentation, and the coating looked a little over done, but generally the fish was tasty, with a nice kick to it. <br />
<br />
No rice on this occasion, but the naans were ample. Both were decent with a fluffy and buttery texture, but this wasn’t consistent throughout.<br />
<br />
<div>
Without much to go on, we’ll be generous with a 7 out of 10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curry</b></span></div>
<div>
<br />
Tropical chicken balti<br />
Lamb peshwari gosht<br />
<br />
Sticking with our policy of choosing the most interestingly named items on the menu we went for the tropical chicken balti that lived up to its fruity name with a lovely tangy taste. <br />
<br />
The peshwari gosht had a strong tomato richness and the lamb was just the right side of fatty, retaining its taste without being too gristly. <br />
<br />
All in all, these were two strong performers with more texture that other creamier dishes on the high street. 7/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Staff</span></b><br />
<br />
The staff ratings got off to a good start with a friendly hello upon entry, but the waiter did his best to undermine this positive first impression by giving condescending responses to our questions. After asking us how hot we’d like our dishes, he almost sniggered at our response of ‘medium’ as if we were a couple of amateurs. He then proceeded to bang my chair with the fridge door when he opened it to get our drinks out. A simple 'excuse me' would have sufficed, or better still don’t put the fridge there in the bloody first place! Luckily a friendly chat with another colleague redeemed the score a little, and Tom noticed that there was severe crossover between waiting and cooking suggesting a multi-talented workforce. However, we can’t be sure this wasn’t just disorganisation and the benefit of the doubt was lost when my chair got banged for a second time. He also attempted to clear my plate half way through the meal. 5/10.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kR_g5tH5Ko0/U_0AitVq0mI/AAAAAAAAAYU/0vdNQlsP4I4/s1600/IMG-20140826-WA0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kR_g5tH5Ko0/U_0AitVq0mI/AAAAAAAAAYU/0vdNQlsP4I4/s1600/IMG-20140826-WA0003.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value for money</b></span><br />
Al Mirage is a dry restaurant and not BYO so a point lost for VFM there, but prices are fairly standard. Nothing notable with portion size or quality so won’t get top marks, but all in all no complaints. 7/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Summary</span></b><br />
<br />
With a name like Al Mirage, I was hoping to make a pun around 'seeing is believing', but it is more or less what you see is what you get. Once through the looking glass, the inside lacks character and recent updates fail to leave you impressed. The waiting staff are a mixed bunch and there isn't the buzz of next door. Shame, because I'm a big fan of Lego Paradisa. 32/50.<br />
<div class="" data-height="260" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6111438" data-width="320" id="zomatoRestaurantWidget" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;">
</div>
<script type="text/javascript"> (function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( "script" ); scriptElem.src ="https://www.zomato.com/widgets/restaurant_widget"; scriptElem.async = true;scriptElem.type = "text/javascript"; (document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0] ||document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-31240518063287429782014-06-24T08:53:00.001+01:002015-02-07T15:09:51.958+00:00Rayyan's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>3 June 2014 - Rayyan’s: Gosling down the curry</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nQZ1dD71b1c/U6imvMsC8eI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/M0pZyImg5tg/s1600/rayyans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nQZ1dD71b1c/U6imvMsC8eI/AAAAAAAAAXQ/M0pZyImg5tg/s1600/rayyans.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
When we heard that Manchester United and Wales footballing legend, Ryan Giggs had opened up a restaurant in Tooting, called Ryan’s we thought it must be a lie. <br />
<br />
It was. <br />
<br />
When instead we heard that, rather than being a gastronomic venture by an ex-professional sportsman, Rayyan’s was a spin off from the guys behind Mirch Masala, the truth could not have been more welcome.<br />
<br />
Then, when we heard that Rayyan’s is BYO we just had to get down there and check it out. <br />
<br />
We were joined again by Liam who, for his third outing with us, gets… absolutely nothing. <br />
<br />
Here’s what we thought.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Venue</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
This is another relatively new restaurant that has cropped up along Mitcham Road, away from the livelier High Road. Whilst this area of Tooting doesn’t traditionally draw the curry crowd, Rayyan’s may soon buck the trend. By their own bold claim they are ‘Pioneers of karahi’, a tag which not only suits their borderline location, but also the fresh look and feel of the restaurant. <br />
<br />
Space is often at a premium in local curry houses, but at Rayyan’s tasteful uplighting and contemporary art brighten white walls and give the restaurant a light and airy feel. Whilst the low number of diners may have helped build this illusion there was certainly a more relaxed vibe, almost Mediterranean villa-esque. The brown leather furniture is also a bit more upmarket from the standard IKEA cheap seats found elsewhere and tasteful Indian pop adds a touch of authenticity.<br />
<br />
All in all, a very pleasant addition to the scene and it even has its own TV advert (see Rayyan’s Facebook page) which deserves recognition. 8/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Starters and sides</span></b><br />
<br />
Popadoms<br />
Tandori mixed grill<br />
Garlic naan<br />
Kulcha naan<br />
Peshwari naan<br />
Two pilau rice<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bSQGd9Ygbis/U6kuGOJP1NI/AAAAAAAAAX0/MGZ8Jv-RM1U/s1600/IMG_20140603_213558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bSQGd9Ygbis/U6kuGOJP1NI/AAAAAAAAAX0/MGZ8Jv-RM1U/s1600/IMG_20140603_213558.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
The popadoms to start with were average, but the accompanying salad was atypically fresh and a sign of better things to come. This came in the form of a deliciously juicy tandoori mixed grill which, as fate would have it, had three of each item; one kebab, chicken tikka, lamb tikka and lamb chop for each of us. <br />
<br />
Tom then went naan mad (once again) and ordered a garlic, a kulcha and a peshwari naan to go with two pilau rice in some sort of carb loading frenzy. The garlic was slightly over done and all three weren’t as fluffy and light as can be found elsewhere. Unsurprisingly, whilst decent, the volume defeated us in the end, but this isn’t factored into the score of 7 out of 10, driven up by the succulent mixed grill. <br />
<br />
7/10<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Curry</span></b><br />
<br />
Karahi Fish<br />
Shank Murg Chana<br />
Afghan Karahi Lamb<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IMKqnilPGVI/U6kuH_LjnAI/AAAAAAAAAYA/b1yFxdKTXXI/s1600/IMG_20140603_214738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IMKqnilPGVI/U6kuH_LjnAI/AAAAAAAAAYA/b1yFxdKTXXI/s1600/IMG_20140603_214738.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We followed a recommendation on the Afghan Karahi lamb and it didn’t disappoint. Whilst not as sizeable as Namak Mandi’s offering the flavours did match and a bite into the on-the-bone pieces revealed an irresistibly pink and tender centre. <br />
<br />
The Shahi Murgh Chana was chosen on name alone and despite this relatively fancy label, this lentil based dish was rather non-descript. However, the Karahi Fish was out of this world. The fish almost melted into the curry on your fork creating a taste sensation, one of the best curries we've had; no visit should exclude it.<br />
<br />
8/10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Service</b></span><br />
<br />
The guys here were friendly and very attentive. It may have been driven by a sparse Tuesday night crowd and our lingering presence, but they continually asked us if everything was ok. A vainer man might think it was due to our growing local celebrity, but I’m sure the reality was that they just wanted us to hurry up and leave. However, they did invite us to stick around just a little while longer with free kulfi – a nice touch that was greatly appreciated and which increases our service rating. 8/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Value For Money</span></b><br />
<br />
At £48 for three, this isn’t the cheapest venue, but we did over do the naan order and £16 each for the feast we had was more than fair. Plus, when you throw in the free ice cream and BYO this is certainly good value. 7/10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<br />
Overall, this slightly more premium offering from the guys behind Mirch Masala ticks all our boxes and has made us think twice about sticking to the well-trodden path of Tooting High Street. The curries may look a pound or two more and you can find better naans, but the contemporary surrounds and option to bring your own alcohol make this a place well worth adding to any Tooting curry fan’s hit list. This sentiment is reflected in our overall score of 38/50 placing Rayyan’s firmly in the Champions League spots of our leaderboard, something Giggsy himself would envy right now.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span>Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-43110529013651945392014-04-26T15:19:00.000+01:002015-02-07T15:10:32.763+00:00Cinnamon Garden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0000ee; font-size: large;"><b>15 April 2014 - Cinnamon Garden: Off the beaten track</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0000ee;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RR3Qt8-rBek/U1u8s7dMVWI/AAAAAAAAAV4/zT0wcUdN11M/s1600/IMG_20140415_202601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RR3Qt8-rBek/U1u8s7dMVWI/AAAAAAAAAV4/zT0wcUdN11M/s1600/IMG_20140415_202601.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ever the pioneers, we took a punt on this Tooting newbie. So
new, in fact, that Google hadn’t even found it yet, but that didn’t stop us
putting it on the map. As with many new discoveries, Cinnamon Garden can be
found on the path less travelled, in this instance about half way between
Tooting Broadway and Tooting station on the Mitcham Road. This was new
territory to Tom and me so we had our wits about us. However, for some reason
Tom was dragging a pink carry on bag around with him and as a result we were drawing
a lot of unwanted attention. So much so, we ducked in to the Long Room for a
cheeky pre-poppadom pint and to regain some dignity and composure. Once these
were sunk we ventured to the Garden, Tom still shamelessly with the
aforementioned, lady’s bag still in tow.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Venue</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Situated away from the high street, Cinnamon Garden is
always going to suffer from low footfall. Despite reassurance from our host
that weekends are busy, on our visit we were the only diners for most of our
stay. It’s a good job then that the sole menu available wasn’t in high demand.
Yes, that’s right, I said ONE menu. As absurd as that sounds, I’m not joking.
It wasn’t a special menu either, it was an A4 piece of paper that had seen
better days. It looked like it had been folded in the waiter’s pocket all day,
a really sorry sight indeed. One can only assume that, being a new restaurant,
the leather bound menus hadn’t arrived yet, either that or the ink in the
colour printer had run out. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MKZE_DPcGeQ/U1u-YkYOqiI/AAAAAAAAAWI/qLF_iaicUHY/s1600/IMG_20140415_194534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MKZE_DPcGeQ/U1u-YkYOqiI/AAAAAAAAAWI/qLF_iaicUHY/s1600/IMG_20140415_194534.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Aside from the dearth of menus the rest of the restaurant was
relatively pleasant. A new lick of lime green paint (which seems to be the
local curry house colour of the month) coats the walls along with a tasteful
mural of a Sri Lankan palace veranda. Elsewhere, bright paintings fill the
spaces around a full length mirror adorning the left hand wall. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0Kgj7PP_lU/U1u-hXceRgI/AAAAAAAAAWM/hzompEcvlTI/s1600/IMG_20140415_194413.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q0Kgj7PP_lU/U1u-hXceRgI/AAAAAAAAAWM/hzompEcvlTI/s1600/IMG_20140415_194413.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The furniture seems a bit out of sort with incongruously
black, red and white chairs tucked around wood finish tables suggesting a
misplaced order or IKEA stock issues. On the contrary, the tins of pop (including
both 7UP , Sprite, Pepsi and Coke) were well ordered in the fridge counter at
the back, but they also proved to be an indicator of the no alcohol policy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All in all, despite its diminutive size airing on the side
of cute, we have to mark this place down for its far flung location, lack of
customers and menu shortage. It’s also fallen into the trap of the Spice +
Location naming convention which I can’t decide whether I like or not. Either
way, it’s a 5/10. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sides and Starters</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
2 Poppadoms<br />
Coconut rice<br />
2 Potato parathas<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were slightly nervous about what was coming next
following Menu-gate and the poppadoms left us even more doubtful about our
decision to venture so far away from the Upper Tooting Road. These were the
worst poppadoms we've had yet and undoubtedly of the microwave variety. Luckily
they were redeemed by some fresh potato parathas and reasonable coconut rice
that came with out mains. In hindsight, it may be that poppadoms aren’t their
preferred offering, but then don’t put it on the menu…the only menu. 5/10.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Curry</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Prawn Curry<br />
Aubergine Curry<br />
Chicken Kothu<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s fair to say, by this point we weren’t too hopeful about
the mains, especially as the range of choice was limited. Fortunately, we were
pleasantly surprised. Being the only customers seemed to be to our advantage as
all the dishes were freshly made. So much so that the chicken kothu was the
best we’ve had as a result. The portion was also pretty sizeable given its
extremely low price. The aubergine curry was similarly decent with a good
creamy texture while the prawn curry had a pleasant kick from the mix of Sri
Lankan spices and tamarind. However, there are certainly more textured and
unique dishes elsewhere. The generic curry names are perhaps a reflection of
this. Whilst not disappointed we weren’t left raving. 6/10.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Service</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite not speaking a word of the Queen’s, our host was a
very affable chap. He was as quick to apologise for the lack of menus as he was
to ask us if everything was alright with our meal. Being one of few staff we’ve
come across to offer spontaneous chit chat, we have to look on him kindly. 7/10.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value For Money</b></span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Coming in at £18.50 it was amongst the cheapest curry we’ve
consumed. To give you an idea, the prawn curry was the most expensive thing on
the menu at £5. We left stuffed for under £10 each, proving our walk to
Cinnamon Garden to be worth it after all (and a decent bit of post-feed
exercise). Poppadoms aside this was an absolute bargain – 8/10.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Summary</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was never going to be top of our list when we started
out on this curry adventure (not least because it didn’t exist back then), but
it’s not to be walked past (if indeed you do at all). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The kothu was the standout dish and given the low low price,
it’s worth popping into the Cinnamon Garden just to give it a try. I believe
they do takeaway too, although the lack of physical menus seems to have made
its way online making ordering slightly difficult, for now at least. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, if you can find this place and can find the means to
order then do so, if not, please at least confirm to me that it exists and that
I didn’t just make all of this up. 31/50</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-66392987535137556812014-03-18T23:51:00.000+00:002015-03-18T22:39:24.639+00:00Mango Palace<span style="font-size: large;"><b>6 March 2014 - Mango Palace: Man go home, full</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://apac3.zmtnws.com/data/pictures/6/6111596/22adb1edc632e402d9be7071f5b5209a_200_thumb.jpg" /></div>
<br />
Urged by the establishment themselves on the Twittersphere to review their South Indian wares, we popped into Mango Palace to see if their bite was up to their bark. Walking past the likes of Radha Krishna Bhavan and Dosa n Chutny on the way, we were reminded of the company this establishment was keeping and hoped it would live up to its neighbours’ standards. Would Mango Palace offer a royally juicy feed or leave a sour taste in the mouth…<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Venue</b></span><br />
<br />
On first hearing, Mango Palace evokes images of juice filled fountains shimmering beneath fruity minarets– a thought difficult to resist for anyone, I’m sure. Not since James and the Giant Peach or Spongebob Squarepants’ Pineapple house have I been this excited about a fruit based dwelling. However, the reason you haven’t witnessed a gigantic Mango-shaped building on your way to Sainsburys is that the restaurant is, in fact, far less atypical. A shame, but nonetheless unsurprising. In fact, the reality is even a little disappointing. There isn’t a lot that stands out to give this place its own personality. Despite the odd, traditional Keralan mask on the wall, and a golden bar in the corner, the rest of the restaurant could have been in any typical high street curry house. On this occasion the atmosphere was also a bit flat too, although the quirky [Keralan?!] music – a strange mash up of Sigur Ros and Smurfs go pop - was some compensation for the lack of clientele. <br />
<br />
5/10 for venue, but the food is what we came for, so was it redeeming enough?<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sides and Starters</b></span><br />
<br />
Poppadoms<br />
Sambar vadai<br />
Devilled Chicken<br />
Garlic Paratha<br />
Peshwari Naan<br />
Coconut rice<br />
<br />
After some poppadoms with a notable raita dip and some eponymous chutney, we admired the quirky headers on the menu. Aroused by names such as Sensational Starters and Tongue Tinglers we were in too much of a flutter to order for ourselves so decided to leave the menu choices to our host, who willingly obliged. However, thinking I knew better, I still ordered a vadai off my own volition – a soft doughnut made of black gram, ginger, onions, curry leaves and chillies. Unfortunately, it came floating in a bowl of raita which left the vadai soggy and me with proverbial egg on my face.<br />
<br />
We took the waiter’s advice on the rest of the food which proved more fruitful. The first recommendation was the devilled chicken which lived up to its tongue tingling reputation in healthy doses. Whilst the spice of this dish resonated well, the garlic paratha was not as satisfying, but still wasn’t bad. The peshwari naan on the other hand was sublime. A TCB favourite and good benchmark bread, the peshwari naans on Tooting High Street continue to please these two curry journeymen, and Mango Palace’s offering was no exception – fluffy, melt-in-the-mouth, coconut pleasure, what a bounty! <br />
<br />
7/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curry</b></span><br />
<br />
Kodumpli Fish Curry<br />
Lamb Malabar<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-enInZ9hCMgA/UyjbTgm8p8I/AAAAAAAAAVM/1Dznw74USMU/s1600/IMG_20140306_212310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-enInZ9hCMgA/UyjbTgm8p8I/AAAAAAAAAVM/1Dznw74USMU/s1600/IMG_20140306_212310.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Our other main recommendation from our host was the kodumpli fish curry, a keralan dish of mango, ginger, garlic, curry leaves in a roasted coconut based sauce. As with most fish dishes, this proved a hit with Tom who was mopping up the remnants with paratha by the end. Whilst the fish wasn’t the most tender, the consistency and rich flavour of the sauce left a tangy kiss on the palate. The green, lamb malabar was of a similar dense, but smooth style that is likely to impress many, especially given some of the more greasier curries on offer further up the road. However, the lamb was not as tender as elsewhere and both curries arguably lacked a bit of texture. If you’re someone who prefers more than just meat in their sauce then these may not be for you. However, we aren’t as fussy and felt both were strong contenders. 7/10 for mains.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Service</b></span><br />
<br />
What can I say other than it’s probably best listen to the advice on offer from those who know what they’re doing. The recommendations from the guy here were sound. On cue he delivered the goods, employing the old, committing-our-order-to-memory trick in the process – what a pro. He also patiently waited for us to set the world to rights at the end of the night, rather than hurry us out as the last customers, which was appreciated. No complaints. 7/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value For Money</b></span><br />
<br />
Whilst we enjoyed our visit to the Palace, we weren’t left feeling as wealthy as the experience would suggest. Unfortunately, we have to be objective and say this isn’t as cheap as elsewhere, but neither is it overpriced. The lack of BYOB does tip it over the edge though compared to other Tooting venues meaning the end sum was slightly more princely than hoped. 6/10 for VFM.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<br />
It’s fair to say that Mango Palace is a bit of a mixed bag. Whilst we may have let our imaginations run wild with the name, and the experience was hardly fairytale, at times when sampling the peshwari or raita our dreams became a reality. Also, the atmosphere won’t improve unless more people visit, so please do, especially if you like your curry sauce rich and smooth and your naans buttery! <br />
<br />
32/50 in total.Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-26910751314718135872014-02-20T18:54:00.001+00:002014-08-11T19:55:52.082+01:00Namak Mandi<b><span style="font-size: large;">30 January 2014 - Namak Mandi: O Mandi, you came and you gave me a curry</span></b><br />
<br />
For our first Tooting curry of the new year, we opted for a fairly recent addition to the scene, Namak Mandi. On this occasion, we were joined again by Liam Corry, a TCB veteran from our Sree Krishna pilgrimage. After a cheeky ale in The Wheatsheaf we made our silky way over the road to Tooting's very own Afghani restaurant, Namak Mandi, for 'a taste of Peshawar'.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/uSPRvsfzHYigrfs5drZg-9yafWNoq0eSiqZ4nICBNmparcsoxDyFDnjNRq6FT54VWIw37d549CUu99daiA=s320" /></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Venue</span></b><br />
<br />
It never ceases to amaze me what is crammed into some of the convenience stores in Tooting, least not Namak Mandi which is found squashed between the oddly named Universal Store Pound Plus and Universal All In One Convenience Store. Much like its tardis-like neighbours, there's more to Namak Mandi than meets the eye. If you can navigate your way around the tat that's piled up outside the shops next door, and the bus stop attendees outside the entrance, you'll discover a hidden gem on the Tooting curry scene. <br />
<br />
Upon entry the aroma hits you, as flavour sizzles up from the kitchen that flanks the left hand wall. Just in front of which is a cushioned lounge area for the regulars, who flaunt their curry house prestige like Amsterdam’s female window dressers - with a surprising sense of propriety. Unperturbed by these rabble rousers, we were shown to the back, past a few, but crowded tables.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0E3WYPEjv4o/UwZN-wpv7GI/AAAAAAAAAT4/FzlLE3ZE1v4/s1600/IMG-20140130-WA0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0E3WYPEjv4o/UwZN-wpv7GI/AAAAAAAAAT4/FzlLE3ZE1v4/s1600/IMG-20140130-WA0003.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We were quickly handed colourful menus that were bordered with pictures of the food and a poster behind our table welcomed us with pictures of the Peshawar region. The other walls were similarly draped with homely, Afghan fabrics and ornaments. However, the real charm is to be found upstairs. Only at the end of the meal did we make this discovery when popping to the gents. For a minimum spend of £20 (easily done) you can sit in one of several cushion-lined, curtained-off,. lounge areas for a real, authentic, Afghan tea house experience.<br />
<br />
We left aghast at having missed out on this opportunity and that it wasn't offered to us by the staff (we can only imagine that they were too lazy to take the food upstairs). Nevertheless, the smells wafting from the open kitchen and the unique menu are still enough to turn this unassuming little restaurant into one worth visiting…but definitely sit upstairs. 7/10<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Starters and Sides</span></b><br />
<br />
Peshawari Chapli kebab<br />
Peshawari Butter Naan<br />
Mixed Grill<br />
Large Pilau Rice<br />
Afghan Tea<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5mVWdUBzPzQ/UwZOaca4ieI/AAAAAAAAAUA/gqJtSDw4KFs/s1600/IMG_20140130_211605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5mVWdUBzPzQ/UwZOaca4ieI/AAAAAAAAAUA/gqJtSDw4KFs/s1600/IMG_20140130_211605.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
For starters we had a chapli kebab and mixed grill of chicken tikka, lamb tikka, lamb chops and kofte kebabs. Despite others raving about chapli kebabs, they're yet to win us over. Our view is that they're like deep fried lamb burgers, which might satisfy the Scottish amongst you, but our preference is a good mixed grill. Namak Mandi's didn't let us down, with a unique touch of lamb on the bone that packed a spicy punch. This wasn't the only surprising lamb as there was a whole braised leg hidden in our epic portion of pilau. The naan was equally large, so big, in fact, it needed to be hung on it's own custom built stand. Then to top it all, we received complimentary kahwah - Afghan green tea - a necessary digestif after all the lamb. 7/10 for starters and sides.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Zp8EHkxQeo/UwZOyUq4XKI/AAAAAAAAAUI/DPpYZ5lcp7w/s1600/IMG_20140130_211935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3Zp8EHkxQeo/UwZOyUq4XKI/AAAAAAAAAUI/DPpYZ5lcp7w/s1600/IMG_20140130_211935.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Curry</span></b><br />
<br />
Namak Mandi Lamb Karahi<br />
Charsi Chicken Tikka Masala<br />
<br />
Lamb was again on the menu for the mains as we tucked into a cavernous karahi of Namak Mandi's signature lamb, a dish whose physical depths were matched by it's deep, rich flavour. The chicken dish wasn't as large, but was still generously sized and of a high standard. Both were clearly freshly prepared, which cannot be said of most curries on the high street - a strong score as a result 8/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Service</span></b><br />
<br />
The solitary chef was welcoming as we came in, but the other staff were less vocal. Nevertheless, they got the job done, albeit one a little clumsily (one made a huge save from dropping a load of plates and knocked into a table a few times). Also we had a bit of a wait for our food, but they did set our expectations and the food was fresh as a result. In general, it was a more relaxed affair, as the complimentary tea reflected, so we weren't too irritable. However, we remain slightly bitter about not being led upstairs - who doesn't want two moustached, old Afghan men leading them into a dark, curtained off area? 6/10.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ngVukNodUg/UwZPCVGH77I/AAAAAAAAAUQ/fO432frvGlQ/s1600/IMG_20140130_215801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6ngVukNodUg/UwZPCVGH77I/AAAAAAAAAUQ/fO432frvGlQ/s1600/IMG_20140130_215801.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Value For Money</span></b><br />
<br />
Everything in this place is set up for sharing so, accordingly, value for money ranks highly. Like Soviets we were left defeated by the Afghans, such was the quantity consumed. Our second naan didn't even make it to the table as I couldn't face it hanging there, mocking us. As it came to a about £15 a head with nice bonuses in the tea and rice-hiding lamb we can't rate VFM low - 8/10.<br />
<br />
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Summary</span></b><br />
<br />
Namak Mandi is a genuine alternative to other curries on the high street and with sharing sized portions, cushioned lounge areas and great value for money this is a highly recommended, sociable curry venue. We weren't even bothered that we couldn't drink, meaning this praise is even offered sober! A great feed and an authentic feel, try it yourself, but you may have to do some kite running after to burn off all the lamb. 36/50<br />
<br />
See what others thought:<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1657454/restaurant/Tooting/Namak-Mandi-London"><img alt="Namak Mandi on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1657454/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-height="" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6111651" data-width="290" href="http://www.zomato.com/" id="zomatoRatingWidget" style="color: transparent; font-size: 10px;">Zomato - Restaurant search and Food Guide</a> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span></div>
Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-7140058763032576632014-01-21T19:19:00.001+00:002018-01-07T15:10:41.239+00:00Daawat<span style="font-size: large;"><b>9 January 2014 – Daawat: A Dosa & A Daawat</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RQbbrEq_yF4/Ut7Haf7YP6I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/ski4qbkiOq8/s1600/daawat.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RQbbrEq_yF4/Ut7Haf7YP6I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/ski4qbkiOq8/s1600/daawat.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Full of New Year resolve and health binge reverie we decided to go for a curry. Whilst we made a dent in our fitness plans, the same pain wasn’t felt by our wallets as the kind folk at Zomato welcomed in our 2014 with a gift voucher. In the process, we inadvertently celebrated our two year anniversary too (the blog’s, not mine and Tom’s).<br />
<br />
The money off was to sample Daawat’s thali menu and so that’s what we did. Poor form to start 2014 outside of Tooting, but we’re not going to turn down free food, least not when it’s only a short stroll from work.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Venue</b></span><br />
<br />
<div>
Dawaat is situated off the Strand and is part of the Strand Palace Hotel, but there was no red carpet rolled out for us, instead we entered via the side entrance on Burleigh Street. <br />
<br />
Upon entry we were given a choice of seats…pretty much all of them as there was no one there. We chose a table by the window and took in our desolate surroundings. <br />
<br />
The tables were each adorned with a flower in a glass, and the deep red of the walls juxtaposed tastefully with the dark wood furniture, picture frames and white coving. However, eagle-eyed Tom Scrimgour noted down the paper table cloths and surmised that the rest of the interior may not be as high end as it first appears.<br />
<br />
The few other diners seemed to be hotel guests who had stumbled in the wrong door on the way to the hotel bar or tourists looking for a real British experience. We jest of course, but eavesdropping on a table twenty metres away revealed the not so dulcet tones of some Americans that suggested our suspicions were well-founded. Indeed, the request for something ‘full bodied’ from the wine list that overbore the calming, authentic restaurant music, confirmed we weren’t in the company of fellow enthusiasts. Undeterred (mostly as we were comfortably at a distance from these cowboys) we reached for the menu. <br />
<br />
6/10.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofjqM_Qllt8/Ut7HCOS7yvI/AAAAAAAAAQI/U0VFpy9pEOA/s1600/IMG_20140109_194137.jpg"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofjqM_Qllt8/Ut7HCOS7yvI/AAAAAAAAAQI/U0VFpy9pEOA/s1600/IMG_20140109_194137.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Starters and Sides (Thali)</span></b><br />
<br />
Methi Murgh Kebab<br />
Punjabi Chole (Chickpeas)<br />
Dal Tadka (Lentils)<br />
Jeera Aloo (Potatoes)<br />
Rice<br />
Naan<br />
Pappadom<br />
Salad<br />
<br />
As we were sent to sample the thali menu we obliged accordingly. As such, the starter, sides and curry all came at once. </div>
<div>
For starter, we had a choice of methi murgh kebab or vegetable samosa. We each opted for the chicken kebab that had a nice, zingy fenugreek flavour. This was complimented by a plethora of small side dishes (katori) that offered a range of vegetarian dipping options for the naan and poppadum, both of which were very fresh. The lentil, dal tadka was my favourite, but the chole and jeera aloo were each distinct and worthy contributors to the thali. <br />
<br />
All in all, the platters were fair in size, but the downside of this form of meal is that all items get cold quite quickly. Unfortunately, nothing really took our breath away either. <br />
<br />
Some consolation was the third course on the menu – desert. We had a triple chocolate bavarois (read posh cheesecake) and some pistachio kulfi. Both were very good, with the kulfi taking us pleasantly by surprise. As this isn’t usually our field, we won’t take into account here, 6/10 it is then for starters and sides.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EO708Un5jmE/Ut7GzsujcdI/AAAAAAAAAP0/iUneJkyvOGo/s1600/IMG_20140109_200307.jpg"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EO708Un5jmE/Ut7GzsujcdI/AAAAAAAAAP0/iUneJkyvOGo/s1600/IMG_20140109_200307.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curry</b></span><br />
<br />
Chef’s own lamb rogan josh<br />
Goan prawn curry<br />
<br />
For the main we turned down the choices of chicken tikka masala and paneer makhani for the chef’s own lamb rogan josh and Goan prawn curry. Presumably the chef also had a hand in the Goan prawn which ticked all the right boxes with a healthy kick and tangy, tamarind and coconut sauce that complimented the rice. The slow braised lamb came in a light, mace and cinnamon curry that was equally punchy. Both dishes were thin in texture and in portion, but still more than decent in flavour. 7/10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Service</b></span><br />
<br />
The staff were very attentive and constantly asked us how our meal was. The cynic in me would say this is because we had a voucher and they knew our game, or simply because they had nothing better to do given the lack of visitors, but nevertheless it was appreciated. Beyond this, our main waiter wasn’t much of a talker, but he seemed a good lad. Not a huge amount to add – 7/10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value For Money</b></span><br />
<br />
After 7pm the thali is £18 for three courses, which is perhaps a little steep, but is available earlier for less, at 4-7pm for £15. The beer was also a bit pricey at £4.50 a bottle. I suppose you’re always going to pay tourist prices in central London so we can’t be too harsh, but once again we find another reason to go to Tooting for a curry instead. 6/10 for value for money, but may have been lower had we not received a voucher.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<br />
A decent, pre-theatre, venue with a convenient set menu to boot, we didn’t have anything to complain about at Daawat apart from maybe the atmosphere. We’ll put that down to seasonality on this occasion, but otherwise nothing really knocked our socks off, leaving us with a final total of 32/50.<br />
<br />
As a bonus we got some free market research (our favourite).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dvfZF7xIzPw/Ut7HCBHqrnI/AAAAAAAAAQE/qh33lb3GTBY/s1600/IMG_20140109_205119.jpg"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dvfZF7xIzPw/Ut7HCBHqrnI/AAAAAAAAAQE/qh33lb3GTBY/s1600/IMG_20140109_205119.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
For those interested: Fair, Excellent, N/A, Good, Good, Excellent, Poor, Fair to Good.<br />
<br />
See what others thought:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/565327/restaurant/London/Covent-Garden/Daawat-at-Johnstons-Strand"><img alt="Daawat at Johnstons on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/565327/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/116039/Daawat_at_Johnstons?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Daawat at Johnstons"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/116039/get-blog-review/image/mini.png" height="15" width="104" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-height="" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6112336" data-width="290" href="http://www.zomato.com/" id="zomatoRatingWidget" style="color: transparent; font-size: 10px;">Zomato - Restaurant search and Food Guide</a> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span><br />
<br /></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-RQbbrEq_yF4%2FUt7Haf7YP6I%2FAAAAAAAAAQQ%2Fski4qbkiOq8%2Fs1600%2Fdaawat.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RQbbrEq_yF4/Ut7Haf7YP6I/AAAAAAAAAQQ/ski4qbkiOq8/s1600/daawat.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-EO708Un5jmE%2FUt7GzsujcdI%2FAAAAAAAAAP0%2FiUneJkyvOGo%2Fs1600%2FIMG_20140109_200307.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EO708Un5jmE/Ut7GzsujcdI/AAAAAAAAAP0/iUneJkyvOGo/s1600/IMG_20140109_200307.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-ofjqM_Qllt8%2FUt7HCOS7yvI%2FAAAAAAAAAQI%2FU0VFpy9pEOA%2Fs1600%2FIMG_20140109_194137.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofjqM_Qllt8/Ut7HCOS7yvI/AAAAAAAAAQI/U0VFpy9pEOA/s1600/IMG_20140109_194137.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-dvfZF7xIzPw%2FUt7HCBHqrnI%2FAAAAAAAAAQE%2Fqh33lb3GTBY%2Fs1600%2FIMG_20140109_205119.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dvfZF7xIzPw/Ut7HCBHqrnI/AAAAAAAAAQE/qh33lb3GTBY/s1600/IMG_20140109_205119.jpg" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-18780017633205964342013-12-04T22:12:00.000+00:002018-02-18T11:40:32.886+00:00Dawat<b><span style="font-size: large;">19 November 2013 - Dawat: Dawat's for dinner?</span></b><br />
<br />
After receiving some recommendations on Twitter, we popped into Dawat to see what all the fuss was about. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--sJdSDtIntE/UcMTYqk2uXI/AAAAAAAAAaA/iBq0EBgHX9s/s400/DSC02174.JPG" /></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Venue</span></b><br />
<br />
You could be forgiven for passing by Dawat. Tucked in between Dadu’s cash and carry and Jasmin’s function room its unassuming pink signage can be lost in your peripheral vision as you try and negotiate the hubbub of the Upper Tooting Road. Plus, most curry aficionados will no doubt have one eye on Mirch Masala a short way further down the street, or Masaledar in the opposite direction - tough neighbours to compete with, not least due to Dawat’s somewhat confused interior. <br />
<br />
The place feels like it’s caught in an identity crisis between take away, restaurant and banquet hall. Facing the back, I felt like I was back in Thailand in a dubiously decorated hotel lobby dining area, whilst Tom, looking out to the road, felt like he was in a living room; not least due to all the families present. It felt at times like we were interrupting the mid-week, evening meal, and the pale green adorning the walls added to the discomfort.<br />
<br />
Other notable features were the Fortress of Solitude style lights and a large and mysterious wooden door to the left – who knows, maybe the entrance to an Aladdin’s cave of curry pleasure, but probably not.<br />
<br />
Generally, Dawat lacks the frenetic atmosphere of Mirch or Lahore Karahi up the road, but neither does it impress with more cultured design and decoration. This said, our fellow diners seemed very much at home, comfortably seeking the waiters’ attention and signalling orders with the art of fingers and nods, as if the kebabs were being auctioned. I suppose we felt slightly unsure of ourselves, but we were welcomed with smiles and the food eased our concerns. <br />
<br />
<div>
5/10 for Venue.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Starters and Sides</span></b><br />
Poppadoms<br />
Mango Lassi<br />
Coconut Rice<br />
Kulcha Naan<br />
Peshwari Naan<br />
Chicken Shashlick<br />
<br />
The poppadoms were some of the best, and the mango chutney was bucket-sized in its generosity, much to Tom’s approval. The chicken shashlick was standard, but with a little bit of a stronger kick than some of the more Anglicised tikka offerings elsewhere on the high street. However, perhaps we should have been more adventurous in our choice of starter.<br />
<br />
The breads proved more pleasing, with the sesame of the kulcha naan adding a nutty edge to proceedings and the buttery peshwari providing the perfect compliment to the prawn curry. The coconut rice was decent too and is seemingly becoming our rice of choice (sorry pilau).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://mail.google.com/mail/ca/u/0/?ui=2&ik=4cf375ec7e&view=fimg&th=142bfa80b9cc2b88&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=1453530705818550272-local0&safe=1&attbid=ANGjdJ8fEV-r14krMizjLYqdNGt_U0ka-EdCg-xatndxM0EyCrIWfKvAMd2g1LTfv8WrIDrFkyW3crdPpsXCn8R0i7ukDzoQzjY4hY_UiPC-7C27vXu-daQi_7Xa930&ats=1386194937558&rm=142bfa80b9cc2b88&zw&sz=w1254-h495" /></div>
<br />
You’ll also note the mango lassi indicating the no alcohol policy Dawat operates. We can’t say we condone this, but always respect our hosts. 7/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Curry</span></b><br />
<br />
Deigi Methi Gosht<br />
Tandoori King Prawn Curry<br />
<br />
We were recommended the dal gosht, but opted for the deigi methi gosht instead. After the less than impressive surroundings, the main dishes more than made the visit worthwhile. The lamb was melt-in-your-mouth, fall-off-the-bone good and the methi sauce rich with bitter herb flavours. Likewise, the prawn was excellent. The rich tomato curry was filled to the brim with juicy butterflied king prawns and was lovingly mopped up with naan to the last. These two dishes more than made up for the choice of paint and the odd wooden furnishings - 9/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Staff</span></b><br />
<br />
As mentioned, the staff were welcoming and quite attentive to surrounding diners’ whimsical gesturing. Our waiter was very smiley and several other gleams met us on entry and departure too. We also noted our options being taken down on a crib sheet order book which we appreciated for its efficiency. Beyond this, there was little of note to mention from the staff so a steady 6 out of 10 it is.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Value For Money</span></b><br />
<br />
Whilst the curries were delightful and the prawn was at a pound premium, Dawat is still a fraction more expensive than elsewhere. We were charged extra for the mango chutney, which is not a policy we’re huge fans of (despite ensuring we got our money’s worth). Similarly, the litre bottle of Evian placed on our table was not free. Whilst we were quite aware what was going on we always like to give the benefit of the doubt, often to be disappointed by these unnecessary and underhand techniques. Anyway, at £40 a head with tip it wasn’t too bad, but not as competitive as it could have been; 6/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Summary</span></b><br />
<br />
Dawat was never going to be top of our list when we set out on this Tooting tasting trek, but the main dishes here reached impressive heights. Evidently we weren't overwhelmed by the venue itself, but the scores have come in at a mid-table 33/50. Dawat are you waiting for? Check it out for yourself!<br />
<br />
<pre class="default prettyprint prettyprinted" style="background-color: #eff0f1; border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #393318; font-family: Consolas, Menlo, Monaco, "Lucida Console", "Liberation Mono", "DejaVu Sans Mono", "Bitstream Vera Sans Mono", "Courier New", monospace, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; max-height: 600px; overflow: auto; padding: 5px; vertical-align: baseline; width: auto; word-wrap: normal;"><code style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Consolas, Menlo, Monaco, "Lucida Console", "Liberation Mono", "DejaVu Sans Mono", "Bitstream Vera Sans Mono", "Courier New", monospace, sans-serif; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: inherit;"><span class="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #7d2727; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><script span=""><span class="pln" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(48, 51, 54);"> </span><span class="atn" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(230, 67, 32);">type</span><span class="pun" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(48, 51, 54);">=</span><span class="atv" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(15, 116, 189);">"text/javascript"</span><span class="tag" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(125, 39, 39);">></span><span class="pln" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(48, 51, 54);">
window</span><span class="pun" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(48, 51, 54);">.</span><span class="pln" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(48, 51, 54);">location </span><span class="pun" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(48, 51, 54);">=</span><span class="pln" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(48, 51, 54);"> </span><span class="str" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(125, 39, 39);">"http://www.londoncurryblog.com/dawat</span></code>"<span class="pun" style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; white-space: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(48, 51, 54);">;</span></pre>
<pre class="default prettyprint prettyprinted" style="margin-bottom: 1em; padding: 5px; border: 0px; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: inherit; font-family: Consolas, Menlo, Monaco, "Lucida Console", "Liberation Mono", "DejaVu Sans Mono", "Bitstream Vera Sans Mono", "Courier New", monospace, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; width: auto; max-height: 600px; overflow: auto; background-color: rgb(239, 240, 241); color: rgb(57, 51, 24); word-wrap: normal;"><code style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: Consolas, Menlo, Monaco, "Lucida Console", "Liberation Mono", "DejaVu Sans Mono", "Bitstream Vera Sans Mono", "Courier New", monospace, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; white-space: inherit;"><span class="tag" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: inherit; color: rgb(125, 39, 39);"></script></span></code></pre>
</div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F--sJdSDtIntE%2FUcMTYqk2uXI%2FAAAAAAAAAaA%2FiBq0EBgHX9s%2Fs400%2FDSC02174.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/--sJdSDtIntE/UcMTYqk2uXI/AAAAAAAAAaA/iBq0EBgHX9s/s400/DSC02174.JPG" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-81408815005850647952013-10-13T20:04:00.002+01:002014-08-11T20:11:26.800+01:00Sree Krishna<b><span style="font-size: large;">3 October 2013 - Sree Krishna: Where it all began</span></b><br />
<br />
The year is 1973, a swathe of renewed hope is sweeping the US as Richard Nixon is inaugurated for his second presidential term and the Vietnam War has just come to an end. Across the Atlantic, the UK looks forward to economic prosperity upon joining the European Economic Community and, in South London, on the crest of this wave of optimism, one man dared to dream.<br />
<br />
<div>
Forty years on, Nixon’s presidency is marred by the Watergate scandal and the European Union is suffering a recession, but Mr ‘Mickey’ Ramanarayanan’s restaurant reverie – Sree Krishna – is still going strong after spawning a cultural revolution in Tooting.<br />
<br />
Here we review this bastion of local history, an establishment, without which, this blog would quite literally not exist. </div>
<div>
On this occasion, we were joined by Liam Corry, a new resident of Tooting who, two months ago, cheated death when he was hit by a bus in Balham – presumably surviving because he couldn’t leave us without paying homage to the spiritual home of Tooting curry. Good lad. <br />
<br />
Like Apu going in search of the original Kwik-E Mart, we ventured down to Broadway to pay our respects…<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Venue</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-90HOmQ3vSX8/Ulrs-4sbGqI/AAAAAAAAAOw/1QvtR9QwMHg/s1600/sreekrishna.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-90HOmQ3vSX8/Ulrs-4sbGqI/AAAAAAAAAOw/1QvtR9QwMHg/s1600/sreekrishna.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Sree Krishna is situated in an imposing grey marble building on the corner of Carlwell Street and Tooting High Street. At night the scene is slightly more welcoming with blue neon piping around the sign and fairy lights in the windows, but the environ within is more mood-lit and traditional than some of the chaos elsewhere up the road. <br />
<br />
On our visit it felt a bit stuffy, and Liam even remarked: ‘it smells like Grandma’, but I’ve no idea what he was talking about. However, it did feel more athenaeum than curry house, but this is as one might expect from a venue of such esteem. Indeed, the marble floors, smart furniture and crockery (that appears to have been renewed since my last visit) are all befitting of the place and its reverence. Plus when the draught is on, it’s less than £3 for a Kingfisher - howay the lads! <br />
<br />
All in all, there’s no arguing this is a slightly classier joint than some others on the High Street, and its legacy above all other things is worthy of at least one bonus point. Forty years on it’s still a local landmark, and long may that continue. 9/10 <br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Starters and sides</span></b><br />
<br />
Poppadoms and dips<br />
House recommended – Masala Dosa and Chicken 65<br />
Cocunut Rice<br />
Pilau Rice<br />
Cocunut and Garlic Parathas<br />
<br />
After a pretty standard poppadum, the waiter came over to take the remainder of our order. Sensing our deliberation over the other starters, he took the proverbial bull by the horns and said he’d choose for us. The result was some individually plated masala dosas and chicken 65 pieces which came with coconut, tomato and raita dips. Commendable as his initiative was, it was slightly disappointing that we missed out on the prawns we were lining up. That said, the chicken was decently spiced and the dosa was very soft and fluffy unlike some of others we’ve sampled which were more like Communion wafer than pancake. Plus, the coconut dip in particular tickled Tom’s fancy, indeed the coconut in the rice, dips and paratha was quite the bounty! Aside from that, the parathas were pretty standard and lacking in quantity; the waiter having put a stop to our ordering thinking we were getting ahead of ourselves. Little did he know that we are no amateurs; shame. 6/10.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wkAcUjn9JLs/UlrtaghkA2I/AAAAAAAAAO4/3lNlYDOGDWc/s1600/IMG_20131003_211133.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wkAcUjn9JLs/UlrtaghkA2I/AAAAAAAAAO4/3lNlYDOGDWc/s320/IMG_20131003_211133.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Curry</span></b><br />
<br />
Karaikkudi Chicken <br />
Cochin King Prawn<br />
Lamb Fry</div>
<div>
Sree Krishna specialises in Keralan fare and for the mains we had a chicken, lamb and prawn combo, but, I must confess, none of them particularly stood out. Whilst the chicken was notably juicy, the sauce was quite average – mild with tame flavours. The lamb was similarly plain (yet another recommendation from the staff) and whilst we knew what to expect from the fry, the spices didn’t blow us away. The best of the bunch was the prawn in a medium sauce, but again, nothing to write home about. All in all, pretty mediocre, given the notoriety of where we were. In addition, the portions were relatively small – 6/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Service</span></b><br />
<br />
We’ve already eluded to the waiter’s proactivity, which we can’t criticise too strongly. However, another member of staff also offered us well priced draft Kingfisher that was quickly retracted once they realised the taps were off – a dangerous move to make with three thirsty males on a Thursday. That said, it appeared to be a welcoming, family affair, and, despite the outcomes, the waiter was far more affable than others we’ve encountered. After all, it’s the thought that counts – 7/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Value For Money</span></b><br />
<br />
Despite not being able to take advantage of the draught, the substitute 660ml cobras were good value at 3.95 – not quite BYO, but very competitive. Unfortunately, this value wasn’t especially seen elsewhere, with the bill weighing in at £23 each. Given the portion sizes of the mains, and the paratha provision palaver, we weren’t quite satiated. We like to leave with bulging bellies and weighty wallets when we tread the curry boards of the Broadway, but on this occasion this, sadly, didn’t happen. Sure, we expected a tourist tax, given this fine diner’s heritage, but the premium was arguably slightly too high. 6/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Summary</span></b><br />
<br />
Despite some evident criticism, it is fairly minor, and, ultimately, there are no real regrets after our visit. Liam even managed to get home without taking a bus out on the way. <br />
<br />
With Mickey’s smiling face beaming down from the walls, we felt proud to have contributed to his wonderful legacy and long may it continue. <br />
<br />
Sree Krishna is definitely worth a visit, after all, this is where it all began. 34/50.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuMjMLSgOig/UlrtpBpRFZI/AAAAAAAAAPA/jBqdNvysvzM/s1600/IMG_20131003_210336.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuMjMLSgOig/UlrtpBpRFZI/AAAAAAAAAPA/jBqdNvysvzM/s320/IMG_20131003_210336.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
See what others thought:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/570291/restaurant/London/Sree-Krishna-Tooting"><img alt="Sree Krishna on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/570291/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/108927/Sree_Krishna?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Sree Krishna"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/108927/get-blog-review/image/mini.png" height="15" width="104" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-height="" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6110836" data-width="290" href="http://www.zomato.com/" id="zomatoRatingWidget" style="color: transparent; font-size: 10px;">Zomato - Restaurant search and Food Guide</a> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-SuMjMLSgOig%2FUlrtpBpRFZI%2FAAAAAAAAAPA%2FjBqdNvysvzM%2Fs320%2FIMG_20131003_210336.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SuMjMLSgOig/UlrtpBpRFZI/AAAAAAAAAPA/jBqdNvysvzM/s320/IMG_20131003_210336.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-wkAcUjn9JLs%2FUlrtaghkA2I%2FAAAAAAAAAO4%2F3lNlYDOGDWc%2Fs320%2FIMG_20131003_211133.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wkAcUjn9JLs/UlrtaghkA2I/AAAAAAAAAO4/3lNlYDOGDWc/s320/IMG_20131003_211133.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-90HOmQ3vSX8%2FUlrs-4sbGqI%2FAAAAAAAAAOw%2F1QvtR9QwMHg%2Fs1600%2Fsreekrishna.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-90HOmQ3vSX8/Ulrs-4sbGqI/AAAAAAAAAOw/1QvtR9QwMHg/s1600/sreekrishna.jpg" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-85434191703426524442013-10-10T23:11:00.002+01:002018-03-22T21:16:19.416+00:00The Leaderboard<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Please read these reviews and others on our new site </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.londoncurryblog.com/">www.londoncurryblog.com</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Inspired by popular requests to let you guys know our top recommendations, we have now compiled a leaderboard of the results from our reviews thus far. We'll keep it updated with every new review. Please see below for our general recommendations too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u>The Tooting Curry Blog - Leaderboard</u></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><u></u></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VligRDqCb18/WIaFQuVY__I/AAAAAAAAI0Q/pMCvKNTQDKk8wfzyNbd9g8RH-A8Ss8IrQCLcB/s1600/Leaderboard.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VligRDqCb18/WIaFQuVY__I/AAAAAAAAI0Q/pMCvKNTQDKk8wfzyNbd9g8RH-A8Ss8IrQCLcB/s640/Leaderboard.png" width="625" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>* Please note, Amirah's Kitchen is on the Old York Road, Wandsworth and Ale & Spice is in Balham. All other restaurants are around and about Tooting High Street.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">General Recommendations</span></u></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<b><u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></b>
<b><u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SbjpeqHcubY/Ulcl0mjZTDI/AAAAAAAAAOU/NEL1QmayDD8/s1600/tootingmap.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SbjpeqHcubY/Ulcl0mjZTDI/AAAAAAAAAOU/NEL1QmayDD8/s320/tootingmap.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></b>
<b><u><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>After a night out -</b> Chatkara</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Best Bhaji -</b> Mirch Masala</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Best Naan - </b>Spice Village</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Best Poppadoms -</b> Dosa N Chutny</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Birthday -</b> Masaledar</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>BYO -</b> Rayyans, Mirch Masala, Apollo Banana Leaf, Masaledar or Lahore Karahi</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Somewhere Different - </b>Dosa N Chutny or Namak Mandi</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Date night -</b> Vijaya Krishna, Kolam or Masaledar</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Family meal - </b>Spice Village, Kolam, Masaledar or Sree Krishna</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Further afield -</b> Amirah's Kitchen</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Lads' night - </b>Mirch Masala</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Large group -</b> Mirch Masala or Kolam</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>New to Tooting? - </b>Spice Village</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Take Away -</b> Spice Village or Chatkara</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>On a budget -</b> Mirch Masala</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Vegetarian -</b> Sarashwathy Bavans, Saravana Bhavan</span></div>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Please find our other general restaurant reviews across London here: <a href="http://www.zomato.com/tootingcurryblog">http://www.zomato.com/tootingcurryblog</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-1666585941184814352013-07-17T22:06:00.000+01:002014-08-11T20:12:31.631+01:00Amirah’s Kitchen<b><span style="font-size: large;">10 June 2013 - Amirah’s Kitchen: Wands-worth it</span></b><br />
<br />
Yes, once again we shamefully diverted our attention away from Tooting, but Tooting is in Wandsworth council and Wandsworth Town is only a short hop away, so we didn’t feel so bad. Plus, we had won another voucher (embarrassing) and it would be silly to waste it. However, despite these [short lived] reservations, it proved a visit worth making.<br />
<br />
It was with some trepidation that we headed to the Tonsleys on a Monday evening, as both of us were trying to keep our heads down (Tom: supposed to be training for a half marathon; Michael: avoiding a girl from the area). Luckily, Amirah’s Kitchen is situated on the same road as the station, and it wasn’t long before we were checking out what Amirah was cooking.<br />
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Venue</b></span><br />
<br />
Located on the modish, Old York Road, Amirah’s kitchen takes its place alongside many other culinary establishments. A relatively new restaurant, its understated, black exterior fits nicely on the street with a very provincial feel. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EAWjoKRfqrQ/UecFfdceRkI/AAAAAAAAAM0/MH1XOvEqsYE/s1600/21241059.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EAWjoKRfqrQ/UecFfdceRkI/AAAAAAAAAM0/MH1XOvEqsYE/s320/21241059.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Inside, the walls were a lime green that matched our zest, and the black furnishings contrasted smartly, with the up lighting on the walls. Passing the bar on the left, the space then opens up into a dining area for about thirty people. Each table is tastefully adorned with a rose in a vase and the whole left wall is covered with an image of Delhi tuk tuks. The overall result is a very simple, contemporary and elegant venue.<br />
<br />
We could mark it down for being outside Tooting, and for the questionable music mix that ranged from the more traditional to dramatic movie soundtracks and house, however, that would be harsh. All in all, it’s a pleasant environment. 7/10.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YrtIPZJSA-k/UecFtkUQ8xI/AAAAAAAAANY/WA4RmuDvbXg/s1600/IMG_20130610_195552.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YrtIPZJSA-k/UecFtkUQ8xI/AAAAAAAAANY/WA4RmuDvbXg/s320/IMG_20130610_195552.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Starters and sides</span></b><br />
<br />
Poppadoms and dips<br />
Tandoori Selection<br />
Pilau rice<br />
Garlic naan<br />
Pudina paratha<br />
<br />
For starters we had a poppadom each, with sides, and a tandoori selection.The poppadoms were perfectly crisp and not at all greasy and the dips were similarly to a high standard. In fact, probably some of the best we’ve sampled. I prefer my dips smooth and the mango chutney was just right; quite sublime.<br />
<br />
The tandoori selection was equally excellent. The description on the menu of ‘A selection of kebabs- prawns, salmon, chicken & lamb’ didn’t do it justice. Each meat portion was delightfully flavoured, from the cheese coated chicken, to the deep fried prawn, and the mint sauce dip was described by Tom as ‘absolutely fantastic’. Similar exclamations included: ‘I don’t even like salmon, but I like this’ and ‘even the side salad is good’, such was the quality of the dish.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUB5_SAPvpU/UecFq_2q9sI/AAAAAAAAANA/6yYWqllw3sA/s1600/IMG_20130610_202753.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUB5_SAPvpU/UecFq_2q9sI/AAAAAAAAANA/6yYWqllw3sA/s320/IMG_20130610_202753.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
The breads also felt carefully prepared and came beautifully presented, cut into quarters in baskets. Even the pilau rice was notable; perfectly fragranced with saffron and cumin. In general, the sides and starters were near faultless. 9/10<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKs_KcjJ_CM/UecFtP8u_FI/AAAAAAAAANQ/tCSCTxWq5UI/s1600/IMG_20130610_204432.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKs_KcjJ_CM/UecFtP8u_FI/AAAAAAAAANQ/tCSCTxWq5UI/s320/IMG_20130610_204432.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Curry</span></b><br />
<br />
Goan Fish Curry<br />
Kasmiri Lamb Rogan Josh<br />
<br />
The curry continued where the starters left off. The fish and braised lamb were expertly cooked and the sauces were rich with intense flavours. Portions were more than ample, but it didn’t stop us mopping up the last drops with our naan. Some might prefer slightly more texture in their dish, but this would be the only potential criticism and we certainly didn’t mind. Like all the food here, the balance was just right; not too creamy like many other curries and no sign of grease at all. Again, all but nothing to criticise; a stellar performance. 9/10. <br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Service</span></b><br />
<br />
…and it wasn’t just the food.<br />
<br />
Our waiter was twice as professional as those found on Tooting high street. He placed napkins on our laps, committed our order to memory, introduced each dish and even told us to write a review (here’s to you sir!). 8/10<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Value For Money</span></b><br />
<br />
It’s fair to say you pay a little bit more for the quality here. Our bill came to about £60, including two beers each. We were fortunate enough to have a voucher, halving our bill, but, value is more than just price and I’d say it was certainly worth the full amount. The quality of the food was top notch and other small touches, including taking our voucher amount off before adding service charge, really ticked our boxes. The bill also showed the amount split by two negating any controversial calculations or being left short of the total (we’ve all been there). <br />
<br />
Finally, to top it all, at the end of the night we received a mint chocolate and a competition form giving us the chance to win a return visit. Here’s hoping our names are pulled out of the hat (hint, hint, Amirah). 8/10<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Summary</span></b><br />
<br />
As you can tell, we loved Amirah’s kitchen and definitely recommend a visit. Totalling up the digits brings our overall rating to a stonking 41/50 that just pips Spice Village to top our rankings. Only a short trip on the 219 from Tooting High Street, it’s definitely Wands-worth it.<br />
<br />
See what others thought:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1695887/restaurant/Wandsworth/Amirahs-Kitchen-London"><img alt="Amirah's Kitchen on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1695887/minilink.gif" style="border: none; height: 36px; width: 130px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/114689/Amirah's_Kitchen?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Amirah's Kitchen"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/114689/get-blog-review/image/mini.png" height="15" width="104" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-height="" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6117040" data-width="290" href="http://www.zomato.com/" id="zomatoRatingWidget" style="color: transparent; font-size: 10px;">Zomato - Restaurant search and Food Guide</a> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-zKs_KcjJ_CM%2FUecFtP8u_FI%2FAAAAAAAAANQ%2FtCSCTxWq5UI%2Fs320%2FIMG_20130610_204432.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zKs_KcjJ_CM/UecFtP8u_FI/AAAAAAAAANQ/tCSCTxWq5UI/s320/IMG_20130610_204432.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-mUB5_SAPvpU%2FUecFq_2q9sI%2FAAAAAAAAANA%2F6yYWqllw3sA%2Fs320%2FIMG_20130610_202753.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mUB5_SAPvpU/UecFq_2q9sI/AAAAAAAAANA/6yYWqllw3sA/s320/IMG_20130610_202753.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-YrtIPZJSA-k%2FUecFtkUQ8xI%2FAAAAAAAAANY%2FWA4RmuDvbXg%2Fs320%2FIMG_20130610_195552.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YrtIPZJSA-k/UecFtkUQ8xI/AAAAAAAAANY/WA4RmuDvbXg/s320/IMG_20130610_195552.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-EAWjoKRfqrQ%2FUecFfdceRkI%2FAAAAAAAAAM0%2FMH1XOvEqsYE%2Fs320%2F21241059.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EAWjoKRfqrQ/UecFfdceRkI/AAAAAAAAAM0/MH1XOvEqsYE/s320/21241059.jpg" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-11423527324262426572013-05-12T16:02:00.001+01:002014-08-11T20:17:12.721+01:00Red Fort27 April 2013 - Red Fort: Award winners on tour<br />
<br />
In January, we received the following email:<br />
<br />
I came across your blog while checking for food and dining connoisseur in London [especially those who appreciate curry:-)]. I'd like to invite you to take Zomato for a spin. It would be great if you have some time during the next few days to meet up briefly and discuss possible opportunities to work with Zomato. <br />
<br />
We have a team in London and would be happy to host you for dinner or just catch-up over a coffee at your convenience. Please let me know whatever works best for you. <br />
<br />
2 months later we read it, and the rest is history…<br />
<br />
After a very productive curry with the guys from Zomato we decided to start sharing our reviews on their site for the greater good of all their readers (and nothing to do with the chance to win an ipad). As part of our (eventually successful) endeavour towards tablet ownership we posted our Jaffna House review; the result, victory in the Write For A Bite contest and a meal ticket for two at Red Fort to the taste of £70!<br />
<br />
Here are our well-red forts…<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6gYuaO8G0uo/UecH7wdxJJI/AAAAAAAAANk/KY6Gwc4VXkQ/s1600/images.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6gYuaO8G0uo/UecH7wdxJJI/AAAAAAAAANk/KY6Gwc4VXkQ/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Venue</span></b><br />
<br />
Red Fort is situated on Dean Street in Soho (I know, we’ve massively gone up in the world/sold out), and famed for its links to New Labour. To take our place amongst famous reds such as Mr Blair, The Milliblands and Mick Hucknall; we popped up on the Northern line on Saturday afternoon. After a few cheeky Guinnei (plural of Guinness) our appetites were well and truly whetted for, what Timeout has described as, London’s Best Indian Restaurant.<br />
<br />
The interior didn't disappoint with clean straight lines of tables and square picture frames juxtaposed sharply against the soft rouge up lighting and glistening in-panel waterfalls.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/sLBzrlQKT5yRaYAP2cEcwaLzDwj-E63FN01aOL11Ih0gWMiKGmlW6RwXbybIoM-kS5X2KEH7tzUZWcjU1Da_qP3zAJD8TXcTgQ1padbt_dSMeryl5fUSVqs54Hn5aLGhqxrMfypCzO_UuLPQbAY5qeJvJ828A8PGSL-emrC6Gw" /></div>
<br />
<br />
We, the plebs, were tucked away in a corner, whilst the classier customers occupied the centre of the busy room. The atmosphere was lively and cosmopolitan, however this included some American tourists whose whiny accents dominated the airwaves.<br />
<br />
In general, despite being miles from Tooting, the setting was appropriately smart, plus there’s a bar/club/grotto of sorts situated downstairs which has to be considered a plus point. 8/10<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Starters and sides</span></b><br />
<br />
We started with poppadoms that came engrained with cumin seeds and with an array of sides including an unusual papaya dip. We followed these with Pocha Hera Jhinga - marinated spiced king prawns in a light crispy batter with coriander and curry leaves, which were probably the highlight of the meal. The prawns were a good, juicy size, perfectly crisped in the batter, but without grease. Lovely stuff.<br />
<br />
The second starter we chose was the Murgh Gilaafi, spiced roasted minced chicken skewers with paprika, onion and coriander. Whilst minced chicken isn't usually on our radar these were particularly good, again with a bespoke range of fruit and chilli chutney that accompanied the prawns.<br />
<br />
With our mains we got the rice and breads, but these weren't quite as good. For the price (£6 each) these weren't particularly gourmet. The rice was…well, rice and the breads were quite dry, certainly not up to scratch in term of moistness that Tooting has to offer.<br />
<br />
Overall, the starters were excellent, but the other sides balanced things out making it a 6/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Curry</span></b><br />
<br />
For mains we made a bit of a howler. Wrongly assuming quantities would be on the stingy side we opted for the biryani for the extra rice. Unfortunately, this £20 dish, was not up to the hype and left us with more rice than China. What lamb there was was tender, but how it could ever justify the price tag I don’t know.<br />
<br />
The Nalli Roganjosh was thankfully much more impressive. The slow cooked Scottish lamb shank in nutmeg, cinnamon and bay leaf sauce fell of the bone in a rich tomato sauce, lightly spiced and of perfect consistency. A real winner, but still pricey at £22.<br />
<br />
Whilst, this isn't the value for money section, we can’t ignore the pound signs preceding these dishes. In this respect, one dish lived up to expectations, but the other just didn't, even if we had made the wrong choice. 6/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Service</b></span><br />
<br />
The staff were all neatly kitted out in red cheque shirts that quite took my fancy to be honest; a far cry from the rather haphazard clothing on display in Tooting. However, with the reputation of the place we expected nothing more and the uniform reflected the professionalism of the staff. In fact you hardly noticed they were there - a plus on one side, but lacking in banter on the other. With not much else to say I’ll have to give them a steady 7/10.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Value For Money</span></b><br />
<br />
Whilst fortunate enough to have a £70 voucher in our back pocket we still ended up topping the bill up £40, £25 of which was spent on the cheapest bottle of the wine we could get away with on the menu. That’s right wine, no beer. Forgive us for not respecting the high society norms, but would it kill them to put some premium lager on their menu to go with the curry, we are in Britain after all!?<br />
<br />
So in general, as already established, even taking into account value being more than just about price (yes, I dabble in customer satisfaction market research) the price tag was mighty high, and whilst above average, the food didn't really justify it. 4/10<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Summary</span></b><br />
<br />
Whilst most grateful for our voucher, I think these two bloggers got out of their depth North of The River - best stick to Tooting next time where our stomachs and wallets will be left a little fuller. Nevertheless an enjoyable adjourn into town and certainly not the last curry we’ll be having…31/50<br />
<br />
See what others thought:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/569098/restaurant/Soho/The-Red-Fort-London"><img alt="The Red Fort on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/569098/minilogo.gif" style="border: none; height: 15px; width: 104px;" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/81108/Red_Fort?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Red Fort"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/81108/get-blog-review/image/mini.png" height="15" width="104" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-height="" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6104635" data-width="290" href="http://www.zomato.com/" id="zomatoRatingWidget" style="color: transparent; font-size: 10px;">Zomato - Restaurant search and Food Guide</a> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-6gYuaO8G0uo%2FUecH7wdxJJI%2FAAAAAAAAANk%2FKY6Gwc4VXkQ%2Fs1600%2Fimages.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6gYuaO8G0uo/UecH7wdxJJI/AAAAAAAAANk/KY6Gwc4VXkQ/s1600/images.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fluidnetwork.co.uk%2Fgfx%2Fvenues%2F2888%2Fthe_red_fort_dean_street_soho_indian_restaurant_london_01.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/sLBzrlQKT5yRaYAP2cEcwaLzDwj-E63FN01aOL11Ih0gWMiKGmlW6RwXbybIoM-kS5X2KEH7tzUZWcjU1Da_qP3zAJD8TXcTgQ1padbt_dSMeryl5fUSVqs54Hn5aLGhqxrMfypCzO_UuLPQbAY5qeJvJ828A8PGSL-emrC6Gw" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-47078032484264679212013-04-09T22:06:00.002+01:002014-01-29T08:53:07.025+00:00Support Tooting curry blog on Zomato...Dear readers, <div>
<br /> Zomato is a restaurant discovery platform with in-depth information on restaurants around you. They provide everything you might want to know about the food before taking a bite. </div>
<div>
<br /> We are not going to sit here and say we came up with the idea over a curry, but ended up too full to implement it. but we did.<br /><br /> We were fortunate enough to be taken out for a curry by the Zomato guys and they were a lovely bunch! So we are hereby endorsing them and their project. While you're there please show your support by following us: <a href="http://www.zomato.com/tootingcurryblog">http://www.zomato.com/tootingcurryblog</a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8UuLNTJSP0Q/UWSASxYUftI/AAAAAAAAAL8/aVmZTJ6wMBQ/s1600/zomatologo.png"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8UuLNTJSP0Q/UWSASxYUftI/AAAAAAAAAL8/aVmZTJ6wMBQ/s200/zomatologo.png" /></a></div>
</div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-8UuLNTJSP0Q%2FUWSASxYUftI%2FAAAAAAAAAL8%2FaVmZTJ6wMBQ%2Fs200%2Fzomatologo.png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8UuLNTJSP0Q/UWSASxYUftI/AAAAAAAAAL8/aVmZTJ6wMBQ/s200/zomatologo.png" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-37441488229261411352013-02-11T21:51:00.003+00:002014-08-11T20:17:53.300+01:00Jaffna House<span style="font-size: large;"><b>1 February 2013 - Jaffna House: Much kothu about Tooting</b></span><br />
<br />
The Diamond Jubilee. £3 billion.<br />
The London Olympics. £9 billion. <br />
A year of eating and reviewing curry in Tooting. Priceless.<br />
<br />
It’s been a momentous inaugural year for the Tooting Curry Blog, and over 17,500 hits at time of writing, a legacy has certainly been left in London post-2012, despite doubts from the critics. We survive bowels intact, ready to leave no poppadum unturned in our quest to find Tooting’s best curry based nutrition in 2013.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fAtseUe7KHU/URlmB_b1NyI/AAAAAAAAALc/owncziW3vcM/s1600/jaffna_house.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fAtseUe7KHU/URlmB_b1NyI/AAAAAAAAALc/owncziW3vcM/s320/jaffna_house.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
First on the hit list: Jaffna House. And hit it we did.<br />
<br />
It’s fair to say that Friday night and the excitement of our first curry in a while got the better of us. Several beers at work, then a few more in London Bridge were enough to whet the appetite and loosen us up for a curry. Commitment to the cause never wavered, but apologies to the readers for being half soaked and shoveling it down rather than giving it a proper taste, but here goes anyway…<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Venue</span></b><br />
<br />
Situated two doors down from Radha Krishna Bhavan, on the corner of Tooting High Street and Coverton Road, it’s hard to miss Jaffna House. With a bold, sky blue sign to match Cycle Superhighway 7 on its doorstep, this joint actually has two entrances. On the high street is the take away entrance with a few tables and chairs for the more amateur diners. For the pros and those in the know the restaurant is round the back, via a side entrance. Inside you’ll take a step back into the 70s with a bar at the back that would make Delboy jealous. Nevertheless, it has a cosy feel and is a quieter diversion from the hustle and bustle of the likes of Lahore Karahi up the road.<br />
<br />
My notes also say there were footsteps on the ceiling…despite having no recollection of what I meant and in the absence of Lionel Richie to consult on the physics of such a feat, I’m going to put it down as a positive. Likewise, the option to dine roadside or à l'arrière is commendable and bespoke napkins printed with Jaffna House insignia are a nice touch. 7/10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Starters and Sides</b></span><br />
<br />
Poppadoms<br />
Meat Roti<br />
Mutton Roll x 2<br />
Cutlet x 2<br />
Garlic Naan<br />
<br />
We took the waiter’s recommendation on the roti which, like the rest of the meal, proved a little stodgy and bland. The croquet shaped mutton rolls were better, as was the fish ball cutlet that offered a bit of spice. However, the overriding feeling was that the chef had got a bit giddy with the deep fat frier which might suit some, but we prefer a bit more culinary subtlety…and aren’t Scottish. Similarly, the poppadoms were overtly greasy, albeit this left us in no doubt that they were fresh. More positively, the garlic naan was notable, but the chillies hidden within its depths took young Tom by surprise. 5/10<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0mzejd1w07c/URlmBDCH-MI/AAAAAAAAALM/HWBeqxxL4jE/s1600/IMG-20130211-WA0002.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0mzejd1w07c/URlmBDCH-MI/AAAAAAAAALM/HWBeqxxL4jE/s200/IMG-20130211-WA0002.jpg" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0IcaTrlM7w/URlkZ7myC3I/AAAAAAAAAKM/pcMx4mzYQFk/s1600/IMG-20130211-WA0000.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0IcaTrlM7w/URlkZ7myC3I/AAAAAAAAAKM/pcMx4mzYQFk/s200/IMG-20130211-WA0000.jpg" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sHaQHZ9WWrw/URlkaFmRNKI/AAAAAAAAAKU/cribBzlcvnU/s1600/IMG-20130211-WA0001.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sHaQHZ9WWrw/URlkaFmRNKI/AAAAAAAAAKU/cribBzlcvnU/s200/IMG-20130211-WA0001.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curry</b></span><br />
<br />
Chicken Stringhopper<br />
Seafood Kothu<br />
Chicken Tikka<br />
<br />
As with the starters and with our experience of Sri Lankan food thus far, we found the mains here rather dry. Whilst we acknowledge the cultural difference, the lack of sauce found in a stringhopper or kothu doesn’t quite do it for us. Unless we are ignorantly doing it wrong these are more like substitutes for biryanis than curry. Also, it has to be said they could have been replaced by those we sampled in Apollo Banana Leaf half way through and we’d have been none the wiser. The chicken tikka offered a moist and succulent departure from the carb-loading, but altogether, not a huge amount to write home about from the mains here (although it did help soak up some of the pintage). 5/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Staff</b></span><br />
<br />
We can only speak for the service in the back restaurant, but it was very professional, far from the haphazard table service elsewhere. Beyond that, I can remember little, but Tom is keen to mark up the waiter for looking like a bhangra superstar. Each to their own. 7/10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value For Money</b></span><br />
<br />
With every Sri Lankan restaurant there’s always the hope that there’s a Ceylon (I’ve made this joke before, but it has to be made again) and Jaffna House didn’t disappoint. Despite a lack of BYOB, there were some Sri Lankan beers on offer which, along with the food, came to £15 a head. So, on pure price it was good value, but the food could’ve been better. 7/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<br />
As mentioned already, the food wasn’t the best here, but another visit might prove more fruitful given the other dishes on offer. Tom was also sidelined by a rogue chilli and had some severe repercussions the next day, but to blame the restaurant rather than his bingeing and low heat tolerance might be unfair. All in all, the scores total to 31/50.<br />
<br />
See what others thought:<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/565182/restaurant/Tooting/Jaffna-House-London"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/wIsaNXMFDvSTymXR99kWnqvjgMZOXEo1N4XuZ7_RX0FcxvFlB1R-PNoR1bp56YRIdKJWKf7sFux5Uf3ftKPzbjk5gBxGNtsn" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-height="" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6111603" data-width="290" href="http://www.zomato.com/" id="zomatoRatingWidget" style="color: transparent; font-size: 10px;">Zomato - Restaurant search and Food Guide</a> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-sHaQHZ9WWrw%2FURlkaFmRNKI%2FAAAAAAAAAKU%2FcribBzlcvnU%2Fs200%2FIMG-20130211-WA0001.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sHaQHZ9WWrw/URlkaFmRNKI/AAAAAAAAAKU/cribBzlcvnU/s200/IMG-20130211-WA0001.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urbanspoon.com%2Fb%2Flogo%2F568950%2Fminilogo.gif&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/wIsaNXMFDvSTymXR99kWnqvjgMZOXEo1N4XuZ7_RX0FcxvFlB1R-PNoR1bp56YRIdKJWKf7sFux5Uf3ftKPzbjk5gBxGNtsn" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-H0IcaTrlM7w%2FURlkZ7myC3I%2FAAAAAAAAAKM%2FpcMx4mzYQFk%2Fs200%2FIMG-20130211-WA0000.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H0IcaTrlM7w/URlkZ7myC3I/AAAAAAAAAKM/pcMx4mzYQFk/s200/IMG-20130211-WA0000.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-0mzejd1w07c%2FURlmBDCH-MI%2FAAAAAAAAALM%2FHWBeqxxL4jE%2Fs200%2FIMG-20130211-WA0002.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0mzejd1w07c/URlmBDCH-MI/AAAAAAAAALM/HWBeqxxL4jE/s200/IMG-20130211-WA0002.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-fAtseUe7KHU%2FURlmB_b1NyI%2FAAAAAAAAALc%2FowncziW3vcM%2Fs320%2Fjaffna_house.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fAtseUe7KHU/URlmB_b1NyI/AAAAAAAAALc/owncziW3vcM/s320/jaffna_house.jpg" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-62353461530467139262012-11-06T23:01:00.000+00:002014-08-11T20:18:26.228+01:00Radha Krishna Bhavan<span style="font-size: large;"><b>26 October 2012 - Radha Krishna Bhavan: Tooting curry blog election special</b></span><br />
<br />
“Together, we can help make sure that every family that walks into a restaurant can make an easy, healthy choice”- Michelle Obama<br />
<br />
With America soon heading to the polls to choose the next US President, we decided to pay homage and cast our own vote on one of Tooting’s favourite curry venues – Radha Krishna Bhavan.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3IXTI0hTdgs/UJmUbINjG_I/AAAAAAAAAJo/THXP8-kpCZA/s1600/cover.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3IXTI0hTdgs/UJmUbINjG_I/AAAAAAAAAJo/THXP8-kpCZA/s320/cover.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In a true-to-life tribute to American politics, we have decided to pass some ignorant yet powerful verdicts over the culture of others, namely the Indian food industry of Tooting. However, this week there’s a twist. In an encomium to the two-party system, we have offered a balanced debate, one that, for the first time, pits the vigour and resolve of the Tooting Curry Blog against rival budding reviewers to determine who really is giving you the most bang for your bhaji in the Bec to Broadway blogging battleground.<br />
<br />
Disclaimer: All rival comments are quoted verbatim, but not necessarily in context. The Tooting Curry Blog reserves the right to twist and spin interpretations in its favour.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Infrastructure (Venue)</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9f9ZKYP2BAc/UJmUcgIjf7I/AAAAAAAAAJw/JxHacRYgSMA/s1600/extra.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9f9ZKYP2BAc/UJmUcgIjf7I/AAAAAAAAAJw/JxHacRYgSMA/s320/extra.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Andy Hayler, author of the London Transport Restaurant Guide and a guest critic on each series of BBC's Masterchef: The Professionals has said, ‘This establishment (previously called the Sree Krishna) is an old faithful’.<br />
<br />
We say - Mr. Hayler, you're entitled as a critic to your own opinions, and to your own blog, but not to your own facts. Sree Krishna is in fact a separate entity to Radha Krishna Bhavan as any knowledgeable fan of Tooting cuisine should know. However, we will forgive your geographical confusion as you were no doubt distracted by the alluring interior within. As Chris Morrison rightly points out ‘The palm tree beach wallpaper is really enjoyable’. Similarly, Square Meal state, ‘that , RKB is not a venue where subtlety is a priority’ and we concur - the 1980s are calling to ask for their interior design back.<br />
<br />
Not only is the décor lively, but so too is the atmosphere. Our very own Tom Scrimgour was quick to point out the ‘good vibes’, a far more subtle and respectful observation than Kath Dyer’s: ‘a lot of Asian customers…got to be good’.<br />
<br />
In general, a colourful and pleasant surround. Our verdict – 8/10.</div>
<div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">First Term (Starters and Sides)</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yY7dTzILt-E/UJmUZimMfrI/AAAAAAAAAJc/hMto1OPZxrs/s1600/IMG-20121104-WA0006.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yY7dTzILt-E/UJmUZimMfrI/AAAAAAAAAJc/hMto1OPZxrs/s320/IMG-20121104-WA0006.jpg" /></a></div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MJbSfq-prE0/UJmUX3p9peI/AAAAAAAAAJM/ghTTBBF07AA/s1600/IMG-20121104-WA0004.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MJbSfq-prE0/UJmUX3p9peI/AAAAAAAAAJM/ghTTBBF07AA/s320/IMG-20121104-WA0004.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Poppadoms<br />
King Prawn Poori<br />
Chicken wings<br />
Garlic Parotha X 2<br />
Pilau rice</div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
I think one anonymous Google User hit the nail on the head when he said ‘i like those mini pizza sticks there relly good for my belly great evreything plese order the mini pizza sticks’….but, seriously (and more coherently), we agree with the sentiment.<br />
<br />
London Eating may have exaggerated when they said the puffed poori breads were outstanding, but nonetheless, our King Prawn variety were a nice, subtle opener, albeit with all the filling in one and not the other. Better still were the chicken wings that offered a great diversion from the usual carb-loaded suspects, with a tangy, peppery glaze, complimented by caramelized onions.<br />
<br />
The Garlic Parotha was so good Tom ordered a second. The rice and poppadoms were standard, but Tom’s laying the blame for some next day repercussions on the onion dip (and strangely not on the fact he’d had two curries in two days).<br />
<br />
Consistently good – 7/10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Second Term (Curry)</b></span><br />
<br />
Erachi Ulathiyathu<br />
Kerala Chicken Curry</div>
<div>
‘I’ve had better microwave curries from Tesco’ – ‘Ashley’<br />
<br />
In TCB’s opinion, this has been probably the biggest whopper that's been told during the course of this campaign. More accurately, as one commentator on Trip Advisor points out, RKB serves ‘very good Keralan food’.<br />
<br />
Once again, we question the judgement and taste (in more ways than one) of other critics, namely juratedudley, who thought the curries were bland and thought it appropriate to make a ‘joke’ ‘at the expense of minorities: ‘My boyfiend [perhaps an appropriate typo] made a joke about how many so called ethnic restaurants try to make the food as bland as possible to the English/European clientelle’.<br />
<br />
We, here at the Tooting Curry Blog, on the other hand, are more tolerant and tasteful, and thoroughly appreciated the restaurant’s Keralan specials. In this respect, we echo Ashley Nickels who recommends the Erachi Ulathiyathu – lamb deliciously spiced with pepper, chopped coconut slices, coriander and chilli. Likewise, the traditional, Keralan chicken curry was up there with the best on the Broadway. 8/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Working Class (Staff)</b></span><br />
Attitudecounts says, ‘the staff were excellent, they showed great professionalism’, and London Eating are spot on –‘The service is brisk and efficient, but you can have a relaxed meal out here (unlike, say Mirch Masala, where they rush you in and out).’<br />
<br />
The service at RKB is probably the best we’ve experienced so far, much more consistent, polite and disciplined than others on the high street. 8/10<br />
<br />
As an aside, in the spirit of the election, we at TCB would like to take the time to campaign for greater gender equality in the Tooting restaurant industry, as the majority of jobs seem to be for men. Can't we find some women that are also qualified? We are going to reach out to a number of groups, Mitt Romney-style, and see if they have any binders full of women to help us in our crusade.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyQb9nLj6Yw/UJmUXHpoATI/AAAAAAAAAJI/BvGALj-mbuM/s1600/IMG-20121103-WA0022.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyQb9nLj6Yw/UJmUXHpoATI/AAAAAAAAAJI/BvGALj-mbuM/s320/IMG-20121103-WA0022.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Economy (Value For Money)</b></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyQb9nLj6Yw/UJmUXHpoATI/AAAAAAAAAJI/BvGALj-mbuM/s1600/IMG-20121103-WA0022.jpg"></a>‘Great meal, I had king fish ,good service and buzzing atmosphere, all for £12 per head including wine, what more can you ask? - coinshooter<br />
<br />
What more can you ask, you say? We ask for the same value, as you, as unfortunately we didn’t get it from RKB on our visit! The final bill came to a whopping £62.65 between two.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q40gRlIN2ls/UJmUYojbNWI/AAAAAAAAAJU/aAaZbFlJIO4/s1600/IMG-20121104-WA0005.jpg"></a>Immediately we lost value from the non-BYOB policy, but in general the dishes were just that couple of quid more here than elsewhere. Whilst we acknowledge the food was of a high standard, relative to neighbouring venues it still didn’t quite justify the price tag. Many others have said Radha Krishan Bhavan is good VFM, but unfortunately from our visit we have to rate poorly. 5/10<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Summary</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q40gRlIN2ls/UJmUYojbNWI/AAAAAAAAAJU/aAaZbFlJIO4/s1600/IMG-20121104-WA0005.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q40gRlIN2ls/UJmUYojbNWI/AAAAAAAAAJU/aAaZbFlJIO4/s320/IMG-20121104-WA0005.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
‘The better version of Sree Krishna’ – who knows, we shall hopefully see soon, but in general, don’t let the few extra pounds on the bill put you off piling them on your waistline at RKB.<br />
<br />
One reviewer says ‘Oh how I miss you! This is the only reason I miss Tooting’. Whilst it saddens us to read such a blinkered view of Tooting, we can see why many love and keep returning to Radha Krishna Bhavan. Some of the best food we’ve sampled, in a lively, welcoming setting; well worth a visit. 36/50<br />
<br />
And so we leave you with some final words of wisdom:<br />
<br />
The choice you make this November will shape great things, historic things, and those things will determine the most intimate and important aspects of every Tooting life and every Tooting family. This is an election about Tooting and it is an election about the Tooting family. All elections matter. This one matters a great deal. Over the years of our nation’s history, choices our fellow citizens have made have changed the country’s course–they were turning points of defining consequence. – Mitt Romney</div>
<div>
See what others thought:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/568950/restaurant/London/Tooting/Radha-Krishna-Bhavan-Wandsworth"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/wIsaNXMFDvSTymXR99kWnqvjgMZOXEo1N4XuZ7_RX0FcxvFlB1R-PNoR1bp56YRIdKJWKf7sFux5Uf3ftKPzbjk5gBxGNtsn" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/london/view/82292/Radha_Krishna_Bhavan?utm_source=Blog&utm_medium=Blog&utm_campaign=Link" target="_top" title="Read Square Meal's review of Radha Krishna Bhavan"><img alt="Square Meal" src="http://www.squaremeal.co.uk/restaurants/82292/get-blog-review/image/mini.png" height="15" width="104" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-height="" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6110858" data-width="290" href="http://www.zomato.com/" id="zomatoRatingWidget" style="color: transparent; font-size: 10px;">Zomato - Restaurant search and Food Guide</a> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-yY7dTzILt-E%2FUJmUZimMfrI%2FAAAAAAAAAJc%2FhMto1OPZxrs%2Fs320%2FIMG-20121104-WA0006.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yY7dTzILt-E/UJmUZimMfrI/AAAAAAAAAJc/hMto1OPZxrs/s320/IMG-20121104-WA0006.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-9f9ZKYP2BAc%2FUJmUcgIjf7I%2FAAAAAAAAAJw%2FJxHacRYgSMA%2Fs320%2Fextra.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9f9ZKYP2BAc/UJmUcgIjf7I/AAAAAAAAAJw/JxHacRYgSMA/s320/extra.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-MJbSfq-prE0%2FUJmUX3p9peI%2FAAAAAAAAAJM%2FghTTBBF07AA%2Fs320%2FIMG-20121104-WA0004.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MJbSfq-prE0/UJmUX3p9peI/AAAAAAAAAJM/ghTTBBF07AA/s320/IMG-20121104-WA0004.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-q40gRlIN2ls%2FUJmUYojbNWI%2FAAAAAAAAAJU%2FaAaZbFlJIO4%2Fs320%2FIMG-20121104-WA0005.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-q40gRlIN2ls/UJmUYojbNWI/AAAAAAAAAJU/aAaZbFlJIO4/s320/IMG-20121104-WA0005.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urbanspoon.com%2Fb%2Flogo%2F568950%2Fminilogo.gif&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/wIsaNXMFDvSTymXR99kWnqvjgMZOXEo1N4XuZ7_RX0FcxvFlB1R-PNoR1bp56YRIdKJWKf7sFux5Uf3ftKPzbjk5gBxGNtsn" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-3IXTI0hTdgs%2FUJmUbINjG_I%2FAAAAAAAAAJo%2FTHXP8-kpCZA%2Fs320%2Fcover.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3IXTI0hTdgs/UJmUbINjG_I/AAAAAAAAAJo/THXP8-kpCZA/s320/cover.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-PyQb9nLj6Yw%2FUJmUXHpoATI%2FAAAAAAAAAJI%2FBvGALj-mbuM%2Fs320%2FIMG-20121103-WA0022.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyQb9nLj6Yw/UJmUXHpoATI/AAAAAAAAAJI/BvGALj-mbuM/s320/IMG-20121103-WA0022.jpg" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-82487284407407734242012-09-11T19:04:00.000+01:002014-08-11T20:18:50.261+01:00Dosa n Chutny<b><span style="font-size: large;">21 August 2012 - Dosa n Chutny: Minus the chutney</span></b><br />
<br />
With a heavy heart and a tear in my eye (caused by the dust from cleaning the skeletons out of the cupboard in my old house), I left Tooting for pastures new (Clapham South). However, you know what they say, you can take the boy out of Tooting, but you can’t take Tooting out of the boy, and, with this mantra on my lips and a spring in my step I was soon on my southbound way back to the curry capital of Europe.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFZnXbax_-U/UE94RRr4G6I/AAAAAAAAAIs/mQw_3s1XdUc/s1600/untitled.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFZnXbax_-U/UE94RRr4G6I/AAAAAAAAAIs/mQw_3s1XdUc/s400/untitled.JPG" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFZnXbax_-U/UE94RRr4G6I/AAAAAAAAAIs/mQw_3s1XdUc/s1600/untitled.JPG"></a>Temporarily homeless, I had been residing on the sofa bed of my good friend Max. As a sign of my gratitude (not to be confused as a token rent payment, or any other payment for that matter), I thanked Max in the only way I knew how, by taking him for a curry and giving him a mention in a highly esteemed and extremely popular blog. Tom did not benefit from this act of kindness and was forced to stump up his share.<br />
<br />
Tom joined us (late…again), ready to get his lassi on. We decided to take a fresh approach to finding our hosts for the evening, and let the scent of curry lead us on. We ended up outside the unassumingly tangerine frontage of Dosa n Chutney. The place was bouncing so we went inside and waited to be seated…and waited some more…until we just decided to sit ourselves down. Ten minutes later we got some menus and so began a magical journey of spice enthused pleasure.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Venue</b></span></div>
<div>
Dosa n Chutney’s orange framed exterior was reflected internally by the mirrored walls. LED lighting and garish furniture is seemingly the order of the day south of the Broadway crossroads and DnC didn’t disappoint. Though a little packed in, it was lively and the mirrors gave the illusion of space as well as the illusion of friendship for Tom on his lonely side of the table. Adding to the colour was the presence of a TV transmitting infectious Bollywood cheer and, with a bus stop directly outside, convenience is also on the menu. All in all, a simple, but charming setting for what would prove to be a delightful meal. 7/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Starters and Sides</b></span><br />
<br />
3 Poppadom<br />
Vegetable Kothu<br />
Vegetable Biryani<br />
2 x Veechu parotha <br />
Peshwari Naan<br />
3 Mango Lassi</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Poppadoms always taste the same, right? WRONG. These were probably the best poppadoms we’ve sampled so far, oily fresh and crisp.<br />
<br />
You should have seen the look of horror on Mr Scrimgour’s face when they said they had no mango chutney – it was like he’d just been told Middlesbrough Supporters South had folded. However, the shock was quickly eased by an alternative and original green dip that tickled the taste buds and amply substituted for the mango, which led us to assume this was the famous ‘n’ chutney the restaurant was named after.<br />
<br />
The breads were fluffy, fresh and moist, like a…maybe I’ll skip the simile this time. However, the peshwari was not quite as sweet as at other locations, largely due to the minimal coconut filling, but what it lacked was made up by the kothu and biryani. Both of the vegetable variety, they were an improvement on Apollo Banana Leaf’s efforts which were dry in comparison. They also had a bit of heat which amplified the range of textures and flavours on offer from the veg, rice and kothu. Near flawless, and sizeably portioned, these were great sides and were washed lovingly down by the thick and creamy lassi, which did come with mango. 9/10<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Curry</span></b></div>
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NDPFsXyKWGM/UE94PygBCpI/AAAAAAAAAIg/2vpDlvU4B6U/s1600/IMG-20120907-WA0000.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NDPFsXyKWGM/UE94PygBCpI/AAAAAAAAAIg/2vpDlvU4B6U/s320/IMG-20120907-WA0000.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Hyderabad Bhuna Ghost<br />
Chettinadu Fish (Anchovy) Curry<br />
Chicken Mughlai Kebab<br />
<br />
The curries continued where the starters and sides left off.<br />
<br />
In honour of our outsourced IT technical support colleagues in India, we had to try the Hyderabad Bhuna Ghost - tender pieces of boneless lamb cooked with ginger, garlic, coriander and whole red chillies-Hydrabadi style. A great dish, with a lovely kick from the chillies, this comes highly recommended. Similarly, the Chettinadu Fish Curry (a house special) was a sublime blend of flavours that was complimentary to the lamb, despite containing anchovies as a substitute for the usual king fish. The Chicken Mughlai Kebab enhanced the meal further, but the tender tandoori chicken was not as impressive as the other two dishes. 8/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Staff</b></span><br />
<br />
As mentioned already we weren’t exactly welcomed with open arms, and the staff weren’t particularly attentive throughout the evening. The waiter also started reading our order back to us, despite him having read it off a list on my phone in the first place – so not the sharpest chilli in the curry. Nevertheless no other real incidents or complaints, but numbers were lower than further on up the road so top marks can’t be given. 6/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value For Money</b></span><br />
<br />
The whole meal came to about £38 for three, so certainly not the cheapest, but not too expensive either. We were also so impressed with the food and feeling strangely flush that we ended up giving an additional £7 tip. So, never let it be said that the TCB are not generous - not only are we providing top notch journalism for free, but contributing greatly to the local economy as well. 8/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DuFYGMsEhPw/UE94Qhg0cnI/AAAAAAAAAIk/Wb6HIK-yqv4/s1600/IMG-20120907-WA0001.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DuFYGMsEhPw/UE94Qhg0cnI/AAAAAAAAAIk/Wb6HIK-yqv4/s320/IMG-20120907-WA0001.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8046967676062484173"></a>Fantastic food in a lively setting that scores highly. It was also refreshing to receive a 'full throttle' curry as opposed to the 'curry for the pasty white guys' which we so often receive. The evidence is clearly captured here, en-brow (although it is unclear whether this was induced by the curry or impending homelessness) >>><br />
<br />
Missing out on top marks due to the staff, Dosa n Chutney comes in at a lofty second place so far, just behind Spice Village. Richly deserved for the food, it’s a total of 38/50.<br />
<br />
See what others thought: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1495778/restaurant/Tooting/Dosa-n-Chutny-London"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/URWJ240RUrWyb1UOw0aQVhECB5DFAJp_wCm8MSofKp4Zs5IBTpiZc9TX1IeVaBZyrgqTrg2-nI6IkRL8loCumHCnCK9hseK79A" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-height="" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6110705" data-width="290" href="http://www.zomato.com/" id="zomatoRatingWidget" style="color: transparent; font-size: 10px;">Zomato - Restaurant search and Food Guide</a> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span> </div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-NDPFsXyKWGM%2FUE94PygBCpI%2FAAAAAAAAAIg%2F2vpDlvU4B6U%2Fs320%2FIMG-20120907-WA0000.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NDPFsXyKWGM/UE94PygBCpI/AAAAAAAAAIg/2vpDlvU4B6U/s320/IMG-20120907-WA0000.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urbanspoon.com%2Fb%2Flogo%2F1495778%2Fminilogo.gif&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/URWJ240RUrWyb1UOw0aQVhECB5DFAJp_wCm8MSofKp4Zs5IBTpiZc9TX1IeVaBZyrgqTrg2-nI6IkRL8loCumHCnCK9hseK79A" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-vFZnXbax_-U%2FUE94RRr4G6I%2FAAAAAAAAAIs%2FmQw_3s1XdUc%2Fs400%2Funtitled.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vFZnXbax_-U/UE94RRr4G6I/AAAAAAAAAIs/mQw_3s1XdUc/s400/untitled.JPG" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-DuFYGMsEhPw%2FUE94Qhg0cnI%2FAAAAAAAAAIk%2FWb6HIK-yqv4%2Fs320%2FIMG-20120907-WA0001.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DuFYGMsEhPw/UE94Qhg0cnI/AAAAAAAAAIk/Wb6HIK-yqv4/s320/IMG-20120907-WA0001.jpg" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-72553715762262323792012-07-19T13:33:00.002+01:002018-03-22T21:17:38.948+00:00Apollo Banana Leaf<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Please read this review and others on our new site </span></b><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.londoncurryblog.com/">www.londoncurryblog.com</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>4 July 2012 - Apollo Banana Leaf: Tooting, We Have A Problem</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yx6p-fEgzE4/UAf9jGpDYCI/AAAAAAAAAHY/TJt1dQGElU8/s1600/CURRY+4.PNG"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yx6p-fEgzE4/UAf9jGpDYCI/AAAAAAAAAHY/TJt1dQGElU8/s200/CURRY+4.PNG" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After an uncomfortably long time, we got back on the Balti on a Wednesday night. The challenge had been set by an anonymous tipster who posted on our last blog – “Do yourselves a favour and try Apollo Banana Leaf, it is incredible!” Not wanting to disappoint a fan we rose to the challenge. The evening started with a long wait for Tom outside Tooting Broadway tube – I thought something was afoot and it turned out he’d been at the podiatrist (and grossly overcharged).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PsK1qFecL18/UAf7krqTTkI/AAAAAAAAAHE/OTCkbHNVZlE/s1600/curryfront.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PsK1qFecL18/UAf7krqTTkI/AAAAAAAAAHE/OTCkbHNVZlE/s320/curryfront.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Once stocked up on BYO beers, we trekked down to Apollo Banana Leaf, boldly going where no curry blogger had gone before; one small step for naan, one giant leap for naan-kind. Mike Stone was supposed to join us, but a bout of the measles (that later turned out to be mis-diagnosed) kept him grounded. This curry mission didn’t go as smoothly as planned, but nevertheless we made it home to tell the tale…<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Venue</b></span><br />
<br />
Seemingly named after an aborted, 1970s, NASA mission, Apollo Banana Leaf, is a Sri Lankan restaurant situated on the outer space of Tooting (the borders are disputed, as the scene is constantly expanding). Unassuming from the outside, it is deceptively large inside, much like the TARDIS. Whilst more traditional in its restaurant layout than many Tooting establishments it is still more Millenium Falcon than… a more advanced space ship that I can’t think of (Star Wars is overrated – there, I said it). <br />
<br />
The atmosphere inside was lively, as was the décor. The walls were covered top to bottom with Windows desktop-esque landscapes and in the gaps were some choice artworks; one, a painting of American Indians, seemed quite alien and out of place. We were joined at the dinner table by some ants which has to be considered a negative, however at a neighbouring table sat one Alun Armstrong (New Tricks) – our first celebrity spot and definitely worth an X Factor point. Despite attracting the rich and famous, this is all in all a pretty standard establishment (plus the ants) so a 6/10 for Venue.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UApVBuqmig0/UAf7ix9hDKI/AAAAAAAAAG0/i-_OEtKSEAM/s1600/curry1.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UApVBuqmig0/UAf7ix9hDKI/AAAAAAAAAG0/i-_OEtKSEAM/s320/curry1.JPG" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Starters and Sides</b></span><br />
<br />
Poppadoms X 5<br />
Mutton Rolls X 5<br />
Chappathi X 3<br />
Parotta X 3 <br />
Chicken masala dosa<br />
<br />
As a Sri Lankan restaurant we opted for that part of the world as we gazed down upon on our menus. After radio silence for a good hour, the waiters finally brought our poppadoms which were rather disappointing, and the sole accompaniment of mango chutney was a meagre ration size. We are sad to transmit that these were probably the most disappointing poppadoms we’ve experienced on the circuit so far. <br />
<br />
The mutton rolls were better, but looked like giant croquet potatoes and you could’ve been forgiven for thinking they’d come from Iceland down the road. The chappathi and parotta were standard, even if we couldn’t agree on which was which, but the chicken masala dosa was pretty decent - the stand out dish. However, in general, nothing star-studded about the starters here and the sub-par poppadoms have to be marked down - 5/10<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curry</b></span><br />
<br />
Squid curry<br />
Vegetable Kothu<br />
Special Kothu<br />
Mixed Devil<br />
Special Biryani<br />
<br />
Kothu is a traditional Sri Lankan dish containing chopped Roti bread; we opted for the Special and Vegetable varieties. The addition of the Roti adds texture, but does feel like a break in food convention. As previously established in other reviews, the word special on Tooting menus is used about as sparingly as the BBC use Fern Cotton, and, much like the ubiquitous Cotton, often leaves one underwhelmed and let down. In fairness, Apollo bucked the trend.<br />
<br />
The Special Kothu was one of few specials listed on the menu and was pleasantly unique. In this instance, Special meant a blend of vegetables, chicken and squid. Unsurprisingly, the Squid Curry also contained squid, but so did pretty much every dish. As someone with a mild aversion to sea food this was far from ideal, but my co-eaters enjoyed the variety, especially the most varied dish of all – the Mixed Devil. Once again, we were drawn to the most ambiguous item on the menu, in this case, a £14.99, spicy meat mountain of chicken, lamb and squid. This was an interesting and generous addition to the table, with strong flavours and a meat for all seasons (nearly).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3EGwmvUSs_k/UAf7jv_O0AI/AAAAAAAAAG4/bM1OSWdugn4/s1600/curry2.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3EGwmvUSs_k/UAf7jv_O0AI/AAAAAAAAAG4/bM1OSWdugn4/s320/curry2.JPG" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Similarly, pleasant was the Special (yes, another one) Biryani, which notably hid, amongst its rice, an entire boiled egg. Now, I don’t know if this is the Sri Lankan equivalent to a Scotch Egg or just a confused take on the Kinder surprise, but it went down well (the Biryani, not the egg).<br />
<br />
In general, the only real criticism of the curries on offer here was that, despite the copious amounts of sea creature hidden within, the dishes lacked moisture. In contrast to their Indian cousins, these dishes were quite dry and, dare I say it, lacked subtly as a result. Honestly, if they’d mixed all the dishes together I don’t think I’d have noticed. So, whilst different, I’ll have to give the curries a 6/10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Service</b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Despite its rocket-like name, warp speed is not something Apollo can be praised for. Whilst amiable and neat when at the table, the staff were rarely there. Unlike other Tooting establishments, who have more employees than the Chinese Army, this seemed a small, family affair with only two waiters to start with (presumably father and son). Mum seemed to join in later, as a woman in a white hoody, who looked like she’d just been roped in from the sofa, added her services. Despite this emergency 50% increase in staff, the service was far from meteoric. As mentioned, we waited a lightyear for our poppadoms to arrive, and when we asked for the Nethali Fry we were informed it would take another forty minutes we just didn’t have time for. Having not experienced such a long wait before, we unfortunately have to mark ‘The Leaf’ down here; 5/10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value For Money</b></span><br />
<br />
Once again the economies of scale came into play as the bill came to £51 between five of us, making it a fantastic £11 a head with a tip. With BYOB on top of this, it was so cheap it was as if there was a Ceylon! I do think that the whole experience, and not just price, has to be factored into the value for money equation though, so all in all, an 8/10.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<br />
I don’t think Apollo Banana Leaf will be rocketing to the top of our rankings, but neither will it be falling to earth. Peeling back the surface, it lacked the gravity of its Indian and Pakistani counterparts. However, like its neighbours, it didn’t scrimp on portions (with the exception of the mango chutney) and we walked out far from weightless. If squid’s your thing then get down here, but if not, maybe change your orbit and make your Milky Way over the road to Onam.<br />
<br />
In summary, it didn’t leave a Deep Impact, but is far from restaurant Armageddon. Apollo Thirteen would be a better analogy – good effort, but didn’t quite get the job done - however, it does get the X Factor point for Alun ‘Neil’ Armstrong, giving a grand total of 31/50.<br />
<br />
PS. A free poppadom to anyone who makes a comment containing a space related pun<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8046967676062484173"></a><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
See what others thought: <br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/560463/restaurant/London/Apollo-Banana-Leaf-Tooting"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/7WuOSMwZfdmglPKBLDEUbfJmuYFFk6aRxW5wAZ_3K4FA3QisGdPxDm72jvB0lnJPAspwnABkPFADVQ7x_wuZHYISoV8tSz8z" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "sans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-height="" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6110705" data-width="290" href="http://www.zomato.com/" id="zomatoRatingWidget" style="color: transparent; font-size: 10px;">Zomato - Restaurant search and Food Guide</a> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span><br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-UApVBuqmig0%2FUAf7ix9hDKI%2FAAAAAAAAAG0%2Fi-_OEtKSEAM%2Fs320%2Fcurry1.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UApVBuqmig0/UAf7ix9hDKI/AAAAAAAAAG0/i-_OEtKSEAM/s320/curry1.JPG" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urbanspoon.com%2Fb%2Flogo%2F560463%2Fminilogo.gif&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/7WuOSMwZfdmglPKBLDEUbfJmuYFFk6aRxW5wAZ_3K4FA3QisGdPxDm72jvB0lnJPAspwnABkPFADVQ7x_wuZHYISoV8tSz8z" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-yx6p-fEgzE4%2FUAf9jGpDYCI%2FAAAAAAAAAHY%2FTJt1dQGElU8%2Fs200%2FCURRY%2B4.PNG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yx6p-fEgzE4/UAf9jGpDYCI/AAAAAAAAAHY/TJt1dQGElU8/s200/CURRY+4.PNG" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-PsK1qFecL18%2FUAf7krqTTkI%2FAAAAAAAAAHE%2FOTCkbHNVZlE%2Fs320%2Fcurryfront.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PsK1qFecL18/UAf7krqTTkI/AAAAAAAAAHE/OTCkbHNVZlE/s320/curryfront.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-3EGwmvUSs_k%2FUAf7jv_O0AI%2FAAAAAAAAAG4%2FbM1OSWdugn4%2Fs320%2Fcurry2.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3EGwmvUSs_k/UAf7jv_O0AI/AAAAAAAAAG4/bM1OSWdugn4/s320/curry2.JPG" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-9818535585589356032012-06-09T15:31:00.000+01:002014-08-11T20:20:43.317+01:00Sarashwathy Bavans<span style="font-size: large;"><b>16 May 2012 - Sarashwathy Bavans: and the 6ft dosa</b></span><br />
For the first time on this blog we have decided to change things around a little, and put a Patel amongst the pigeons. The Brothers in Naans have taken a step back and are relinquishing creative control, handing over the reins to the one and only Krishen Patel.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yVuTJC0GPbQ/T9NZkSgzHKI/AAAAAAAAAE0/fn3Oo1TZECg/s1600/IMG-20120608-WA0000.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yVuTJC0GPbQ/T9NZkSgzHKI/AAAAAAAAAE0/fn3Oo1TZECg/s320/IMG-20120608-WA0000.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Krishen is a real up and coming player on the Tooting curry scene, having previously cruised the streets of North London in search of curry perfection. Despite being vegetarian, he really knows his Pasanda from his Patia and what he lack in physical size he more than makes up for in curry proficiency. He has had more curries than we have had, hot curries, so naturally we were keen to see what he would bring to the table. If nothing else, Krishen would bring an air of authenticity to proceedings that is so often missing from our curry house visits. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--vmRJiXAdFQ/T9NZzozZJBI/AAAAAAAAAGU/mRUj8AwEYHo/s1600/Untitled.png"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--vmRJiXAdFQ/T9NZzozZJBI/AAAAAAAAAGU/mRUj8AwEYHo/s320/Untitled.png" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Photo taken from Mrs Patel's mantelpiece </div>
<br />
We met for a pre-curry pint in JJ Moons, where, as the only three non-members of the British National Party we were greeted with a little distain. We were prepared to throw Krishen to the (three) lions in order to save ourselves, but then realised that he was writing the blog so decided to drink up and move on.<br />
<br />
The location, <a href="http://sarashwathy.ipower.com/">Sarashwathy Bavans</a>, was decided upon due to Krishen’s meat aversion, it sits at the Broadway end of Tooting High Street and describes itself as ‘the perfect atmosphere for a homely South Indian’. It certainly was homely, in the sense that we could well have been in one of our front rooms as we were literally the only customers. We were tempted to abandon ship and try Dosa Chutney next door, which was a beehive of action, but we held fast and stuck with Sara. We entered and asked politely whether a table was available, unfortunately the waiter did not pick up on this tongue in cheek introduction and quickly ushered us to a table near the window.<br />
<div>
<br />
Now let us view the curry through the eyes (and subsequent dense prescription) of our guest blogger Krishen...<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Venue</span></b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hjauu85CiRA/T9NZpDZ_JzI/AAAAAAAAAFc/WmeUpOpwuIM/s1600/IMG-20120608-WA0005.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hjauu85CiRA/T9NZpDZ_JzI/AAAAAAAAAFc/WmeUpOpwuIM/s200/IMG-20120608-WA0005.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you wanted to know what Sarashwathy Bavans looks like from the exterior I'm afraid I can't tell you because when you go to Google Streetview it's behind a bus stop and the 280 completely blocks the view. I can, however, tell you that it is opposite an imposing Sainsbury's, which is very handy given the BYOB policy (eight cans of Budweiser), and a short hop from Tooting Broadway tube station. There’s also nothing that Tooting Curry Blog loves more than being inclusive, so we were pleased to note the presence of a massive ramp outside for wheelchair access. Although, the inclusion of the lesser-abled is to the exclusion of meat, as this is a vegetarian restaurant.</div>
<br />
Inside there were some pretty fancy, faux-crystal, chandeliers with LED lighting (think the Fortress of Solitude in Superman), hairdresser-y chairs and, sadly, zero customers. It was noted by Tom that Dosa Chutney next door was 'pumping' which made the lack of conversational hum all the more galling, and, despite the piped-in sounds of royalty-defeating musak (Seal, Michael Jackson, theme from 'Evita'), the ambience was sorely lacking.<br />
<br />
We hoped the rotating lighting might eventually turn things around, but ultimately the interior design, and its many mirrored walls, poorly reflected the curry class of the locale. All in all 6/10 <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKI3t0QkXns/T9NbgyZ-6qI/AAAAAAAAAGc/NjlFfjFuaDs/s1600/zzz.png"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKI3t0QkXns/T9NbgyZ-6qI/AAAAAAAAAGc/NjlFfjFuaDs/s320/zzz.png" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Starters and Sides</span></b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKI3t0QkXns/T9NbgyZ-6qI/AAAAAAAAAGc/NjlFfjFuaDs/s1600/zzz.png"></a>Bavans Special Poppadoms Bhel Poori<br />
Bhaji Platter</div>
<div>
It has to be said that Sarashwathy seemed to be adherent to French style dining (I saw David Mitchell talk about this on QI) so it's hard to say exactly where the sides started and the mains began. Anyway, as per TCB tradition a round of poppadoms was ordered. They were listed on the menu as ' Bavans Special Poppadoms' and came garnished with onion, tomato and coriander. They had a good crunch to them and the fresh dressings livened up what is a simple starter. However, fans of dip might want to steer clear, as these poppadoms were delivered solo, something which seemed to disturb the normally inscrutable Brothers in Naans. <br />
<br />
In addition, some Bhel Poori was ordered, and the zesty crunchyness seemed to go down well among all who sailed in its puffed rice waters. Finally, a Bhaji Platter was delivered and, although they looked alright, they lacked the flavour of the deep-fried vegetables they entombed. Ultimately, they were hollow, stodgy and lacking in taste, much like Jeremy Clarkson. <br />
<br />
Generally though, the starters didn’t quite hit Top Gear, and like JC (Clarkson not Christ) weren’t the best for reviewing. 6/10<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XbMVr0o_Omw/T9NZuQzp-3I/AAAAAAAAAF4/7OVhwWfn70g/s1600/IMG_20120516_214823.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XbMVr0o_Omw/T9NZuQzp-3I/AAAAAAAAAF4/7OVhwWfn70g/s200/IMG_20120516_214823.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Curry</b></span><br />
<br />
Aubergine Fried Curry<br />
Stringhopper<br />
Vegetable Makhawala<br />
Navaratna Kurma<br />
Family Dosa<br />
<br />
Now despite the fact that I offered to write this post, my notes are frankly awful. I was only armed with Post-its (couldn't find a note pad) a biro (found one) and a belly full of Polish beer, consequently I can't remember in fine detail what was 'hot' and what was 'made mild for the casuals'. <br />
<br />
From what I can piece together: the Aubergine Fried Curry was delicious, with the eponymous vegetable being cooked to perfection, lending it an almost meaty texture. Despite this, the carnivores in my company ignorantly stated ‘it lacked lamb’, however, they did ultimately concede satisfaction with this eggplant-based delight.</div>
<div>
The Stringhopper also stood out; it was an Indian vermicelli-esque dish that melted in the mouth, and, like The Wire character it was named after, was ruthless and business-like in its delivery and loved by all.<br />
<br />
The centre piece of the dinner was the Family Dosa, which was described on the menu as being 6ft and weighed in at a princely £12. It was definitely worth it, as the huge dosa (oo-er) bestrode the table in a simliar (but more palatable) version of those grotesque sushi restaurants where you can eat food off a naked woman-plate. The dosa itself was crispy, hollow and perhaps a bit too oily. It did come with two additional curries and, although it was really only 4ft, the novelty factor validated the purchase. 6/10<br />
<br />
N.B. A word of warning for vegans though – most dishes contained paneer.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Service</b></span><br />
<br />
The less contact I have with people I don't know, the better. If you share this sentiment then Saraswathy will not disappoint. The staff were prompt, but not intrusive. My only criticism was that at 22:06 the waiter started putting chairs on tables which felt a bit defeatist. To his credit though, earlier, when taking the order, he committed it entirely to memory rather than writing anything down. This is exactly the type of showmanship we were looking for, although, as we were the only customers, it’s likely this was for his own entertainment rather than ours. This also resonated with me later on, as my approach to note taking for this review was similar, but, unlike me he was more successful in his recall. 6/10</div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Value For Money</span></b><br />
<br />
“What's the damage?” Is something that a terrible person might say at the end of a meal/financial transaction. It was £15 per head. To give that amount context consider this: the following day I woke up feeling full, in fact I managed to skip breakfast AND lunch - that's three meals! In a sense you can't afford not to eat at Saraswathy. This is also taking into account the absence of meat a negative which may be a sticking point for the less ethical/morally inferior amongst you. 8/10<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--i-8NdNPFFw/T9NZnWoOXJI/AAAAAAAAAFI/JytCZFU7MNc/s1600/IMG-20120608-WA0003.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--i-8NdNPFFw/T9NZnWoOXJI/AAAAAAAAAFI/JytCZFU7MNc/s200/IMG-20120608-WA0003.jpg" /></a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Bravo Krishen! Bravo! Some lovely curry coverage there. So where does that leave us? Well Sarashwathy Bavans was a pleasant enough meal and not charging corkage is always appreciated. Unfortunately, however, the distinct lack of meat did detract from, well let’s be honest everything! It’s not all doom and gloom though, it gives us great pleasure to award an X-factor point. Any establishment that can knock out a 6 foot dosa deserves some recognition; it is for these sorts of feats that the X-factor system was introduced. So with that taken into consideration overall scores are 33<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8046967676062484173"></a>/50<br />
<br />
See what others thought: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/1547543/restaurant/Tooting/Sarashwathy-Bavans-London"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/bVy-ME6-UFsVMHGzXCKOpCvUHwCcskUuttCBL1Nyca5iKjwuILxZODUKDtj6b4LP_qGYwMK6wn7jeQmR8uf6jtvG4w6k7JnaeQ" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-height="" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6112129" data-width="290" href="http://www.zomato.com/" id="zomatoRatingWidget" style="color: transparent; font-size: 10px;">Zomato - Restaurant search and Food Guide</a> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-Hjauu85CiRA%2FT9NZpDZ_JzI%2FAAAAAAAAAFc%2FWmeUpOpwuIM%2Fs200%2FIMG-20120608-WA0005.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Hjauu85CiRA/T9NZpDZ_JzI/AAAAAAAAAFc/WmeUpOpwuIM/s200/IMG-20120608-WA0005.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urbanspoon.com%2Fb%2Flogo%2F1547543%2Fminilogo.gif&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/bVy-ME6-UFsVMHGzXCKOpCvUHwCcskUuttCBL1Nyca5iKjwuILxZODUKDtj6b4LP_qGYwMK6wn7jeQmR8uf6jtvG4w6k7JnaeQ" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F--i-8NdNPFFw%2FT9NZnWoOXJI%2FAAAAAAAAAFI%2FJytCZFU7MNc%2Fs200%2FIMG-20120608-WA0003.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://3.bp.blogspot.com/--i-8NdNPFFw/T9NZnWoOXJI/AAAAAAAAAFI/JytCZFU7MNc/s200/IMG-20120608-WA0003.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-yVuTJC0GPbQ%2FT9NZkSgzHKI%2FAAAAAAAAAE0%2Ffn3Oo1TZECg%2Fs320%2FIMG-20120608-WA0000.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yVuTJC0GPbQ/T9NZkSgzHKI/AAAAAAAAAE0/fn3Oo1TZECg/s320/IMG-20120608-WA0000.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-bKI3t0QkXns%2FT9NbgyZ-6qI%2FAAAAAAAAAGc%2FNjlFfjFuaDs%2Fs320%2Fzzz.png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bKI3t0QkXns/T9NbgyZ-6qI/AAAAAAAAAGc/NjlFfjFuaDs/s320/zzz.png" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-XbMVr0o_Omw%2FT9NZuQzp-3I%2FAAAAAAAAAF4%2F7OVhwWfn70g%2Fs200%2FIMG_20120516_214823.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XbMVr0o_Omw/T9NZuQzp-3I/AAAAAAAAAF4/7OVhwWfn70g/s200/IMG_20120516_214823.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F--vmRJiXAdFQ%2FT9NZzozZJBI%2FAAAAAAAAAGU%2FmRUj8AwEYHo%2Fs320%2FUntitled.png&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--vmRJiXAdFQ/T9NZzozZJBI/AAAAAAAAAGU/mRUj8AwEYHo/s320/Untitled.png" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8046967676062484173.post-46183793206099446392012-05-09T17:27:00.002+01:002014-08-11T20:21:14.717+01:00Vijaya Krishna<span style="font-size: large;"><b>12 April 2012 - Vijaya Krishna: Enter Penguin</b></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FRWRvC6-yIg/T6qYmt17PJI/AAAAAAAAAEI/8aV2YqNThxU/s1600/untitled.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FRWRvC6-yIg/T6qYmt17PJI/AAAAAAAAAEI/8aV2YqNThxU/s320/untitled.JPG" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Undeterred by a weekend of gorging on chocolate, we booked in another curry for the week after the Easter bank holiday. After a break from the balti, we were keen to get tucked into a plethora of poppadum, paratha and pilau pleasures. After a lot of deliberation about the venue and turning down a chance to debut in Chennai Dosa on account of its no alcohol policy, we decided upon the South Indian, Vijaya Krishna restaurant.</div>
<br />
Louise ‘Penguin’ Hitchen had the pleasure of joining the ‘Brothers in Naans’ (despite a number of let downs we are humble and forgiving chaps, and didn’t mind giving Hitch ‘The Stitch’ a third chance).<br />
<br />
Prior to the curry we had a couple of pints in The Antelope, and – a short spring(bok) to the venue, merely metres away. Louise was waddling, alive with anticipation, she blurted, ‘I haven’t been this excited since the 2011 release of Happy Feet 2!’ <br />
<br />
Vijaya Krishna, is a curry house held in high esteem by the locals offering light Keralan fare so would it live up to its reputation? Here’s what we thought.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HBpwQSVX65c/T6qYk8jMbCI/AAAAAAAAAEA/bQJ4XK4-e28/s1600/344.JPG"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HBpwQSVX65c/T6qYk8jMbCI/AAAAAAAAAEA/bQJ4XK4-e28/s320/344.JPG" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Venue</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Vijaya Krishna is situated East of Tooting Broadway tube, on the Mitcham Road, and generally considered to be something of a hidden treasure. A small, intimate venue, it is a more conventional curry restaurant than some of its canteen-style neighbours. This is certainly to its benefit in some respects, but it does lack the individual character and idiosyncrasies that make a Tooting curry house a Tooting curry house. This issue was not helped by the fact that there was about as much atmosphere as in the exosphere!<br />
<br />
With ornate furniture and South Indian relics (some disturbingly phallic) adorning the walls, it is pleasant enough for a date (if you were maverick enough to suggest a curry based date) or quiet affair, but more raucous, lager-lugging, curry louts would be best advised to go elsewhere, especially as this is not a BYOB venue. Three huge air conditioning units on the ceiling slightly detracted from the charm, but we’ll give it a cool 7/10 <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Starters and Sides</b></span><br />
<br />
6 Poppadoms and dips<br />
Mysore Bonda <br />
Vegetable Biryani (with sauce)<br />
Coconut Rice<br />
Green Chilli Paratha<br />
Sweet Coconut Paratha<br />
Garlic Paratha<br />
<br />
We started, as is customary, with the traditional poppadoms, which came with a wide array of five dips – raita, mango, onion chutney, lime pickle and a coleslaw-style number. The raita was slightly too yoghurty, but the lime pickle was particularly good. Last time out the proverbial poppadom bar had been raised, so we were left a little disappointed, as these just didn’t stack up (not literally, but from a taste perspective) This lead to Louise’s only joke (contribution J) of the evening ‘Poppadom Preach’.....................................An awkward silence followed.<br />
<br />
We then chose the Mysore Bonda for no other reason other than they came in a set of three. The menu described them as potato croquettes spiced with fresh ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves, black pepper and dipped in a crunchy batter and fried. These fried balls lived up to their billing and came accompanied with two dips, both of which were a delight and really overshadowed the Bondas themselves. They were coconut based and thick in texture, one spiced with green, and the other red, chilli - a welcome addition to the table as the extra was gratefully mopped up with paratha. <br />
<br />
The Coconut Rice was garnished with poppy seeds that added a crispy touch and the Vegetable Biryani, not only included okra, but came with a complimentary sauce that added spiced tomato value and texture. On the other hand, the Parathas weren’t as memorable. The difference between the Garlic and Green Chilli varieties was at first difficult to find, although the chillies, if found, did provide a welcome kiss of heat. The Sweet Coconut Paratha was a step in the right direction, but not as sweet as those in Onam, and generally upstaged by previous bread-based outings. Overall the sides and starters were arguably reflective of the whole experience – not a lot to complain about, but nothing outstanding either. 6/10<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Curry</span></b><br />
<br />
Lamb Green Masala<br />
Chicken Malabar<br />
Chicken Calicut<br />
<br />
For the mains we chose three from the specials menu, although like in other establishments, the word special was slightly overused (and thus rendered slightly meaningless). We also had to accommodate that fact that our penguin doesn’t eat fish, so we were putting our eggs in the meat basket <br />
<br />
Chicken 65 immediately jumped out of the menu, but it read as if it would be dry, much like the fried lamb dish that has been sampled here before. Instead we chose a Lamb Green Masala, a Chicken Malabar and a Chicken Calicut. <br />
<br />
The lamb was not the most tender, but this didn’t detract from the dish which lived up to its green billing. The chilli had a mild kick and the sauce was delicately creamy – probably the pick of the three. The Malabar and Calicut were less distinctive, but still solid performers. The Malabar was creamier and quite masala-like whereas the Calicut had a drier quality with crunchy green peppers and a spicy finish.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7MMQWOl3B6w/T6qYpbW1UGI/AAAAAAAAAEU/e4qRSpinWGw/s1600/IMAG1124.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7MMQWOl3B6w/T6qYpbW1UGI/AAAAAAAAAEU/e4qRSpinWGw/s320/IMAG1124.jpg" /></a> </div>
<br />
All in all, the curries were amply portioned and fairly rich in flavour. However, it is our duty to inform, (putting our bodies on the line so you don’t have to) that there were some repercussions the next day that left us feeling a little empty (Louise made no comment; we are too polite to ask, but let’s assume three strikes). Arguably this was a result of a lot of green chilli, but, either way, we’re obliged to take a point off, so it’s a 6/10 for the curry.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Service</span></b><br />
<br />
It’s often said that children are best seen and not heard, and this adage could aptly be applied to the waiters at Vijaya Krishna; smart and efficient to their credit, but, softly spoken and distinctly lacking in any banter to their detriment. They weren’t that attentive initially either, but almost overplayed this later as one waiter unerringly stood to attention like a soldier at the horse guards parade. Generally though, no real faults, so 7/10 is a fair score, but if you’re looking for personality or an engaging conversation – Stephen Fry these waiters are not!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Value For Money</b></span><br />
<br />
The bill came to about £22 each, including tip, with the slightly higher price reflecting the fact that this isn’t a BYOB venue (and arguably to cover the electricity bill when the air conditioning units are kicked into gear). You can certainly get a cheaper experience, with more added value, elsewhere so, despite smart décor, efficient service and decent food, it’s a 6/10 for value.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2PgjX-AY2Q0/T6qYodeSEII/AAAAAAAAAEQ/KCSeZIA6uMk/s1600/IMAG1118.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2PgjX-AY2Q0/T6qYodeSEII/AAAAAAAAAEQ/KCSeZIA6uMk/s320/IMAG1118.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Summary</b></span><br />
<br />
A good time was had by all and, with Louise summarising 'This has been the best night/curry of my life'. However from a curry perspective, the experience was a little non-descript. No real complaints, but on this occasion Vijaya Krishna didn’t live up to the hype found in other reviews or the amount we ourselves had built up after a spell away from the spice. Certainly no X Factor, it’s a 32/50 in total. Join us next time where we will be taking a walk on the 'non meat' side<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
See what others thought: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/571416/restaurant/London/Vijaya-Krishna-Tooting"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/wI5wckZ7BxSHBkFBwr6S4jRkioQ-6hQzyMYTBz8xZCnpnrKnmMIBZBYtnVBiiBcnjQPPaE1Vu0yLW18sfwOOWRlkPd-0S-tt" /></a><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a data-height="" data-lang="en" data-res_id="6112129" data-width="290" href="http://www.zomato.com/" id="zomatoRatingWidget" style="color: transparent; font-size: 10px;">Zomato - Restaurant search and Food Guide</a> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { var scriptElem = document.createElement( 'script' ); scriptElem.src = 'http://www.zomato.com/widgets/rating_widget'; scriptElem.async = true; scriptElem.type = 'text/javascript'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(scriptElem); } )(); </script></span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-2PgjX-AY2Q0%2FT6qYodeSEII%2FAAAAAAAAAEQ%2FKCSeZIA6uMk%2Fs320%2FIMAG1118.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2PgjX-AY2Q0/T6qYodeSEII/AAAAAAAAAEQ/KCSeZIA6uMk/s320/IMAG1118.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urbanspoon.com%2Fb%2Flogo%2F571416%2Fminilogo.gif&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/wI5wckZ7BxSHBkFBwr6S4jRkioQ-6hQzyMYTBz8xZCnpnrKnmMIBZBYtnVBiiBcnjQPPaE1Vu0yLW18sfwOOWRlkPd-0S-tt" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-7MMQWOl3B6w%2FT6qYpbW1UGI%2FAAAAAAAAAEU%2Fe4qRSpinWGw%2Fs320%2FIMAG1124.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7MMQWOl3B6w/T6qYpbW1UGI/AAAAAAAAAEU/e4qRSpinWGw/s320/IMAG1124.jpg" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-HBpwQSVX65c%2FT6qYk8jMbCI%2FAAAAAAAAAEA%2FbQJ4XK4-e28%2Fs320%2F344.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HBpwQSVX65c/T6qYk8jMbCI/AAAAAAAAAEA/bQJ4XK4-e28/s320/344.JPG" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-FRWRvC6-yIg%2FT6qYmt17PJI%2FAAAAAAAAAEI%2F8aV2YqNThxU%2Fs320%2Funtitled.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FRWRvC6-yIg/T6qYmt17PJI/AAAAAAAAAEI/8aV2YqNThxU/s320/untitled.JPG" -->Mike Murphy and Tom Scrimgourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14452962296930175614noreply@blogger.com