The Indian Room, Balham

This month we headed to south west London to try out Balham’s Indian Room, located on Bedford Hill.

We began the evening with a few pleasant ales in the quiet back garden of the Balham Bowls Club. This is a nice bar that is laid out rather like a youth hostel. From the fine selection of ales we tried the increasingly popular Meantime Pale Ale, and the rather splendid UBU, brewed by Warwickshire’s Purity brewey.

From there we headed across the road to the Indian Room, which was pretty much full although diners here are given plenty of elbow room compared to some of the places we have visited such as Tayabbs or Needos.  

The customary poppadoms arrived, and our party all noted that they were crisp and less oily than usual. Amongst the four dips only the mango chutney, which was tangy and sweet, made itself noticed. There was an absence of lime pickle, which is always disappointing to see. We can only assume it is omitted by many curry houses based on customer feedback. But I believe whilst not to everyone’s tastes it more than merits a place in the dips starting line-up.

So far so good. Things then took a turn for the worse however, as our meals took 45 minutes to arrive owing to a kitchen mix up. Thankfully when the food finally arrived it was worth the wait.

The naans were nice and firm and not too doughy – we tried the plain, garlic and keema varieties. The lamb dhansak was well-spiced, hot, with a strong flavour of cardoman, and lacking the unwelcome oiliness which is often a feature of curries in London’s Indian restaurants. In fact all the dishes we tried were remarkably oil-free. The lamb karahi was delicately spiced, with a nice thick sauce. The chilli chicken had a decent kick, and again, like all the curries, the sauce was thick and flavourful. The lamb rogan josh tasted, according to one of our party, like an angel had pissed on his tongue, but this was after a few too many monsoons – a nice change from the ubiquitous Cobra. Mongoose beats Cobra, most of the time.

The Balham Bowls Club: 8/10
The Indian Room: 8/10

Needos, Whitechapel

December's curry took us to Whitechapel to sample Needos, the (relatively) new pretender to Tayyab's throne.

Owing to its location just outside the ancient city walls and thus the city's jurisdiction (London could be accessed via Aldgate, one of the seven ancient gates into the city, the others being Bishopsgate, Moorgate, and some other ones), Whitechapel has historically been a magnet for all kinds of nefarious activities. Whether it be breweries, whorehouses or foundries (two of the world's most famous bells - Big Ben and Philadephia's Liberty Bell - were cast in Whitechapel), if you wanted to get up to no good or murder some prostitutes, Whitechapel was the place to go.

But we weren't there for a history lesson or even to murder some prostitutes, not this time, we were there to sample one of London's most talked-about curry houses, Needo's. The evening began with a few ales at the Good Samaritan, a cosy pub over the road from the Royal London Hospital and as such frequented by doctors and nurses. Unfortunately on this particular evening the nurses were nowhere to be seen but there were plenty of quacks self-medicating at the bar.

From there it was a five minute walk around the corner to Needos. This being a BYO we had stocked up with Kingfisher from Londis, although at £2.79 a bottle we felt slightly ripped off. Not as hectic as Tayyabs, you are nevertheless slightly squeezed in in this place so don't expect much elbow room. The clientele was half Indian half office parties and there was a Bollywood film with the sound turned off playing on the tv screen on one of the walls. The dark red decor is simple and the lighting bright, this place feels more like a cafe than a restaurant.

Slightly oily looking naan, overly runny dips

The poppadoms arrived promptly and were crisp although I have to mark them down slightly on the dips, the raita and mango chutney were a tad runny and there was no lime pickle. A starter of chilli cheese paneer came sizzling on the dish and delighted the tastebuds. Four of us went communist and shared mains, much to the chagrin of the others in our party who went down the George Osborne route and ordered every man for himself. The dry meat curry is highly recommended, leaving a lingering spiciness that lasted well into the third post-curry pint. The Palak Chicken was essentially a chicken curry with spinach and the other two dishes I forget what there were but they were all tasty. Service was efficient and unsmiling.

By the time we left, pushing 10pm, there was a queue of hungry customers eaglery anticipating a plate of sizzling meat snaking out into the cold rainy night. From there it was on to the Urban Bar for a round of holocausts and speculation about whether or not Jesus was a kiddly fiddler, but that's for another time. All in all Needos is a superb curry house, and at ten pounds a head, excellent value for money. This place is definitely on a par with Tayyabs, and only the underwhelming dips stops it getting top marks, but these kind of details are important, as Right Said Fred said, I'm deeply dippy about my dips. 9/10

A curry of some sort

Even Gordon is a fan

Khans of Brixton

Brixton. The new foodie paradise, who'd have thought it? When I was living in Brixton it was pretty much a choice between KFC or the Satay Noodle Bar, Brixton Village used to be known as Granville Arcade and all you could buy there was tupperware or chicken's feet. Ah them were the days.

Still, we weren't here to rate Honest Burgers' triple-cooked rosemary fries, or Mama Lan's pan-fried dumplings. No, this was October's curry night, and we were to start off a night exploring the exciting and ever-changing Brixton with, well, a curry. But where to begin? A quick bit of online research restricted the options to two: Curry Paradise, on Brixton Hill, or Khan's, on Brixton Water Lane, close to the delightful Brockwell Park. (Elephant in Brixton market is very highly recommended, but they don't take group bookings so that was out).

Firstly, the pre-curry pub, of which we enjoyed two. The first broke a cardinal rule of not being a stumble away from the curry house, but we wanted to try the new Craft Beer Company Bar, on Brixton Station Road. I know this place is all about the beer, and you certainly can't fault it for choice, with literally hundreds to choose from, but it had very little atmosphere. I wonder whether this place will last beyond the current fad for craft ale.

We then took the ten minute walk up Effra Road to Khan's, stopping on the way for a quick one at Hootenanny's, more about which later.

From the outside Khan's is underwhelming, to say the least. The exterior just doesn't do the place justice, looking like more of a run-down takeaway joint. But when you step inside, the place is actually quite smart, which is a pleasant surprise. We were led downstairs to our table - which even had napkins!

The dips were all present and correct - mango chutney, raita, lime pickle, and that hot runny red stuff no-one really likes much. These came with a plentiful supply of crisp poppadoms. The menu at Khan's was unusual, in that there were a number of dishes none of us recognised, such as Murgh Handi Laziz. I went for the Mirchi Lamb, which was delicious and spicier than expected. By the end of this dish there were beads of sweat on my brow and only the Kingfisher bought from the off-license next door could cool the flame (this place is BYO). There were similar murmers of approval from the rest of the group, with the Chicken Bhuna, Nawabi Murgh Tikka and Lamb Ceylon (very hot) getting rave reviews. The naan breads were all delicious, particularly the peshwari and keema naans.

Khan's is a hidden and unexpected gem, you can't really go wrong with what you order, although our friendly and funny waiter did warn us away from butter chicken (like pudding) and Murgh Tikka Masala (boring) which is very honest of him and probably very true - this place does spicy food excellently so don't order something lacking in heat. I must apologise for my photos - I forgot my camera and my phone images really don't do this place justice.  




Feel the heat

 With our stomachs and hearts full we managed the good one minute's walk over the road for a post-curry beer at Hootenanny's. This being Friday night things rapidly went downhill, but much fun can be had at this rough and ready, unpretentious and very friendly live music bar. 

Curry: 9/10
Beer: 6/10 (Craft Beer Co.) 8/10 Hootenanny

Gopals of Soho

This month we headed to Soho to try out Gopals. There is no shortage of likely pre-curry boozers in Soho, and we opted for the Dog and Duck, owing to its fine selection of ales. This small Nicholson's pub can get very crowded, but and apparently is famous for serving Constable, George Orwell, and Madonna. Not at the same time, obviously. The ales are certainly well-kept,and a mixture of Blue Moon and Bengal Lancers whet the appetite for what was to follow.  

A short walk across the street led us to Gopals. This licensed restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere and is one of the smarter establishments we have eaten in, although with a slightly old-fashioned decor. Firstly, the dips. These were top-notch. Mango chutney? Present. Raita? Present. The ever-spicy Lime Pickle? Present, sir! The poppadoms were crispy and satisfactory.

On to the mains. I made a schoolboy error here, possibly due to over-indulging at the Dog and Duck, by ordering Murgh Tikka Makhani, which is essentially just chicken tikka masala. This was very much on the bland side, lacking any kick whatsoever, but was far from unpleasant, with a delicious variety of flavours. My colleagues ordered dishes including Butter Chicken and Lamb Madras, but again these were slightly on the mild side.

All in all, if you are in London and fancy a curry, you can't go much wrong with this place. My only reservation woudl be, perhaps because of the passing tourist trade, you may find your dishes slightly milder than you may like. Make that clear to the chef and they will stick a few more chillies in for you.

Curry: 8/10
Pub: 8/10

A solid combo.

London Bridge Tandoori and The George Inn

The end of November, where everywhere you look men's moustaches are reaching their hirsute peak after the month of "Movember", although we find the presence of a moustache interferes with one's enjoyment of curry. November's curry night took us to the foodie heaven area of Borough, but would the curry be up to scratch?

The Pint: The George Inn is one of London's most famous pubs, and this National Trust-owned boozer is guaranteed to impress any visitor to the city. "London's only last remaining galleried coaching inn", the 17th century public house oozes character, with a number of inter-connecting rooms, all with stone floors and wooden beams and a nice courtyard area where you can tie up your horse. The George ale isn't bad either, and there are a number of other Greene King beers on tap, including Old Speckled Hen. After a couple of ales to cleanse our pallets we headed over the road to the Tower Bridge Tandoori.  

Only two dips, but double portions of raw onion!

The Curry: First impressions of the London Bridge Tandoori were not great. At least they are not deceiving anyone with the name, this restaurant literally is right underneath London Bridge, and it shakes every time a train goes overhead, which is charming. We entered to a slight mildewy smell and took our seats by the damp wall in the back room. Popaddoms promptly arrived but came with just two dips - the ubiquitous pale green raiti and mango chutney, and rather excessively two portions of that overrated raw onion stuff. With both dips being mild we could really have done with either some lime pickle or some of the lively bright red dip you sometimes get which has chilli seeds floating in the top. Not a great start.

The "Soupy" Madras

I ordered a chicken madras, which is usually a good barometer of a curry establishment. Any curry house worth its salt should be able to knock up a decent madras. Yet when mine arrived it had the consistency of heinz tomato soup, with a few lumps of chicken poking just above the surface. Taste-wise it had enough heat, but there was no grainy-ness to the sauce, it was all too runny and very disappointing. About the only positive I could think of regarding my meal was that the naan breads were good.

Elsewhere around the table, it was the same story with Sam's prawn madras, too much liquid and possibly too fiery. Paul actually enjoyed his Karahi Chicken, although at £11 it wasn't particularly cheap. That is the other thing about this place, you don't mind a disappointing curry so much when it is dirt cheap, but the extras (naans at £2.50 or £3 each) pushed our bills up to £23 (admittedly including three Kingfisher each).

As we were paying our bill, the two drunken businessmen who had been sitting on the table next to us, with full moustaches making them look like the Chuckle Brothers, left saying it was the worst curry they had ever had. This upset one of the other patrons sat near us, who called them a rather rude word which begins with "c" as they walked out. Fisticuffs almost ensued, but in reality this curry house was not worth fighting over at all.

The George Inn: 9/10
The London Bridge Tandoori: 5/10

The Yak and Yeti and The White Hart, Crystal Palace

August's curry night took us south to Crystal Palace and the promise of something different in the form of Nepalese food.

The Pint: The White Hart in Crystal Palace is a friendly and relaxed boozer with a fine selection of speciality beers, including Fullers India Pale, a weissbeer and a selection of lagers including Dortmund's finest Veltins. It has a nice garden at the rear and the huge interior consists of a number of different rooms, including even a vintage clothes shop. This pub is highly recommended, and the food looked good as well. You could imagine this place being packed at the weekends. We acquainted ourselves with the ales - the Fullers India Pale Ale went down well as did the Veltins - before heading over the road to the Yak and Yeti, which hopefully would not involve any yakking.



The dips - note the slight yoghut leakage into chutney

 The Curry: First impressions of the Yak and Yeti were along the lines of blimey, this is a bit posher than our usual curry night venues. In reality that simply meant folded napkins and moody lighting. The restaurant is in no way pretentious, and we were to find that the food is reasonably priced. The customary poppadom and dips arrived, which included the usual mango chutney - in this case tangy and mild, a refreshing minty yoghurt, onion salad and some deep red stuff of unknown origin which tasted fine. The dips were well-presented (despite the slight leakage of yoghurt into chutney that you see above) and tasty but lacked a spicy option such as lime pickle. Our drinks arrived in the form of Kathmandu Beer, a form of Nepalese Pale Ale which is actually a perfect curry beer, not too fizzy and a bland smooth taste.   

Delicious Hariyali Chicken

For the mains I ordered Hariyali Chicken (left). Although on the menu it had an H next to it which we presumed indicated Hot, there was little bite to this. The thick sauce was however extremely tasty, with a perfect slightly grainy texture that seemed to include blended nuts. This went down an absolute treat. Grimmers ordered an under-the-table special in the form of the Hanse Bhutuwa - a Nepalese speciality consisting of duck cooked in Nepalese spices. The Achari Gosht - lamb in a tangy yoghurt sauce - was a fine "marvellous" blend of spices and excellently cooked lamb, according to Rob. Finally, Jake's Chicken Bhutuwa was a spicy, succulent chicken in a rich sauce. All dishes were a decent size and the sparkling clean plates at the end were testament to the quality of the food.

The service throughout was top notch, and we were extremely well looked after, even getting an extra naan bread on the house. General consensus was that although all the dishes were fantastic, the food could have been spicier, although Nepalese cuisine is apparently milder than Indian on the whole. The damage came to £25 per head, including tip, for mains, naan breads and two Kathmandu's each. All in all, a superb curry night, one of the best curry houses visited so far. What's more, nobody yakked.

The Yak and Yeti: 8.5/10

The White Hart: 8/10

The curry club

Nepal's finest

Southbank Tandoori and The Stage Door, Waterloo

If you ever find yourself in Waterloo in need of a curry, you could do a lot worse than head to the Southbank Tandoori.


Chicken Madras (left) and Chicken Karahi



The Curry: The classic Indian restaurant starters of poppaddoms and dips were pretty much spot on - crispy and non greasy, whilst the mango chutney was just the right consistency, although the lime pickle could have done with more bite, and the red stuff - well, noone really likes that anyway.

Onto the mains: Chicken dishes were reasonably priced at around £6.95 each. The Chicken Madras was on the HOT side of Madras, which is no bad thing in my book but others may want to take note. Meanwhile, the spices in the Karahi Chicken were delicately blended. One foolhardy member of our party opted for teh lamb vindaloo, which was definitely hot but deliciously so and certainly edible without the need for an asbestos stomach. The naan breads were crips and not at all doughy. The Southbank Tandoori is licensed and offers Kingfisher on draught so my advice would be to fill your boots on that one.

The Pint: Post curry we headed to the Stage Door, just round to the left as you leave The Cut. A friendly back-street pub with a couple of real ales, this place also offers a tightly-squeezed-in pool table in one of the rooms and is a good option for a few impromptu beverages.

The Southbank Tandoori: 8/10
The Stage Door: 7/10