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.