Worst: A Fruit Bat curry in Sri Lanka (complete with little bits of wing membrane and claws).
Experiences: Lobbing loads of extra chilli on a mate's curry while he was in the bog, then watching him eat some, then watching him take the flowers out of the table vase and hose down the water.
best. The Taj Walderslade village, The Royal, Chatham
worst. bengal brassierie in Chatham and countless others on brick lane, for somewhere famous for Indian and sub continental food the standard is average at best
experiences, too many to recount I am a connoisseur of the hot stuff and have only twice had to abandon ship but my dung button really suffers the next day to the point of me actually going for chef specialities and recommendations often now that are not core of the sun heat and amazingly Indian food doesn't have to be scorchio to be enjoyable. On a Saturday night however, sometimes only a chicken tikka Phaal from the Taj will suffice, pretty much means Sunday is spent dabbing ice cubes against my date in between trips to the can to dribble molten lava out but I genuinely enjoy the taste sensation of hot food and the different flavours and spices our Indian brethryn utilise
Worst: A Fruit Bat curry in Sri Lanka (complete with little bits of wing membrane and claws).
Experiences: Lobbing loads of extra chilli on a mate's curry while he was in the bog, then watching him eat some, then watching him take the flowers out of the table vase and hose down the water.
If you had done that to me you would have been removing the vase from somewhere it would have taken a lot more than a jet of water to budge it from...
Have mentioned the worst one on here before but stopped off at a place in the Holloway Rd with @Tavern and couple of others on the way back from a night game in Leicester. Food was absolute jank and the beer was Skol served from a can.
Best - The Maharani in sidcup. Absolutely spot on that place.
Worst - The Lane Kitchen in Plumstead. Proper jank.
Experience - I get absolute pelters for it, but I'm a fan of the sweet currys, butter chicken, korma etc, genuinely really like the taste. Anyways i decided to change up and ordered a madras once not knowing how hot they were cos everyone I know seems to have it and I got bored of getting stick for order food that's actually nice. Well fuck me, this thing nearly melted my tongue off. I ended up going to the cupboard and sticking a load of garlic mayo and a tub of mint sauce in it to cool it down. The abuse has only got worse since unfortunately.
Everest Ghurka probably best in Chelmsford, though the Lanthong pushes it close. Tend to have more memorable experiences of Nepalese and Thai as most Indians I've been to blend into one.
Remember going to a curry house in Sydney and asking for their hottest curry called "find-a-loo" (those classy Aussies) and they begged me to have it half spiced. I refused and it was actually quite nice, and no hotter than a normal vindaloo or some madrases. Didn't stop the chef and whole staff from watching me eat it from afar.
Everest Ghurka probably best in Chelmsford, though the Lanthong pushes it close. Tend to have more memorable experiences of Nepalese and Thai as most Indians I've been to blend into one.
Remember going to a curry house in Sydney and asking for their hottest curry called "find-a-loo" (those classy Aussies) and they begged me to have it half spiced. I refused and it was actually quite nice, and no hotter than a normal vindaloo or some madrases. Didn't stop the chef and whole staff from watching me eat it from afar.
Best in London - Lahore Kebab House or Needoo’s on New Road, next to Fieldgate Street where Taayabs is.
The same family that own Tayaabs owns Needoo and the food is miles better. I work about 250 yards away from both.
Worst - Gandhi Spice in Crayford. Had a great one in the curry house next to the Crayford Micropub last year.
I used to love the Tagore in Welling, actually had a Michelin award but they it moved to Tunbridge Wells in the late 90s but has since closed down.
Indian Essence in Petts Wood, Atul Kochhar’s restaurant is fab but you need to book in advance. It has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand last 3 years.
Best - The Maharani in sidcup. Absolutely spot on that place.
Worst - The Lane Kitchen in Plumstead. Proper jank.
Experience - I get absolute pelters for it, but I'm a fan of the sweet currys, butter chicken, korma etc, genuinely really like the taste. Anyways i decided to change up and ordered a madras once not knowing how hot they were cos everyone I know seems to have it and I got bored of getting stick for order food that's actually nice. Well fuck me, this thing nearly melted my tongue off. I ended up going to the cupboard and sticking a load of garlic mayo and a tub of mint sauce in it to cool it down. The abuse has only got worse since unfortunately.
Not a great connoisseur of Indian food so can't really say the best or worst places I've eaten & I usually stick to a sashlick or dupiaza.
Most memorable is walking the length of Rusholme in Manchester (The curry mile) as my mate wanted to find the cheapest one going. 30 minutes later I really couldn't care what I ate, I just wanted to get something down me. I've also tried a phaal - which to my mind is just like eating curry powder neat from a jar.
I have graduated away from the hot stuff over the years. Nowadays my palate is more for sweet and sour, so a Pathia or Dansak fits the bill. Also found that beer tends to detract from the whole experience. Now i rarely drink so a nice pitcher of cold water goes well with a curry.
Special mention for the Agra Tandoori in Ewell Road Surbiton. It's like time travelling back to the 1980's. The decor is authenticly tacky, the playlist is crap and the food is top notch.
Comments
Haven't had a bad one for a while but that's because I stick to places I know tbh.
Worst: A Fruit Bat curry in Sri Lanka (complete with little bits of wing membrane and claws).
Experiences: Lobbing loads of extra chilli on a mate's curry while he was in the bog, then watching him eat some, then watching him take the flowers out of the table vase and hose down the water.
Waiter “Sorry Sir, I think you mean Chicken Tikka.”
Customer “ No......it’s like Chicken Tikka only otter.”
worst. bengal brassierie in Chatham and countless others on brick lane, for somewhere famous for Indian and sub continental food the standard is average at best
experiences, too many to recount I am a connoisseur of the hot stuff and have only twice had to abandon ship but my dung button really suffers the next day to the point of me actually going for chef specialities and recommendations often now that are not core of the sun heat and amazingly Indian food doesn't have to be scorchio to be enjoyable. On a Saturday night however, sometimes only a chicken tikka Phaal from the Taj will suffice, pretty much means Sunday is spent dabbing ice cubes against my date in between trips to the can to dribble molten lava out but I genuinely enjoy the taste sensation of hot food and the different flavours and spices our Indian brethryn utilise
Worst - Probably one that Mrs Otto served up a couple of years ago. The upside was that I had a few days off work sick.
Worst - The Lane Kitchen in Plumstead. Proper jank.
Experience - I get absolute pelters for it, but I'm a fan of the sweet currys, butter chicken, korma etc, genuinely really like the taste. Anyways i decided to change up and ordered a madras once not knowing how hot they were cos everyone I know seems to have it and I got bored of getting stick for order food that's actually nice. Well fuck me, this thing nearly melted my tongue off. I ended up going to the cupboard and sticking a load of garlic mayo and a tub of mint sauce in it to cool it down. The abuse has only got worse since unfortunately.
Remember going to a curry house in Sydney and asking for their hottest curry called "find-a-loo" (those classy Aussies) and they begged me to have it half spiced. I refused and it was actually quite nice, and no hotter than a normal vindaloo or some madrases. Didn't stop the chef and whole staff from watching me eat it from afar.
Spent a month trying to get used to spice by eating wasabi peas every day only to find out that they're a different kind of spice so it doesn't work.
Edit. No, turns out that was the Grand Union Canal. Much cleaner....probably.
Worst I can recall is probably the Masaledar in Tooting - had a water feature in the lobby, but that was about it.
The same family that own Tayaabs owns Needoo and the food is miles better. I work about 250 yards away from both.
Worst - Gandhi Spice in Crayford. Had a great one in the curry house next to the Crayford Micropub last year.
I used to love the Tagore in Welling, actually had a Michelin award but they it moved to Tunbridge Wells in the late 90s but has since closed down.
Indian Essence in Petts Wood, Atul Kochhar’s restaurant is fab but you need to book in advance. It has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand last 3 years.
Most memorable is walking the length of Rusholme in Manchester (The curry mile) as my mate wanted to find the cheapest one going. 30 minutes later I really couldn't care what I ate, I just wanted to get something down me. I've also tried a phaal - which to my mind is just like eating curry powder neat from a jar.
Special mention for the Agra Tandoori in Ewell Road Surbiton. It's like time travelling back to the 1980's. The decor is authenticly tacky, the playlist is crap and the food is top notch.