Bombay Bicycle Club to open in Upper East Side

[Michael Palaeologus]

There is a reason that UK curry houses serve food for the UK palate. Day to day "curries" (for the want of a better phrase) served in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal (the asian countries that I have been to) seem harsh and rather homogenous to the UK palate i.e. dhal, rice, nan and - more dhal. I have also been to an Indian cafe somewhere in Streatham that serves Indian caff food for Indians - same experience.

What we get in our curry houses is akin to feast-food served in south Asia - the stuff that is served at weddings and as such(apart from Chicken Tikka Masala) is relatively authentic, albeit in a peculiar way.

I did some work for Cyrus Todiwala (owner of Cafe Spice Namaste and the unofficial spokesperson for the sector) - he was trained in the top restaurants in India and his view was that Brits going to our curry houses every week are effectively going to an up-market Indian wedding every week. His Tandoodri Venison is very good.

I dined at the Maharahja Restaurant in Tallin tonight - very nice, bit pricey though.

[eccentric]

Al&Em Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Interestingly the BBC is owned by the same people

> (Clapham House Group) as own GBK - obviously a

> group who are liking the ED vibe....

No just capitalist pig dogs!

[Louisa]

ED vibe lol :}

[Chao Long Huyet]

We are still waiting to get the lease signed for the VIETNAMESE COFFEE SHOP at Bellenden RD. Over 4 months now with the slack solicitors. Hope to be open in November now?? please check our website

http://www.caphevn.co.uk

for developments. As we have said on previous posts we will have a opening party to which all ED bloggers are very welcome

so see you there eventually!

[longtalljohn]

Well I'm willing to put in a good word for the BBC anway. The ones in SW London have always come up trumps for me. It's true they're more expensive but I'd say the food is as good as Tandoori nights (although half the reason to go to TN is to get into a random conversation with the owner). Got to admit we do have more than enough curry houses already, but let's face it, among the good ones in Tooting and Whitechapel there are plenty of stinkers. Brick Lane in particular has loads of 'add a meat into a sauce and microwave' places - I prefer the Lahore kebab place on Commercial Road for a great feed, if it's open.

Think the whole 'is it genuine Indian?' food conversation in this country often misses the real point, which is that most 'Indian' food in this country isn't Indian, it's Pakistani or Bangledeshi. Simply because more immigrants have been from those countries, rather than India itself. It is sometimes eaten in India, but it's a distinct kind of food that called 'Murghal Cuisine'. The nearest food to India in London is the few South Indian (vegetarian) restaurants around - Drummond Street up by Euston certainly beats Brick Land on food (if not a good night out), even for a meat eater like me.

For a really good 'Indian wedding' style spread, try the Three Monkeys in Herne Hill for Sunday lunch (although apparently not the evening menu). And the Sikh barman is a top guy.

And for the most authentic Indian restuarant experience in London, 'Club India' on the Strand is the only place to go. Right down to the the hand typed menus and dingy decor. Not that authentic means the best... :)

Anyway, can't we save new-openings-hatred for Foxtons?!

[MisterM]

Another good word from me on BBC. Used to use the one in Battersea alot and now the one in Clapham. Absolutely love it and I personally think it blows away any other 'regular' Indian I've had. But agreed, we didn't need another curry house. Those and estate agents must be 30% of the flippin Lane. Babur in afore mentioned Brockley is excellent too.

[Jockey1]

For *authentic* Curry go to Madras restaurant in Lewisham. If you want *really authentic* (and i mean dining in an environment similar to that of a local cafe in India) try Chennai Dosai in Thornten Heath. I always get change back from a tenner when I take my partner there.

[sharp]

post removed and user banned for pretending to be a happy customer of an establishment - The Administrator

[Jah Lush]

Of course you don't work there do you Sharp.

[*Bob*]

I heard Sharp does the PR for Osbourne Stewart

[Keef]

LOL! >:D<

It's all about the subtlety Sharp.

[newgirl]

Louisa, where is the Vietnamese on Bellenden Road? I've never noticed it and I loooove Vietnamese food.

[EDOldie]

Finally tried it, after being devotees of Tandorri Nights for many years. And, it was very good indeed (they did get one curry wrong I got a prawn one instead of Lamb but I'll order the prawn next time, delish). Also loved the fact that none of the dishes we had were over salted, as is the case with so much takeaway food these days, cheap trick to make food taste better I think. They were incredibly busy (Sat night) but very polite and cheerful. Nine of them in that tiny shop, they'll have to get bigger premises if they curry on like this.

[kford]

BBC - curry for people who have never eaten curry before.

[Jeremy]

Or curry for people who are fed up of the greasy slop served up almost everywhere else on LL.

[EDOldie]

I think the 'Curry' we generally eat today is so far removed from Indian Cuisine as to be unrecognisable. Most curry places are owned and run by Bangladeshis, not Indians, doesn't necessarily make the food rubbish. I've eaten at two proper Indians, one in Norbury (some years ago) and the food was different. To me the BBC is a variation, and a good one, on a theme. In fact if you want proper Indian food (curry) you are probably better off cooking it yourself.

[kford]

EDOldie is correct but it's a chore to get the tandoori chicken right, as Heston Blumenthal will tell you. I agree with Jeremey, there is a lot of slop around, and crimes like serving Balti as a takeaway or all-you-can-eat buffets are rife on LL (and in London generally). My experience of BBC is that it's just a bit... bland.