Indian restaurants in Dulwich

[malumbu]

OK on the positive - some places that are not Little Engerladered/Anglowcized

India Club on the Strand - forgot all about this place but was in the Grownad yesterday. Food is a little better than the review, hit amd miss from wonderful to oh dear, but great atmosphere and BOYB.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/sep/01/the-india-club-strand-restaurant-review-marina-oloughlin

Nemaaste in Camden - oh come on we would all have preferred to live in Camden when we were younger (or are still young)

https://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/namaaste-kitchen

Ia ir bird, is it a chain? Not sure.

And back to Sarf East London this place in Brockley - an area changing but still with some edge:

https://www.timeout.com/london/restaurants/masala-wala-cafe

And rightly calls itself a Pakistani restaurant/cafe

Going back to the real food you also have Goviandas in Soho and the Indian YMCA, canteen

41 Fitzroy St - was a bit disappointed.

So the big question is why are most curry houses the same. Is it because we have no sense of adventure and like it this way? Some people I know always have the same dish everytime, and then use this as a bench mark. Tika or korma.

But there again 90% of Thai, and Mexican, places have the same menu too. Not Thai Mexican I hasten to add. And pubs with the same food from Carlisle to Carrickergus to Chatham to Caerphilly. Perhaps it's economy of scale, but I can eat in many European Cities at a reasonable price without a packet source or Brakes Brothers veggie lasagne (now roast squash) in sight.

[DulwichFox]

The people who think ALL Curry Houses are the same..

They are more likely to drink too much before they go to the restaurant..

They are more likely to drink more alcohol with their food.

They are more likely to order the same food where ever they go.

They are more likely to tip the entire portion of rice on to their plate

and then pour the entire curry on top of it and mix it all up.

They are more likely to eat too quickly.

DulwichFox

[malumbu]

OK gloves of. I don't do any of the above. I don't eat meat. I have had food in India. I cook a mean curry. I can and will eat a curry with my right hand using a chapati as a tool. I've never seen a nan bread in the North of India. My word, I am in deed a hero.

Please do explain to me how most of the vegetarian slop I have at the average curry house is not the same as the next.

Tell me why they add sugar of all things to the spinach. And a bland over-garlicy under spiced sauce.

Perhaps the meat and fish dishes are all wornderful. The veg aint. And about 600 million Indians don't eat meat. So I think I may have a few people on my side.

Now if you are taling about Bangladeshi food that has been modified for European tastes that is a different thing. Just doesn't appeal to me. I've listed a few restarants broadly classified as Indian which do appeal to me. Try them and let's discuss.

[KidKruger]

Very interesting Foxychunks, now what about 'all those' who DON'T think all curry houses are the same, what observations have you made regarding the detail of their eating habits ?

[KidKruger]

"Tell me why they add sugar of all things to the spinach."

That's a fair observation malumbu, when I take my Indian ex-colleagues to 'Indian' restaurants they always complain about additional sugar - they regard it as a Bangla habit which they don't appreciate. So I have to take them to the Euston restaurants nowadays.

[DulwichFox]

KidKruger Wrote:

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

> Very interesting Foxychunks, now what about 'all

> those' who DON'T think all curry houses are the

> same, what observations have you made regarding

> the detail of their eating habits ?

None because they don't stand out by talking out loud.. being obnoxious and falling asleep in their vindaloo.

Fox

[KidKruger]

So basically just flapping your gums then Fox !

[miga]

Foxy has a fair point though - if for a lot of people a curry is something to mop up the booze with, it's possible such folks don't pay attention to the food.

Not that anyone on this thread has exhibited that kind of behaviour.

[miga]

miga Wrote:

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

> Foxy has a fair point though - if for a lot of

> people a curry is something to mop up the booze

> with, it's possible such folks don't pay attention

> to the food.

> Not that anyone on this thread has exhibited that

> kind of behaviour.

(And also possibly explains why all the places on e.g. Brick Lane I've been forced to go over the years serve non-descript, same slop).

[JohnL]

miga Wrote:

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

> Foxy has a fair point though - if for a lot of

> people a curry is something to mop up the booze

> with, it's possible such folks don't pay attention

> to the food.

> Not that anyone on this thread has exhibited that

> kind of behaviour.

My memories of being teenage, in a curry house in Swansea, everyone drunk, fists flying came back then.

Like something more civilised now :)

[DulwichFox]

JohnL Wrote:

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

> miga Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Foxy has a fair point though - if for a lot of

> > people a curry is something to mop up the booze

> > with, it's possible such folks don't pay

> attention

> > to the food.

> > Not that anyone on this thread has exhibited

> that

> > kind of behaviour.

>

> My memories of being teenage, in a curry house in

> Swansea, everyone drunk, fists flying came back

> then.

>

> Like something more civilised now :)

Yep. 30-40 years back You went for a Curry after the pub. Rowdy.. Noisy.. Much racist abuse aimed at staff

who had no choice as to put up with it. In the main that has all changed.

But the Menu has remained much the same. 'Old Favourites' BUT with individual restaurants doing

Speciality Dishes and House Specials..

Nothing wrong with The Old Favourites. I can tell the difference between a Madras / Vindaloo Bhuna

from different outlets on L.L.

Manzes Pie & Mash. Using more or less the same Recipes for their Pies for over 80 years.

They are not going to chnge it for the likes of some people on here.

Fox

[red devil]

DulwichFox Wrote:

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> Manzes Pie & Mash. Using more or less the same

> Recipes for their Pies for over 80 years.

> They are not going to chnge it for the likes of

> some people on here.

No need to, it's authentic...:)

[KidKruger]

"No need to, it's authentic"

true dat !

[DulwichFox]

Totally missed the point.

The Point is, that the Majority of Curry Eaters still like what's on offer.

That is why the Better restaurants on L.L. are full Thursday - Friday - Saturday.

and most do a good T/A trade.

Curry Cabin 45 years. Must be doing something right.

They too are not going to change something that is not broke.

Foxy

[fishbiscuits]

There's nothing wrong with the anglo style curry houses. In fact I love them. Yeah sometimes it's nice to have authentic/regional Indian food, but sometimes only a good old greasy meat madras, garlic naan, poppadoms with luminous chutney, and a couple of pints will hit the spot. It's proper comfort food - and cheap too.

Saying that, I can't quite work out how so many restaurants along LL serving essentially the same menu have survived the bordering-on-aggressive gentrification over the last few years. You would have thought one or two of them would try to ride the wave (and I don't mean adding burgers to the menu, and serving silly little dishes of olives and hummus... what the hell was that crap?!)

Babur is posh anglo curry. A while ago I was chatting with an Indian couple who considered that place to be an abomination, but I always enjoy it, which is all that really matters I suppose.

[DulwichFox]

When I used to frequent Babur in the mid 80's The food was Mogul Cuisine.

It was expensive back then but the food was excellent and very different to other Indian outlets.

Haven't been there for many years 15+

Never been the sort of restaurant you go to alone.

That's one of the things you can do with all Curry Restaurants on L.L.

See Men an Women as lone diners.

DulwichFox

[Seabag]

Babur is now Baboring

Invest more in a cab to Tooting, spend less on the food.

Not to difficult to calculate really, only you'll not 'be seen'

But way way better there.

My view on LSL curry houses is that some are less crappy than others, but there's a complicity in low standards.

[Sue]

I wonder if Dulwich Fox could actually tell whose Madras was whose in a blind tasting.

I also wonder how many people in East Dulwich actually eat in these restaurants. They certainly don't seem as full as they used to be, in fact they usually look quite empty.

If only Tooting wasn't such a slog to get to. The food there is head and shoulders above anything round here.

[KidKruger]

Careful. Don't use the 'S' word.

[Sue]

Shoulders??

[DulwichFox]

Arrhh Tooting.. I had a lady friend who lived in Tooting. mid 1980's 30 years ago.

...So done that when it was good. Now over priced .. pretentious .. but I get that suits some people.

Fox

[DulwichFox]

Sue Wrote:

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

> I wonder if Dulwich Fox could actually tell whose

> Madras was whose in a blind tasting.

>

> I also wonder how many people in East Dulwich

> actually eat in these restaurants. They certainly

> don't seem as full as they used to be, in fact

> they usually look quite empty.

>

If only Tooting wasn't such a slog to get to. The

food there is head and shoulders above anything

round here.

Does that include Ganapati ??

Foxy

[KidKruger]

*breaks open the bumper pack of yawns which was being saved for Xmas*

[fishbiscuits]

Sue Wrote:

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

> I also wonder how many people in East Dulwich

> actually eat in these restaurants. They certainly

> don't seem as full as they used to be, in fact

> they usually look quite empty.

My guess is that most of them survive from takeaway business. There's usually quite a long wait for delivery from Dulwich Tandoori, etc, presumably because they're busy.

I do like eating in curry in the correct environment though.. the white tablecloths, the rotating chutney pots, the Dhalsim music, pints of Cobra, warming trays, the comedy dessert menu... it's tantamount to sacred ritual.

DulwichFox Wrote:

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

> done that when it was good. Now over priced

> pretentious .. but I get that suits some people.

Tell me, do you consider yourself a people person?

[DulwichFox]

fishbiscuits Wrote:

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

> Sue Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I also wonder how many people in East Dulwich

> > actually eat in these restaurants. They

> certainly

> > don't seem as full as they used to be, in fact

> > they usually look quite empty.

>

> My guess is that most of them survive from

> takeaway business. There's usually quite a long

> wait for delivery from Dulwich Tandoori, etc,

> presumably because they're busy.

>

> I do like eating in curry in the correct

> environment though.. the white tablecloths, the

> rotating chutney pots, the Dhalsim music, pints of

> Cobra, warming trays, the comedy dessert menu...

> it's tantamount to sacred ritual.

>

>

> DulwichFox Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > done that when it was good. Now over priced

> > pretentious .. but I get that suits some people.

>

>

Tell me, do you consider yourself a people person?

Well that depends on the people.. I do not associate with Racists.. Homophobics.. Sexists.. Bigots.

So that does narrow it down a bit.

Fox