Jump to content

Indian YMCA canteen - been there ?

KidKruger

By KidKruger
in The Lounge

 Share

Recommended Posts

red devil

red devil

Posted
Posted

I used to work opposite there, and it was a regular lunchtime hangout, but that was 10 years ago.

Not sure if it's authentic as I've never been to India, but if nothing's changed, expect a simple menu based on taste and aroma rather than heat, nothing Anglocised...rice, main, and glass of water...great hangover cure.

civilservant

civilservant

Posted
Posted

I used to go there a lot about 15 years ago when I was a student round about there. Its main customer base was/is the (mostly Indian) students staying at the Y, so it's authentically Indian eating-house, but not Indian home-cooking.


I'd really like to know if it's still as delicious value for money.

KidKruger

KidKruger

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Wow I feel like a real late-comer to this venue, how I never sussed it I don't know !

Indian eating-house is right up my street tho. As Jeremy suggested, I'll do a pseudo-review and share at weekend.

I'm just hoping for basic Indian food sans curry house standards.

DaveR

DaveR

Posted
Posted
I also went quite a few times as a student, 20 odd years ago. Lunch was about three quid back then. I remember more than once waking up with a terrible hangover and going to the YMCA for lunch, despite the fact that i'd already had a curry after all the beer the night before.
KidKruger

KidKruger

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I?m minded to say the Indian YMCA is a load of old crud so that there?s no huge influx of EDFers to the canteen, but I guess only one or two of you are actually going to really head up there, so here it is..


For me, it?s kitted out and has d?cor just like a canteen in an Indian University or similar facility, pure 70s-esque ? superb.


Go past reception at the YMCA and into the canteen, you queue up through the middle of the dining hall to the serving counter where the dishes are laid out on shelves.

Like someone said earlier, there?s a selection of mains and some side dishes you can select from, then the queue wraps round back up to the till, during which time you pass the OJ /water glasses/cutlery to collect on your tray.

You say whether you want rice and/or chapati and the guy gives you that with your plate


The mains today were basic curries, chicken, lamb, fish, mixed vegetable, they all come in bowls read to put on your tray. Also there was a ?special?, Chilli Chicken, which was another (hotter) chicken curry, a bit drier than the ?standard? version.

The sides/add-ons available were popadoms, raita (with veg chopped into it), pickle, dhal, sambar, onion bhajis and a couple of others.


There were 4 of us, seating was not an issue ? I?d thought it?d be tough getting a table but no problem at all. Tables have jugs of water on.

I had chilli chicken, rice, chapati, popadom, pickle, raita, dhal, and tried others? lamb curry and vegetable curry.

It was all splendid, I took on a fair old sweat with the chilli chicken, the standard curries were a little milder.

The curries were well-flavoured, dhal was mild. All the food is not quite hot due to being sat in bowls, but certainly not cold - it's under those heat lamps.

As mentioned earlier in this thread a couple of times, I can certify that it IS a decent hangover cure !!


I?ll be there at least weekly from now on.

Lunch FYI is 12-2pm

They also do dinners 7-8.30pm

Breakfast 7.30-9.15 am !!


Oh ? there?s loads of Indians there.


No Madras, Jalfrezi, Pasanda, Korma etc. in sight thank gawd.

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...
malumbu

malumbu

Posted
Posted

It was OK, cheap, slightly disappointing.


Check out the India Club on the Strand:www.strand-continental.co.uk/Restaurant_%26_Bar.html


Or Goviandas: www.iskcon-london.org


Or just do Tooting, or www.iskcon-london.org


3/4 of Indians are vegetarians - many of which are strict (ie non veg = eggs)


99% of British 'Indian' restaurants are Bangladeshi, with food modified over the last 50 years for local tastes, and very much meat.


So there is no such thing as the authentic Indian, and of course in the sub continent food varies from state to state in any case.


There are also good places in West Croydon eg www.chennaidosa.com


And one or two on Drummond Street. www.shaheebhelpoori.com


Thnk you have to go off Brick Lane to find somewhere special.


PS how do I insert websites as hyperlinks please?

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
  • Advertise Here

  • Latest Discussions

    • Rumbero
      Thames Water meter rip off?

      By Rumbero · Posted

      I’m in exactly the same position.  They badgered me for ages to have a water meter fitted.  I’d prevaricated simply because it’s so tedious dealing with these people but eventually gave in when the communications became increasingly frequent and aggressive and it was done in March 2023. I just assumed I’d then be charged on actual consumption but I received an email this morning with details of the latest price increase and it said, “Since your property doesn’t have a water meter, your bill is calculated in advance based on fixed rates rather than water usage”.  I’m sure they’ve realised I’d be paying much less if they billed me on actual consumption but have not gone out of their way to inform me.  Trawling through their website, for me anyway, is an unutterably tedious chore, but I think I’ll now have to work up the energy over the weekend to pick up the phone on Monday morning and have a word with them.  
    • Jah Lush
      The going home for the weekend song thread...come on you groovey foookers

      By Jah Lush · Posted

    • shazza76
      Plumber recommendation - Andy Burke

      By shazza76 · Posted

      Great Service again from Andy.  Contacted him with a couple of issues with toilet cistern and shower.  He came over and sorted it all out quickly. Good advice given, reasonable charge for the jobs.  Highly recommend Andy!   
    • malumbu
      Be careful on the pavements...

      By malumbu · Posted

      Just seen this.  Your post was a bit unnecessary.  I was simply responding to the previous post that children should be cycling on the pavement. But as you say I know shed loads about transport.  Not to the depths that some go down to the minutia.  Some call me the space cowboy.  Some call me the gangster of love.  I think of myself as the people's poet.  You have to laugh at yourself. Echoing what DKH said, we weren't there, you don't know the parent was making a snide remark, My favourite Dulwich parent story was a few years ago were friends when we were in the Herne garden a few years ago, who let their children run riot.  Bless.  One decided to turn the hose on spraying some poor drinkers.  Now most of us would be mortified, but the friends welcomed their child's creativity.   

East Dulwich Forum

Established in 2006, we are an online community discussion forum for people who live, work in and visit SE22.

Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...