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2012-02-25
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We were walking around Kowloon City in order to try a new Thai restaurant (other than just Cambo - which is very good by the way). We couldn't make up our minds even after walking through all the main streets. We spotted this interesting looking Indian restaurant and immediately decided to check it on OpenRice. 65 and just a couple of - worth a try!The setting was typical of small homey type of Indian restaurants. Simple decoration mainly in blue and quite a lot of small tables. The rattan cha
The setting was typical of small homey type of Indian restaurants. Simple decoration mainly in blue and quite a lot of small tables. The rattan chairs were a bit old but quite comfy.
We were very lucky to be there at about 6:30 p.m. as it became very busy very quickly. Booking is strongly recommended. The menu was pretty comprehensive. It's in English and Chinese and filled with photographs of the dishes, which was extremely helpful. I find verbal descriptions of curries in English or Chinese usually less than informative.
We were served with Poppadoms first. Poppadoms are standard appetizers in any Indian restaurant. One for each customer with three different types of sauces. Mint, Tamarind and Chilli. Also standard and authentic.
It took my wife quite a while to go through the Menu (Indian cuisines are not too well known in Japan). So my wife ordered a Lassi, a typical yogurt drink from India, and I ordered a Kingfisher beer first. Believe it or not, Kingfisher is really an original beer brewed in India since the end of the 19th century.
We eventually decided to order:Mild prawn curry;
Spinach puree with cheese;
Lamb Vindaloo; and
one Butter Naan and one Garlic Naan to go with the curries.
We also ordered a bottle of red wine ($270) - Beaujolais, which usually goes well with curries and meat.
As I ordered the vindaloo, the boss smiled deviously and told me, "This is quite hot." At this juncture, I was seriously thinking whether I should order something different. However, my competitive side got the better of me and told me to stick with it. So I did.
The Spinach puree with cheese also tasted authentic and healthy even. It's authentic Indian but you won't find a direct comparison in Chinese cuisines so those who are not used to Indian cuisine may find the texture strange. Anyway, it's good stuff. The cheese was also interesting. I can't put my finger on what type of cheese it was. Probably goat cheese but don't worry, it doesn't taste as strong as normal blue cheese. It's dry inside. In fact, the cheese doesn't taste much but was quite filling. Also recommended.
The Mild prawn curry were, well, mild, as well as creamy and delicious. The prawns were quite firm and fresh. My wife liked it a lot. This is recommended.
The Lamb Vindaloo, the red dish in the photo, was really pretty hot. The chilli taste stays in your mouth for at least 15 minutes. Luckily I had the red wine to neutralized the taste a bit. The lamb was OK (the sauce was quite hot so I couldn't really taste much of the lamb anyway).
The boss asked whether everything was OK at this juncture and I told him everything was great, while wiping the sweat off my forehead!
Both Naan breads were very delicious. It seemed pretty freshly made and were quite aromatic. Always an excellent companion to curries.
This came at the very end and was quite a surprise:
One was supposed to put a spoonful of cane sugar as well as the cumin seed and mint on your palm with the spoon provided and then eat it. It clears your breath completely and immediately! Excellent! The service was very good. Everyone was friendly and polite as well as efficient. Reasonable price - similar to the restaurants in Chung King Mansion. Recommended.
P.S. A table was reserved for 4 persons at 7:30. Since the customers did not show up, the boss finally phoned the customer at about 7:40 p.m. and politely reminded him/her of the booking and to see whether they would attend. The boss apparently repeated what he was told on the phone, "...You attended yesterday already?" Well, he just apologized for disturbing the customer and got on with it.
He did not curse under his breath or shout at any staff (at least not in front of customers). Imagine what would happen if this happened in a Chinese restaurant? Cultural differences?
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