Spices, Whitstable

Some deliveries that Bob and Phil do are very enjoyable, almost sociable occasions.  After one such delivery this evening near Rochester Airport the decision was made to head back to Whitstable to visit one of the many curry houses, Spices.

Spices is a converted pub on Canterbury Road in Whitstable.  It has the advantage of a car park to the back and has a modern, brightly lit decor.  Its location is at the other end of town to most of the other Indian's in Whitstable.

The Papadums were fresh warm and buttery in texture.  Enjoyed very much alongside the Cobra's which were lovely and cold, the lime pickle in particular was not too hot as is often the case and the onion salad was served with chopped coriander leaves which was very nice.

The curries were very generous servings. Bob varied tonight and went for a butter chicken which he thought was very buttery.  Phil's dhansak was rather too sweet

The Vegetables were a bit of a disappointment.  The potato in particular was very bland and needed salt.  They were also rather on the cold side.

The service was friendly - the waiter reminded Phil of one of the lemurs from Madagascar - but very slow.

Area	Phil	Bob
Beer	8	8
Papadum	8	8
Curry	7	7
Rice & Vegetables	6	6
Service & Ambiance	5	5

In total a rather average 68.

A bit of a disappointment after a good start but there are still a few more restaurants to try in Whitstable.

Spice of Bengal - Charing

Another trip over to Charing and so we went to the Spice of Bengal, located at the top of Charing Hill.

There has been a restaurant on the site for many years and the Spice of Bengal is the latest incarnation.  The venue seems very popular and was quite busy for 7:30 on a Thursday evening.

The Papadums were warm and fresh and served with the usual accompaniments which slightly let things down - the lime pickle was very salty and the mango chutney very sharp.  The beer was also a disappointment as Cobra was not available and Kingfisher was served - simply not the same!!

The curries were excellent albeit hotter (spice wise) than normal the portions were very generous and filling.

The Sag Paneer was a very good contrast to the curries but the Bombay Aloo seemed bland by comparison.

The service was a little on the slow side - it was a good ten minutes before the plates were cleared after the meal was completed and unusually we were not asked if everything was OK during the meal.

Area	Phil	Bob
Beer	5	6
Papadum	7	7
Curry	8	9
Rice & Vegetables	7	7
Service & Ambiance	6	7

In total a rather disappointing 69%

A bit of a shame really that a good curry was let down by things around the edges that nevertheless make for a good meal.

The Raj - Faversham

A couple of deliveries "on the way home" found us in Faversham, close to the Brewery.  Time was on our side so we decided to give the Raj in West Street a try.

The buildings in West Street date back a long long time and the restaurant is adorned with beams and decor as befits a building of that age.


The Papadums were fresh and served with a nice looking selection of pickles but sadly the beers were not as cold as they could have been.  The pickles, however, gave an inkling of what was to come....blandness!

The curries could have hotter - they were lukewarm - and whilst Phil's Dhansak was spicy hot, it lacked a depth of flavour.

The Vegetables were again bland - the potatoes in particular lacked seasoning and were very disappointing.

The service was OK - nothing to fault but again nothing to write home about.

Area	Phil	Bob
Beer	7	8
Papadum	6	7
Curry	5	5
Rice & Vegetables	5	5
Service & Ambiance	7	7

In total a fairly mediocre 62.

Some things were quite nice but others seemed to let the side down.  We left with an overwhelming feeling of what could have been if the meal lived up to the premises....