It was a trickier than normal delivery to South London and it was quite late when Bob & Phil left the (hopefully) delighted customer with a generous tip in hand. The furniture gods had smiled on the shop earlier in the day as there were no deliveries scheduled for Sheppey on the day that 100 cars were involved in a pile up on the bridge but the traffic gods were about to come into play.
The original plan had been to visit Brick Lane but, given the time, was revised and Darjeeling Heights set as the new destination as it was on the way home. A previous plan to try this restaurant had been thwarted by a lack of a booking so, as Bob drove, Phil phoned ahead and the table was booked........but then disaster. An accident on the A2 meant that it was closed at the Dartford Crossing junction. Not to be thwarted, however, Phil's knowledge of the area courtesy of his past life (the story for another blog) navigated around the closure and what could have been a curryblog disaster ended up as an extra 20 minute delay before the curry. It would be remiss of Bob & Phil not to thank the Restaurant for their understanding. When Phil phoned to say they would be delayed because of the accident the Restaurant even phoned back with an alternative route that they could take!
Formerly the Men of Kent public house on the A2 in Rainham, Darjeeling Heights was opened in 2011. It has a car park and street parking is available around the corner in Otterham Quay Lane. It has been tastefully converted and there are a number of distinct areas which historically would have been different bars. The overall feel is light and modern - perhaps a little to bright for Phil's taste.
The Papadums were warm and fresh but only served with 3 pickles - no lime pickle. The Raita was quite unusual, however, as it was quite spicy. The (bottled) Cobras were nicely cold and remained so throughout the meal..
Phil's Dhansak was excellent - a generous portion with plenty of flavour and a subtle heat; Bob's Korma was equally generous and thoroughly enjoyed. The rice was probably one of the best Phil & Bob had experienced in quite a while providing sultanas and pieces of cashew nut as little treats throughout the meal.
The vegetables, unfortunately, were a little disappointing. The Sag Paneer, whilst nicely textured and seasoned, had no real discernible flavour and wasn't the creamy foil for the curries that Bob and Phil have come to expect. The Bombay Aloo, whilst nicely flavoured wasn't hot and went cold very quickly.
****Desert Alert****
Although not part of the marks Phil noticed Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding) and Gulab Jamen were available on the menu so, unusually for Bob & Phil deserts were also enjoyed!!
****Desert Alert****
The restaurant was quite busy - the car park was full although there were still a few empty tables around - but there were plenty of waiters who were very initially very attentive. This led to a bit of confusion as Bob & Phil received two menus each and nearly had their drinks order taken twice! After this the service became a little indifferent to the point that the curries were finished before a waiter asked if everything was OK.
It is also worth noting an unfortunate table placement. The day of the visit had been the hottest September day for several years and even on leaving the restaurant the temperature was 20C. Bob and Phil were seated at a table directly under the air condition unit which they are pleased to report was working very well - to the point of chilling the cutlery, making it cold to the touch and cooling the food very quickly.
Area
|
Phil
|
Bob
|
Beer
|
8
|
8
|
Papadum
|
9
|
9
|
Curry
|
9
|
9
|
Rice & Vegetables
|
8
|
7
|
Service & Ambiance
|
7
|
8
|
In total an above average 82%
A very good meal - only two restaurants have scored higher for their curries - was let down a little by the service, air conditioning and vegetables. It was also a very expensive meal - the most expensive experienced by Bob & Phil so far on their travels (even allowing for the extra cost of the deserts) - and the first time either could recall a service charge being added to the bill.
