The Maharani Tandoori, Sittingbourne

After some local evening deliveries, the Maharani Tandoori was the chosen venue for the close of play curry.

Located on West Street in Sittingbourne, the Maharani is, Bob & Phil believe, the oldest Indian Restaurant in the town.  It looks to have been decorated fairly recently and it is fair to say that the owner likes the colour blue!

The Papadums were served promptly and were warm although (to Bob's dissapointment) only the standard 4 pickles were served.  They were good though and raised the expectations for the evening.  The (botted) Cobra was cold but not very cold.

Expectations were somewhat dashed, however, by the curries.  The flavour and texture of Phil's Dhansak was more akin to a Madras with no discernable lentils.  Bob felt that his Korma was OK but nothing special.

The dissapointment carried over to the vegetables.  The Sag Aloo was quite good but the Muttar Paneer was, in Phil's opinion, absolutely awful.  It had peas, with added onion that seemed to be served in melted cheddar.  In very short order the dish had congealed into lumps of peas stuck together.

The service was mixed.  From a very pleasant welcome and intial interactions it fell away to bordering on indifference. Having said that there were plenty of regulars who were met and greeted like old friends. special

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

In total a rather disapointing 68.  Not the lowest score by a long chalk but below average.

Summary.....

Regency Tandoori - Westgate on Sea

On previous trips to Thanet Bob & Phil had only spotted one curry house.  Having reviewed that one only recently a new one had to be found.  Thanks to a certain search engine another was quickly found so armed with the details of the Regency Tandoori (and directions from the last delivery) Bob & Phil set off also buoyed by some pretty good reviews that Mr G had thrown up.

The Regency Tandoori is located in a parade of shops opposite Westgate railway station.  There is plenty of street parking available in the evening and fortunately (given the rain on the day of the visit) the parade of shops has a covered walkway.

The restaurant itself was a little tired looking inside and was rather too dimly lit but we were shown to a table and the drinks order taken immediately.  Having said that it seemed to be very popular and quite busy for a midweek.

The Papadums were warm and fresh and served with the traditional 4 dips (Bob was disappointed to note this given his recent experience of 6) and the (bottled) Cobra was nicely cold although rather indifferently poured by the waiter.

The curries were both very good.  The menu indicated that Bob's Butter Chicken is marinated overnight and he felt that this was reflected in the depth of flavour (along with a couple of different flavours too).  Phil's Dhansak was everything he expected with the addition of a slight fruity note (Phil thought initially that this was pineapple but then couldn't make his mind up if it was mango or not which Bob thought funny).

The Vegetables were again very good.  Both with their own distinct flavours but  Bob felt that the Muttar Paneer was quite similar to his Butter Chicken and Phil was a little disappointed by not being able to taste the sweetness of the peas (a sign of being slightly overcooked).

The service and ambience let the side down.  Neither Bob nor Phil could remember the last time a waiter did not enquire about the meal whilst it was being eaten and they couldn't decide whether this was arrogance or indifference.  An odd number of after dinner treats were served and the after dinner napkins were practically thrown on the table!

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

In total 78 points placing it just outside the top 10.

In summary a very good curry let down by poor service.  An average score for Service would have seen the Regency in the top 10.  A significantly improved experience from our previous Thanet visit, however!

Addendum: There was a couple who decided to stay and have a drink or two rather than walk home in the pouring rain.  It rained very heavily all night in Kent so Bob & Phil are wondering where that couple may be now and in what state!!

Shad - Herne Bay

Not all deliveries go smoothly and it was one such delivery this evening that saw Bob and Phil finally arrive at a curry house rather later than anticipated.  The Shad in Herne Bay was a Restaurant that they had visited on several occasions BB (Before Blog) so they had decided that it was about time it was added.

The Shad has been open for many years.  It is located in William Street in Herne Bay and there is usually plenty of parking available in the evenings on the Sea Front which is just around the corner.  A converted Bank, the Shad is nicely decorated (Bob recognised some of the wall art as having been available in the Shop) and lit with a combination of blue and white spot lights that create an interesting effect.

The (draft) Cobra was not very cold and was quickly served along with the Papadums which were nicely warm and Phil felt a little greasy.  The pickles, however, were excellent – a choice of 6 no less including both sweet and savoury mango.  Bob was delighted.

The curries were a bit mixed.  Phil felt his Dhansak was nicely balanced, a good texture and a hint of sweetness coming through.  Bob was disappointed by the lack of Butter Chicken but felt that the Korma was OK but nothing special.

The vegetables were a different choice too.  There was no Muttar Paneer on the menu so a Sag Paneer and Mumbai Paneer were chosen instead (the latter being Potatoes and Cheese).  The rice was on the whole good although Phil kept finding pieces of cinnamon bark in his.

The service was good.  Attentive but not overbearing but both Phil and Bob noted that their plates, although clean, were marked and should have been replaced.

Area	Phil	Bob
Beer	7	6
Papadum	8	10
Curry	9	8
Rice & Vegetables	8	8
Service & Ambiance	7	7

A respectable 78 - just outside the top 10 but there are two from Herne Bay that have scored higher!