Alishan - Tonbridge

A delivery to a home just off of Tonbridge High Street meant that Bob & Phil decided to "wing it" - after all what High Street doesn't have at least one Indian Restaurant?  Delivery over Bob & Phil parked up and went for a wander and found the Alishan.

From the outside the Alishan looks impressive.  Nicely lit and very nicely presented.  As Bob & Phil stepped inside they were shown to a table, orders for drinks and papadums taken both of which were served very promptly and then......wait for it.........

The (Bottled) Cobras and Papadums arrived very promptly indeed.  The beers were nicely cold as (sadly) were the Papadums which were served with a selection of 3 dips.  Sadly all three dips tasted remarkably similar despite all looking very different.

The curries, when they eventually arrived, were nicely presented.  Bob thought that his Butter Chicken was everything he would expect - from a Korma.  Not unpleasant but definitely not what he expected!  Phil felt his Dhansak was more like a Madras with added lentils than a Dhansak built from the ground up.  There was heat, the odd hint of lentil flavour but no real depth of flavour.

The vegetables were, along with the beers, probably the best part of the meal.  The cumin potatoes had a great flavour without any overpowering heat and the malai sag was an excellent combination of sweetness and creaminess.  The rice was OK but lacked any real flavour and Phil felt was a little pappy and overcooked.

The service, after a great start, was a big letdown.  As the drinks were served Bob & Phil indicated that they were ready to order.  The waiter acknowledged this and left.  Returned 5 minutes later to take the order of another table, left again and returned another few minutes later to take their orders.
When Bob ordered his Butter Chicken the waiter actually pulled a face.  The waiter did not check to see if any breads were required (not that they were but one would expect that to be the norm).

This lack of attention continued throughout the evening, sadly.  No-one attended to see if everything was OK with the meal.  The beer bottles were collected but further drinks were not offered.  No towels were served after the meal.  Bob and Phil felt so strongly about this that this was the first time that either could remember not leaving a tip.

Area	Phil	Bob
Beer	9	9
Papadum	7	7
Curry	6	6
Rice & Vegetables	6	6
Service & Ambiance	4	4

In total a very poor 64% ranking it just above the bottom 5 restaurants blogged.

Looks can be deceiving.  As Bob & Phil walked in expectations had been raised but they were far from delivered.  Phil (as he always does) checked out the website after the event to make sure of spellings, etc but noticed the following quote on it:

"Our dedicated staff at Alishan ensure that each and every one of our customers has the finest Indian dining experience that Tonbridge, and the whole of Kent, has to offer".

Based on their experience Bob and Phil would strongly disagree.

Meridian Spice, Rainham

A fairly short trip up to Northfleet was called for this evening for a 3 piece suite and on the way up Bob & Phil decided to make a short detour on the way back to try a restaurant in Rainham that someone they know frequents when in the area.

Meridian Spice is located on Rainham High Street.  Rainham High Street is, unfortunately, also the A2 so it is a busy road with very limited parking.  There are, however, car parks very close by.  Sat behind a modern shop front, the restaurant itself is full of exposed beams and subdued lighting.  For a Tuesday evening, Bob & Phil were surprised by how busy it was.

Bob & Phil were shown to a table and the initial orders were taken quickly.  The (draught) Cobra's arrived soon after and were wonderfully cold.  There was a short wait for the Papadums which were warm and fresh but served with only 3 pickles - not a lime in sight.

The was a bit of a wait for the curries but, when they arrived, were nicely presented and good and hot.  Phil enjoyed his Dhansak which did what it said on the menu - hot, sweet and sour - but felt that the sauce lacked a little bit of depth.  Bob thoroughly enjoyed the flavour of his curry but was very disappointed to find not one but several bits of bone attached to the meat.

Both the Sag Aloo and Muttar Paneer were tasty and well seasoned and were an excellent contrast to the curries and the Rice was well presented and delicately flavoured.

The service was a little slow, Phil felt that perhaps the restaurant had been unexpectedly busy, but the waiters were polite and cheerful and it was very apparent that there were a number of regular customers in.

Area	Phil	Bob
Beer	9	9
Papadum	8	7
Curry	8	4*
Rice & Vegetables	8	8
Service & Ambiance	7	7

* If it hadn't have been for the Bone then Bob would have scored it as 8
In total 75 - a top 20 finish and above Bob & Phil's average score.

Bob & Phil left thinking that it had been a worthwhile detour on the way home.  If it hadn't been for the bones then this would have been just outside the Top 10 curries.