Phil's nephew Paddy is staying with him at the moment. Having read the blog from down under Paddy was keen to visit the India Royal so Phil & Bob took the opportunity to take him out for a curry. Here are Paddy's thoughts....
I arrived at the ‘India Royal’ with an empty stomach and keen appetite, especially after two rainy deliveries of furniture. This was my first time. After having just one curry in the UK (Birmingham), my expectations were reasonable and my mind was open.
First impressions were good, the lighting and décor of the restaurant was modern, simple and clean (a refreshing change from what you tend to expect from a dated Indian restaurant). We started off with an ice cold Cobra each, accompanied by papadoms and their usual compliments (onion, chutney etc)… These were crisp, warm and tasty.
After ordering our mains, we sat patiently and enjoyed our beers, soaking up the restaurants atmosphere for some time… Maybe too much time…
20+ minutes went by and our beers had vanished, not a good sign. Finally, the mains arrived along with their sides (some vegetable dishes). These were well worth the wait. The curry was sizeable and rich yet mild and subtle in flavour. A hint of coconut shone through a moderately creamy base and was not overpowering as some tend to be. Although the chicken may have been slightly dry (overcooked), the curry was bold and very tasty.
The vegetable dishes (Mottar Panneer, Bombay Aloo) were excellent. Potatoes were soft and complemented the curry well alongside a cheesy mix of peas, again subtle and not overpowering in taste. Its worth mentioning that these dishes (often subject to neglect) were finished if you disregard our full stomachs. My only criticism is that the dishes were warm and not hot, a minor flaw nevertheless.
Overall, the main course was excellent and well worth a disappointingly large wait.
I’d like to make note that I ordered a garlic naan (customary when I have an Indian) which was disappointing. This was bland, slightly burnt and too large.
BEER 10/10
PAPADOMS 8/10
RICE AND VEG 8/10
CURRY 9/10
SERVICE + AMBIENCE 7.5/10
The ‘India Royal’, for the most part was excellent. A culmination of a friendly and relaxing environment, tasty curry and helpful staff made for and enjoyable and satisfying meal, a meal which this Aussie and his palate would happily re-visit!
