Shapla - Whitstable

A series of deliveries in the Whitstable/Herne Bay/Reculver area saw Bob & Phil in Whitstable at Curry O'Clock.  Although famous for its Oysters, Whitstable has its fare share of Curry Houses and Bob realised that the Shapla had yet to be reviewed so....off they went.

Harbour Street is a one way street that leads away from.....the Harbour.  The Shapla is at the town end of Harbour Street.  As with a lot of shops in that area it has quite a narrow front but goes back a long way.  There is some on street parking on Harbour Street but also a car park a short walk away.  With fairly modern decor and lighting Shapla can easily be found by looking for the garish "Open" sign in the window.

The Beers arrived quite quickly and Phil was pleased to note the condensation on the outside of the bottles - a sure sign of cold.  As it turns out the Beers were the highlight of the evening as the Papadums quickly set the tone of what as to follow.  They were stale and the pickles uninspiring, although Phil did enjoy the onions.

The curries were a mixed bag.  Phil felt his Dhansak was OK but Bob was disappointed by the lack of heat (physical) of his Korma.  Tepid was how he chose to describe it.

Bob is not a big mushroom fan, nor a small mushroom fan come to that, so found the special fried rice somewhat of a disappointment.  Phil thought that the Sag Bhaji was OK as he could taste the spinach but both agreed that the Aloo Peas were rather bland.

The service was by and large anonymous.  There were two tables in use and one rather bored looking waiter who showed Bob & Phil to the only table in the restaurant that hadn't been properly set.  Plates were missing, spoons were purloined from other (empty) tables.  The emptiness meant that there was little ambiance.

Area	Phil	Bob
Beer	8	8
Papadum	5	3
Curry	7	5
Rice & Vegetables	7	4
Service & Ambiance	4	3

                

In total a not very good 54 - the second lowest score to date

Shapla is not, by any measure, the best curry house in Whitstable.  Bob & Phil will not be going back.

Kathmandu Valley - Wandsworth

After an evening delivery drought came a three man job up to SW18 so Bob & Phil, ably assisted by Andrew (or was it Andrew slightly less ably assisted by Bob & Phil?) set off with a new destination in sight. Having safely parked up near the delivery, Phil was set the challenge of finding a venue within walking distance and with the aid of Google (other search engines are available) the Kathmandu Valley was the chosen one.

Kathmandu Valley is a small restaurant located in a parade of shops on West Hill in Wandsworth.  Being located on the A3 there is no obvious parking available nearby - the three Curryteers parked about a 10 minute walk away.  It is fairly modern in decor and layout and, it must be noted, had been beset with a water leak from above about an hour before they arrived.  In true British spirit, however, the restaurant decided to Keep Calm and Curry On!

The Papadums arrived quite promptly and were nicely warm.  Phil felt that they were slightly singed but Bob felt that they were OK but both he and Andrew noted that there were only 3 pickles - no Lime Pickle.  The (bottled) Cobras were very cold and very well received!

The curries, everyone generally agreed, were very good.  Bob loved the "pulled pork" style in which his Butter Chicken was served, Andrew thoroughly enjoyed his Lamb Passanda but Phil loved the spiciness of his Chicken Dhansak although he felt the sauce had a little to much of a tomato flavour.

Having a third person meant three vegetables to try and they were all different and very good although Andrew felt that there was a lack of flavour in the Kerau Paneer.

The service was polite and not pushy although Bob did have trouble attracting the waiter's attention when it came to pay the bill!  Andrew was also a little disappointed that the beers were placed on the table and not poured.

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

In total a very creditable 85 - which Bob & Phil felt had been nicely verified by Andrew's similar score.

Although not a restaurant that Bob & Phil will likely visit frequently.  If they are in the area then this will be the curry house of choice.

Kashmir Tandoori - Canterbury

A fairly local evening delivery saw Bob & Phil in Canterbury.  Up until now they had been singularly unimpressed by the Canterbury Curry Scene so thought it time to try a different Curry House.

Located in Palace Street the Kashmir Tandoori lives in a terrace of listed buildings  Beams abound and the decor complements the age of the building providing an intimate dining experience.  Parking is always a problem in Canterbury but St Radigunds and Pound Lane car parks are not far away.

The Papadums arrived shortly after the (draught) Cobras and they were warm and fresh.  There was no lime pickle but there were two variations of yoghurt dip - colour aside Phil couldn't tell the difference. Bob was delighted.

From here on in, the portions were very generous.  Both Bob & Phil struggled to finish everything. Bob thought his Butter Chicken had an interesting flavour which he enjoyed.  Phil too found his Dhansak intriguing with a nice peppery taste coupled with a very different (almost prawn like) sweetness.

The Bombay Aloo was as expected as was the Sag Paneer.  Both were full of flavour and complented the main dishes.  The rice too was very good although Bob thought that there was too much onion for his liking.

The service was very good.  Friendly, not at all pushy and very prompt.

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

In total 80, comfortably the highest score for a curry house in Canterbury.

Bob & Phil left Kashmir Tandoori with happy, full tummies and in the knowledge that there is at least one very good Curry House in Canterbury.

Monsoon - Margate

A trip out to Westgate gave Bob & Phil the opportunity to pay a visit to a Curry House that Phil had spotted on a recent day out to Dreamland in Margate.

Located on the A28 in the Garlinge area of Margate - opposite the Hussar Hotel - Monsoon is a modern looking restaurant.  The theme continues inside with a strong red & black decor to the seating with a "american diner meets curry" kind of mix.  There is no nearby parking to speak of but Bob & Phil found a place in an adjacent side road.

The visit got off to a great start with the nicely cold (draught) Cobras arriving very promptly but the Papadums were rather disappointing.  They were not warm and had a slight chewiness to them so were rather on the stale side.  The pickles, however, were fine including an interesting zing to the mango chutney.

The curries were well presented and nicely hot but Bob was disappointed with the lack of flavour in his Korma.  Phil felt that his Dhansak had all the right elements for a good one but the flavour was overwhelmed by too much salt.

Both Bob & Phil really enjoyed the vegetables.  The Bombay Aloo and Sag Paneer had individual and distinctive flavours and the special fried rice, too, was nicely hot and what was expected.

The service was very good.  There was a large party already in swing when Bob & Phil arrived but this did not detract from the service that Bob & Phil received with one waiter in particular being very helpful and polite and an excellent sense of humour.

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

In total a reasonable 71 but some more points could have easily been won!

Monsoon is in a prominent location and evidently popular and has potential.  It just needs a little attention to detail.

Spice Lounge - Faversham

A delivery to Faversham gave Bob & Phil the chance to try a restaurant that they had not been to before, indeed, did not know that existed until they stumbled across it.

The Spice Lounge is located on Preston Street, close to the centre of town.  There is a large Pay & Display car park (free after 18:00) a short walk down an alleyway which brings you out next to the restaurant.  It looks to be quite modern and this is certainly reflected in their menu.  Bob & Phil were shown to a table near the water feature at the entrance which they found rather noisy.

The Papadums were nicely warm and were served with the usual 4 pickles although both the onion and the raita were quite minty which Phil didn't like too much.  The (bottled) Cobra's were served promptly and were cold but not very cold.

The curries, when served, arrived without a hot plate which was unusual and could have done so because they were not overly hot and going cold by the time the meal was finished.  Bob enjoyed his Butter Chicken but Phil was rather disappointed with his Dhansak as he felt it was unbalanced and overwhelmingly sour.

Both Bob & Phil enjoyed the rice but had mixed opinions about the vegetables.  Bob enjoyed them but Phil found them rather bland - a side effect of the Dhansak perhaps?

The service was OK, but nothing special and certainly not worth the £7 service charge added to the bill.

Area	Phil	Bob
Beer	7	7
Papadum	7	7
Curry	5	7
Rice & Vegetables	7	8
Service & Ambiance	3	2

In total a rather uninspiring 60 putting it down in the bottom 5 curry houses and leaving it trailing well behind India Royal in Faversham.

Twydall Tandoori

An evening of Sofa deliveries saw the final stop just around the corner from the Twydall Tandoori so it just had to be the venue for this evenings curry stop.

Located on Twydall Green at the end of a parade of shops - Phil could recall going into Woolworths which in its heyday was located 4 or 5 doors down - Twydall Tandoori is a traditional looking restaurant.  There is plenty of street parking available together with a large car park just across the road.  Inside, the Restaurant the traditional theme continues although the decor did look a little tired.

The Papadums when they arrived were warm and fresh but sadly the (draught) Cobras were not very cold at all.  The pickles were the usual selection.

The curries arrived after a short wait.  Bob enjoyed his Butter Chicken but Phil was dissapointed with his Dhansak which he described as very one dimensional - hot but not sweet and sour.  It felt more like a Chilli Chicken with added lentils than a properly made Dhansak.

The feelings were the other way around with the vegetables.  Phil felt that they were an enjoyable contrast to the heat of the Dhansak but Bob felt that they lacked taste.

The service was perfectly acceptable although nothing special - towels after the curry were conspicuous by their absence - but the strangest part of the evening was the TV in the corner of the room showing BBC News 24.

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

In total a rather mediocre 65. Not the lowest score but unfortunately down in lower reaches of the blog scores.

Clearly from the people in the restaurant this evening the Twydall Tandoori has a local following but there are better restaurants not that far away..

Meopham Tandoori

Tonight saw Bob & Phil called upon to deliver a Parker Knoll recliner to Meopham.  The SatNav duly directed them to the delivery address but, en-route, took them past Meopham Tandoori and thus the destination for tonight's curry was set.

Meopham Tandoori is located in The Parade, just off the A227.  There is parking on the street outside the restaurant or there is a car park just around the corner.  It is modernly decorated and looks to have been recently refurbished.and, according to their website, claims to be specialists in Balti.  As they entered, both Bob & Phil noticed a very positive review posted on the door!

The (bottled) Cobra's and Papadums arrived very promptly.  The beers were nicely cold and the papadums nicely warm.  Bob in particular was very pleased to see a 5th pickle served - a chilli dip - along with the usual 4.

The curries, when delivered, were very well received.  Both Phil's Dhansak and Bob's Kurma were generous in portion and nicely presented.  Phil was extremely impressed with the texture and flavour of his Dhansak and Bob very much enjoyed the flavour of his Kurma.

The vegetables and rice were excellent.  All, again, in very generous portions and the vegetables in particular, well seasoned and individual in character.  Phil very much enjoyed the contrast between his curry and the Muttar Paneer and Bob found the Sag Aloo to be very full of flavour.

Initially Bob & Phil felt that they had caught the restaurant by surprise.  They arrived quite early and, to begin with, were the only diners.  Surprise over however, the waiters and chefs ensured that an excellent experience ensued.

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

In total an unprecedented 90 - the first restaurant to score that high and the first to score 3 tens!!

Bob & Phil spotted this restaurant by accident and are very glad they did.  It now sits proudly as the highest scoring restaurant the they have blogged.