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.