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.