Gandhi, Herne Bay 9 Years later!

Phil & Bob often find that the subject of Curry comes up on their journeys too or from Airports and, on one such journey, Gandhi in Herne Bay came up.  Phil remembered that it had been reviewed in the past but was shocked to see that it was a long, long, time ago - in February 2014 in fact.  A quick call was made to Bob and thus the venue for tonight's curry was set.

Locals will tell you that Gandhi has been there for years (and Bob and Phil can vouch for at least 9 of those).  Located at the High Street end of Station Road, there is street parking nearby.

Stepping down into the restaurant there is a definite feel of a "traditional" curry house with, in places, the flock wallpaper still hanging.  That is not so say that it needs redecoration - far from it - but it adds to the feeling of having been there for ever.

The (Bottled) Cobra's arrived promptly and were nicely cold and shortly followed by fresh Papadums that were nicely warm!  Four pickles were also served.  Bob was unhappy that there was a lime pickle and not the powdered coconut pickle that he prefers.  Phil thought that the mango chutney had a really good tang to it.  Alongside the Papadums a little taster of Aubergine Fritters were offered and well received.

Phil was delighted to find that Chicken Dhansak was still on the menu and was not disappointed.  It was nicely presented, the sauce had the right texture and there was a delightful sweetness to offset the heat.  Bob chose the Korma and was not impressed with the lack of flavour and he felt it almost watery.  Given the lack of Special rice at their last venue, the boys decided to continue off piste with Phil opting for a very nice Keema rice and Bob choosing a Tikka rice (which he thought was better than his Curry!)

In an attempt at standardisation, they opted for Chana Massala - which both enjoyed and Phil in particular thought had a very distinct flavour that worked well with his Dhansak - and Bombay Aloo - which was again disappointed and left Bob wondering why anyone had bothered to dig the potatoes up if their fate was to end up as a bland lump on a dish.

The service was not how Bob and Phil remembered it from before.  Their waiter, whilst not rude, seemed to just be going through the motions and not really engaged.  It should be noted, however, that hot towels are not a thing of the past everywhere - even if they are of the "microwaved" variety.

Area	Phil	Bob
Beer	8	8
Papadum	8	8
Curry	9	5
Rice & Vegetables	7	7
Service & Ambiance Bonus	7 1	6 1

                

A total of 75 which is quite a way below the previous score 9 years ago.

The score left Phil and Bob wondering whether their standards had changed over time of if the Post COVID era has led to lower standards.  Having said that 8 of the 10 tables in the restaurant were occupied which seemed remarkable for a Wednesday evening so it remains popular with the local clientele.  Gandhi should also be congratulated for its durability as many other curry houses have come and gone.