Rayleigh Spicy - Rayleigh

Distant deliveries have become something of a rarity over the past months so it was a pleasant surprise to find an out of county trip to Rayleigh in Essex on the cards.  Even more of a surprise was to find so many choices in such close proximity to where Bob & Phil finished up - would they be disappointed with their choice?

Rayleigh Spicy is located on the High Street in Rayleigh at the end of a modern parade of shops.  There is a large car park behind the parade about two minutes walk away.  It is nicely decorated and has a warm, welcoming feel.

The (draught) Cobras arrived very promptly and were nicely cold,  The papadums were not far behind and were served with an interesting red, onion based, pickle rather than the usual lime.  Bob is not an onion fan so, initially, was not keen but having worked out how to leave the onion chunks behind enjoyed the sauce.  The papadums themselves were warm and fresh and nicely crumbly.

There was quite a pause before the curries appeared and were a bit of a mixed bag.  Phil's Dhansak had the right texture but, flavour wise, was somewhat lacking as it seemed to be too tomato based and was certainly one of the milder Dhansak that he had encountered.  Bob's Butter Chicken was rather chewy and, again lacked flavour.

It should be noted that the portions served were very generous throughout and this also applied to the rice and vegetables. Both Bob and Phil enjoyed the rice.  Phil thought that the Sag Paneer was very good although Bob felt that the Bombay Aloo was a little on the bland side.  Hidden between the three was a little aniseed hit that kept recurring -  they couldn't work out where it was coming from!!

The service was a little on the slow side but this could be down to how busy the restaurant was on a midweek evening.  The waiters, though, were very friendly and affable and looked after Bob & Phil well.

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

                

In total a very respectable 76 - above average but not quite in the top 20.

Bob & Phil could understand why Rayleigh Spicy was busy - it was Thali night and that seemed very popular.  Should another delivery to Rayleigh be called upon then Bob & Phil will be back!

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.