Petersfield Curry Club

December meeting - Spice Lounge, Petersfield - Wed 9th

2009-12-02T19:38:00.002Z

The table is booked! Our last meeting of 2009 takes place at the Spice Lounge restaurant in Petersfield, on Wednesday 9th December. Dinner will be at 20:30 as usual, and aperitifs will be at Foggys. Members, please respond to the e-mail that you'll receive shortly, so that we can get numbers about right.

We were last there in July, and at Spice Lounge we always look forward to a warm welcome, warmer curries, and a great social evening - a good way to round off 2009!

Lalbagh, Swindon

2009-11-24T22:03:00.005Z

Looking for a decent meal in windswept Swindon, I turned to Google which found me the Lalbagh restaurant. Somewhere, I saw the claim that it's the best Indian restaurant in Swindon, a town which isn't short of these establishments. The web site said 'National Curry Chef - Swindon Finalists', and Cobra has declared that this week (22 - 28 November) is National Curry Week, so what more excuse did I need?

The restaurant can be found in Rodbourne Road, Swindon, which is something of a takeaway strip - fish and chips, kebabs, Chinese, two other Indian places, but Lalbagh is a proper restaurant, if not big.

Tonight I needed to avoid heavy fried food, so I started with dal soup - lovely lentil taste, warming and a just the right thing on a cold evening. Then I chose Lamb Darjeeling Special - cooked with hot chillies in lemon flavour sauce - with pilau rice. This was really good - lots of meat, fresh tomatoes and onions, with a subtle tang of lemon. The chilli crept up on me slowly - by the end, I needed to mop my brow. But amazing - the plate showed no trace of grease or fat, and even though I'd left some of the sauce in the serving dish, none there either. Very good food, very flavourful, and this is a restaurant that I'd visit again. Soon.

Details: 171 Rodbourne Road, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 2AY. 01793 535511/535577

November meeting report - Gurkha Chautari, Liphook

2009-11-22T08:26:00.006Z

We had a good turnout and enjoyed fine cooking at the Gurkha Chautari in Liphook on Wednesday 11th November. The restaurant seems to be evolving in its style, quite distinct from the Gurkha Durbar in Grayshott, its sister. These are definitely not clones of each other.

The starters were the usual favourites - chicken livers, choila (peppery lamb), potota cakes and momo (steamed dumplings). They were all delicious - even one of our group who didn't normally eat liver agreed that this was the case.

Main courses were Khasi Bhutuwa (lamb), hot prawn curry, a medium chicken curry, sizzling tandoori chicken and a mixed vegetable curry that was so good and full of distinct flavours that it wouldn't disappoint as a main course dish (and I'm no vegetarian). Side dishes included rice, naans and bombay-style potatoes.

The cooking was interesting because we couldn't detect any garlic or heavy coriander tastes - instead, there was delicious cooking without heavy sauces. Others commented that maybe there had been too much rice, and maybe we should have had one more meat dish. But the overall impression was of enough spice - some real highlights from sensible use of chili - and everything very good and tasty.

This was a very good evening and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Highly recommended.

November meeting - Gurkha Chautari, Liphook

2009-11-03T21:57:00.003Z

The table is booked! Our November meeting takes place on Wednesday 11th, and the venue is the Grukha Chautari restaurant in Liphook.

Aperitifs will be from 19:30 at the Links Hotel, Portsmouth Road, Liphook and dinner will be at 20:30.

More details of the restaurant can be found here. We last visited in June 2009 - the report is on our blog.

An e-mail reminder/invitation will be sent to members of our mailing list. Please let me know if you expect to make it, either by replying through our feedback page or by e-mail.

November and December 2009 meetings

2009-10-30T09:37:00.008Z

Our November and December meetings will be as follows:

11th November - Gurkha Chautari, Liphook. Drinks: The Links Hotel

9th December - Spice Lounge, Petersfield. Drinks: Foggys

October meeting report - Malabon, Petersfield

2009-10-19T12:26:00.007+01:00

It was a first visit for most of us to Malabon, and as usual we asked them to choose the menu for us - which may have come as a surprise to them.

They did very well - a simple starter and then lamb curry (Gosht Lajawaab, marinated in spices & yogurt, cooked with cinnamon & coriander), a green chicken curry (from Goa), a king prawn special, and Radeshwari chicken (medium hot with tomatoes, chili and garlic). Side dishes included mushrooms, vegetable curry, naans and rice. This was a pretty good spread of food - loads of flavour - and we all enjoyed it.

Petersfield isn't a big place, so it's lucky to have three decent Indian restaurants. Malabon passsed the test, and will certainly be seeing us again soon.

Sea Raj has closed

2009-07-02T20:28:00.000+01:00

Grayshott's innovative Sea Raj restaurant is now displaying a notice saying that it has gone out of business and that the restaurant is closed. Whether that's down to the recession, or to a lack of people wanting to try Indian fish cuisine, is a moot point, but it was an interesting experiment. No idea whether the owners have persisted with their larger premises in Farnham, but the lack of any web presence suggests not. Shame.

Zeen - Euston, NW1

2009-05-17T09:49:00.003+01:00

Open the menu and it's hard for one's heart not to sink at the invitation to 'Begin Your Voyage', just one of a series of roadside-caf-style seafaring quips, substituted for proper a la carte headings. Yet, however corny and irrelevant these are, the descriptions of the pan Indian food wash well and make one want to steer north eight knots and so forth...

As Mary, Rosemary and I were really the only diners in the very orange, clean lined basement canteen, combined wait and kitchen staff were able to pay us their full attention.

For starters, we were delivered a mini plate of crisp sized cumin flavoured poppadoms and gorgeous, aromatic mango chutney, fragrant with whole spices. There followed unusual batter fried bhindi that could possibly have been a little less chewy, and two fat pale sausage sheeks requiring more seasoning and spice.

Things improved vastly with the main courses: an ace Chicken Madras, decent hunks of flesh in an unctuous gravy, rich with cinnamon, bittersweet cloves, creamy coconut and sour chillies plus an inarresting dish of great juicy courgettes stuffed with a cheesy, starchy filling, luxuraint in a toothsome nutty, onion sauce. The plain rice was great and a big, sweet, milky lassi was also much enjoyed.

Now that I've been and zeen, I will return to Drummond Street, a lesser known foodie haven for sub continental food, and depending on the company, may give the place another go as it's pretty similar to, if perhaps not quite as good as Masala Zone.

FOOD (& DRINK): 3.5
SERVICE: 4
AMBIENCE: 2.5
VALUE: 4

Willp2328 score: 7.5/10

Masala Zone - Islington, N1

2009-03-31T08:33:00.004+01:00

My sisters 21st birthday meal was a surprise. Not that I didn't expect her to make the grand old age, I just didn't expect to be invited, or for it to occur on a Monday when she and her friends were supposed to be on a last minute holiday to Portugal. In the modern age, as they discovered, passports are required for international travel, unless of course you have recourse to an uber efficient military.

The Islington branch of Masala Zone, from the creators of Veeraswamy etc, was chosen on account of their vegetarian sympathies. It's a posh canteen, a la Wagamamma, except with more atmosphere inside, smart furnishings but low back chairs, so one can only sit upright or slouch forward...and as my headmaster used to say: 'all joints on the table shall be cut!'

I started with Chassa (a low fat indian diary drink with coriander, certainly an acquired taste) as well as a large and highly satisfying serving of Aloo tikki - fried potato nuggets drenched in a delicious, warm, sweet, tamarind sauce with chickpeas, earthy cumin seeds and cooling yoghurt.

I continued with lamb kholapuri, a chilli hot, rich, sour aniseedy curry with tender morsels of meat, sampled a chicken madras, plenty of heat, redolent of roasted coconut and the pervasive savoury flavour of curry leaf and enjoyed the rice, moist and plentiful, with a basket of neatly folded chapatis.

In summary, Masala Zone is very good. It's not worth listening to the dissenters, of which there are some, because they come across as spoiled/niggardly, so in one word: recommended!

FOOD (& DRINK): 4.5
VALUE: 4
SERVICE: 4
AMBIENCE: 4

Willp2328 score: 8.5/10

Parveen - Islington, N1

2009-06-20T21:42:00.004+01:00

Parveen has been around since 1977 - you could call it a 'stalwart'. In appearance the place is no regular curry house though, more resemebling a deep continental restaurant, the kind you find crammed full of sweaty french sophists on a hot summer evening a travers de la mer.

The only sweats you'll get here are from the curries, if you order a Vindaloo in particular. Al, opted for Ginger Chicken, and when it arrived, after regulation pappads, dips, ok Chicken Tikka (with thick red crust of paprika and chilli powder), our waiter announced it to be a Vindaloo...Vindaloo! Yes, the very hottest, dirtiest dish in the world! An awkward minute followed as, stammering in true Brit fashion, we tried to ascertain whether the kitchen had made a terrible mistake. They hadn't. T'was all a humourous jape! Ah! The laughs they must have back there...and the waiter was in on it too!

Anyhow, Al quite enjoyed his Ginger Chicken, although the meat was 'a little dry'. For my part, I felt the Lamb Saag was actually pretty lovely, possessing a savoury aroma yet tasting sweet with plenty of cinnamon, while a stewed Aubergine dish carried an odd but not unpleasant ketchup-like aftertaste. The small portions of rather dry pilau were a bit inadequate mind.

In summary: fair.

FOOD (& DRINK): 3
VALUE: 3
SERVICE: 3
AMBIENCE: 3

Willp2328: 6/10

Emni - Angel, N1

2009-06-07T10:36:00.003+01:00

Emni is for trendies...has to be, sitting, as it does, on the corner of Camden Passage. One would never stagger in here, well oiled, after an evening in the Nag's Head, it's more a chic venue for catching up on office gossip, sharing a bottle of sauvignon and so forth. Hi ho!

Credit must be given for effort. The front of house team try hard to provide for their lugubrious guests. Poppadoms and chutneys are a little different, seemed as though they might just have been home made, especially a really smokey tamarind sauce. Starters were a departure from the normal curry house fare as anticipated. Spinach and lentil patties, stuffed with a fig were very dainty and pretty, tasted fine except for a little too much chilli, somewhat overpowering. Other dishes included Scallops with mint and coconut sauce, spicy chicken chops, tandoori brocolli with paneer etc.

Portion sizes were perfect, left us feeling full but not fit to burst. Laal Mass, tender pieces of lamb in a chilli hot Madras style sauce with julienne of root ginger was rich and sharp and complemented by a cooling, creamy blueberry raita. Sides of charcoal grilled, flattened aubergine slices were tangy and alternative while the pilau was moist and plentiful with peas.

The restaurant claims they provide a taste of 'Indian rediscovered' and although they are more than a three sauce suits all subcontinental, most of the menu is familiar to a seasoned curryholic except for a few twists here and there. In a sense this is their USP as most of us seek comfort in curry rather than too much adventure.

FOOD (& DRINK): 3.5
SERVICE: 4
AMBIENCE: 3
VALUE: 3

Willp2328score: 7/10

Tiffin - Canon Street, E1

2009-07-07T22:18:00.004+01:00

Tiffin has a ringing endorsement from the Cobra Good Curry Guide, and though of late my faith in The Good Book has wavered a little, it deserves praise. I actually ate there, which is more than the editors of The Guide are sometimes capable of, and so can pass reasonable judgement - not that I am in anyway Pontius Pilate.

Yes, Tony and I enjoyed a good meal, ordered plenty (Tony drives an ice cream van during the day so he's dying for something savoury come 9pm). BYO Kingfisher washed well and starters included smokey Chicken Tikka, gristle free, savoury Sheekh Kebab's, great persuasively cumin flavoured Lamb Chop's, Veg Samosas and Aubergine Bhajia's - fatty batter tends to make these somewhat predictable.

In between planning a Nineteen Thirties themed party with new Grammarphone as the centrepiece (it has one volume: LOUD), main courses were eagerly set upon. Dahi Murgh comprised chunks of Chicken in a fresh, light, paprika orange yoghurt sauce, Tandoori Vegetables, two delicious skewers, ever so slightly charred, the pumpkin exhibiting an extraordinary raw, sweet, yet tart lemony flavour, as well as rice and a doughy desert bread, doused in toothsome organic honey, proved highly satisfactory.

The owner was very personable and kept assuring us they were usually much busier - they are only about six tables so presumably an orderly Saturday-Night-In-Tower-Hamlets queue forms on such occasions. He also apologised several times for the fact they'd run out of After Eights, I didn't think it fair to tell him I prefered Ferrero Roche. But Trifles and Eton Mess aside, I will pop in again, forgot to mention the food is cheap.

FOOD (& DRINK): 3.5
VALUE: 4
SERVICE: 4
AMBIENCE: 3

Willp2328 score: 7/10

Great Nepalese - Euston, NW1

2009-05-26T22:26:00.004+01:00

As a rule of thumb the Great British Public are not often wrong, Daily Mail readers allowing, I trust most people's opinions. Great Nepalese has an enthusiastic and very loyal following, or, on the evidence of Tuesday's visit, rather a misgiven and very stoic following who are indeed wrong as to what constitutes good food.

Enter through the door (after a fashion) plastered with stickers endorsing the culinary achievements of the restaurant, from Egon Ronnay to the Good Curry Guide, the last dated 2002-3. Yet! Lo and behold, wheredidallthetimego, here we are six years later, about to enter the LED future! Technology has moved on and so has the London dining scene - Great Nepalese hasn't, in fact it's been positively stationary for a quarter of century, maybe more.

Poppadoms were stale and the chutney tray exceptionally dull and unenthusing. The mango lassi was watery. No appetisers so Aidan and I cut straight to the main course. My Dhaba Mutton, a few hunks of meat in a cinnamon tinged, red brown runny sauce - distinctly average, Bhanta, aka Aubergine, tasted more like bland courgette and may have come from the same stock. Meanwhile Aidan's Madras was identical to the dish I consumed with little relish save for a raw looking green chilli or two, even good pilau rice and professional service couldn't make up for it!

Petersfield really is lucky to have the Gurkha Chautari and Durbar around if this is the best London has to offer (which it isn't but nevermind).

FOOD (& DRINK): 2
SERVICE: 4
AMBIENCE: 2
VALUE: 2

Willp2328 score: 4/10

October meeting - Petersfield - Malabon

2009-10-08T01:01:00.003+01:00

The table is booked! Our October meeting takes place on Wednesday 14th, and our venue is the new Malabon restaurant on Dragon Street.

As usual, aperitifs will be from 19:30 at Foggys and dinner will be at 20:30.

An e-mail reminder/invitation will be sent to members of our mailing list. Please let me know if you expect to make it, either by replying through our feedback page or by e-mail.

September meeting report - Madhuban

2009-09-29T19:49:00.005+01:00

We had a fine evening at the Madhuban in Liss on 9th September. The England football team had their decisive qualifying match for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and so the place was very quiet. We didn't mind at all - our group that evening was made up mainly of Rugby fans; England had already taken the lead by the time we left the pub. Result never in doubt! The staff made us very welcome and put on a fine display of cooking.

Starters included salmon pakura, hussaini kebab (minced chicken), shish kebab and onion bhajis.

Main courses were jungli mass - a dryish but very tasty lamb dish, naga lamb (hot chilis here), chicken tikka Darjeeling massala (Lodue's favourite), achari chicken, slow cooked lamb with apricot, balichow chicken, panch mela (mixed vegetable curry). Rice, naan and dhal were the accompaniments.

Everything was delicious and beautifully presented. Despite the fact that it was still Ramadan, and the staff had been fasting until sunset (7:35 that evening), they put on a great meal - in fact some of the best cooking that we can remember at a Curry Club meeting. Madhuban goes from strength to strength, and we look forward to our next visit.

September meeting - Madhuban - Wed 9th

2009-09-01T19:53:00.003+01:00

The table is booked! Our September meeting will be at Madhuban in Liss, on
Wednesday 9th. Please let me know if you'll be able to make it or not.
I've booked for 12, and if more want to come, we need to know sooner rather
than later.

Drinks will be at the Bluebell Inn, (map here) where Station Road meets
Farnham Road, from about 19:30.

Looking forward to a great evening!

Rasa N16 - Stoke Newington

2009-08-22T10:50:00.002+01:00

Leaving a week between eating at/reviewing a restaurant can develop perspective, and allow for a little revisionism. However, my impression of Rasa N16, billed as London's finest vegetarian sub-continental, has not altered greatly since Thor's day before last.

Val and I left very content*, full of wholesome South Indian homestyle cooking. The pre-meal snacks, chutneys (rich garlic, sour mango, astringent mixed vegetable, light, fresh coriander), and assorted poppadoms, banana chips, crunchy murukku, did more than stimulate the appetite. Starters of meltingly sweet plantains in a light batter, as well as Idli - steamed lentil buns with a stewy veg curry - kept up the eager anticipation.

The main events: Rasa Kayi, a spicy bean carrot, cauliflower and potato dish with a lovely undertone of fennel, tangy, mustard flavoured Okra and a rich, nutty ochre yellow daal, accompanied by sweet rice pancakes (Acchapam), as well as coconut and tart tamarind rice completed an eclectic and well balanced meal.

It gets busy, mostly with young Americans, and service, while polite and smiley is fast (veg takes little effort to cook - right?), but later in the evening or earlier in the week, it could be the ideal venue. Super VFM too.

High marks!

*albeit with a craving for Apple Crumble...(?)

FOOD (&DRINK): 4/5
SERVICE: 4/5
VALUE: 5/5
AMBIENCE: 3/5

willp2328 score: 8/10

Paradise Balti - August 12th

2009-08-06T21:54:00.003+01:00

The table is booked! Aperitifs at Foggys from about 19:30 and then dinner at the Paradise from about 20:30.

El Presidente will be your host next Wednesday evening, as we continue our focus on the restaurants of Petersfield. In September we hope to try out a new Petersfield venue, rumoured to be called Madhubon. Couldn't find it using Google, but maybe someone has a phone number and has already given it a try?

Please let us know by e-mail to el.presidente@petersfieldcurry.org.uk whether or not you expect to be there. Looking forward to a great evening!

July meeting - Spice Lounge, Petersfield

2009-07-09T20:32:00.002+01:00

We had a great turnout for our meeting at Spice Lounge, Petersfield, on Wednesday 8th July. The restaurant was very busy, and possibly this meant the staff were under pressure. We even struggled to get some hot pickle with the papadums, though to be fair, service picked up towards the end of the evening.

We enjoyed a mixed starter, comprising chicken chat puree, lamb kebab, chicken tikka, bread-crumbed chicken and onion bhaji. Then the main courses arrived. At our end of the table, we had lamb balti, CTM, lamb dhansak, prawn dhansak, chicken bhuna, vegetable curry. At the far end of the table, lamb jalfrezi and chicken chilli massala were briefly seen but never made it to us. Kulchi lamb came as promised, and was as tasty as ever. Sadly, my overall impression was that there was not much variation between the dishes - most things were suspiciously the same sort of deep red colour, mild to medium (not what we wanted) and very little spice.

All in all, the social side of the evening was far better than the food, and we'd rather have fewer dishes with a focus on doing the cooking right.

Reminder: Bryan Frost and the Ravons are doing a gig in aid of MND charities at the Festival Hall, Petersfield, on 1st August.

Elephant Walk - West Hampstead, NW6

2009-06-28T17:51:00.003+01:00

Too hot and humid for a preamble today, so I'll get straight into the review, sweat running from brow, feet in a bowl of ice, and so on.

Sri Lankan and South Indian restaurants used to be thin on the ground in London but not anymore, indeed there are several, most a cut above average. Elephant Walk is run by a husband and wife team and three or four very sweet and lovely waitresses. It is small but light in a cafe like way, easy to find - and yes, it is better than average, good to very good.

Starter options appeared a little unremarkable with the exception of Idli's and Dosa's, so we went straight into the mains. Eight of us, three Thali's - meat and vegetable curries, rice, Gothamba rotis (similar to Paratha's but more chewy) and sambol - much enjoyed, just as authentic King fish curry with coconut and tamarind and vegetable sambar were. There was a lot of food, too much to sample, even if portions were sensible.

I thought Ooru Mus, a Pork curry in a thick treacle coloured gravy was strongly reminiscent of a stringent and savoury roast chilli dominated Madras, while mushy Pumpkin registered mellow coconut but lacked a mustardy bite. Still both were comfortably above par.

To summarise: it's decent value, one could get stuffed and get out for £10 if a herbivore, £12 if a carnivore. Beers include Lion lager, apparently ubiquitous across Sri Lanka. The Wine List is mercifully concise, and despite a rather anaemic complexion, the Rose was very palatable. Phew!

FOOD (& DRINK): 3.5/5
VALUE: 3
SERVICE: 5
AMBIENCE: 3

Willp2328score: 7/10

Planet India - Brighton

2009-06-20T22:00:00.003+01:00

If you can find Planet India, you are in for a treat. A real treat. The kind you'll want to have all over again. But first a proviso: do not rely on Google Maps, listen to the directions given by the staff, and it helps if you're a fan of Baz Lurhmann - outside, inside it's very 'strictly ballroom'.

Once one has gotten over the cheap day glo splendour, the dancing waiters* and the fact the restaurant is v-e-g-e-t-a-r-i-a-n / v-e-g-a-n (no BYO meat allowed) one can really begin to enjoy oneself. Paul Mercurio would eat his purple heart out here!

I've never been served by a man in a nightie and flip flops before but he was so warm and kind, bluestockings such as I were able to overlook this. There are all sorts of unusual beers to be had - including Trashy Blonde - but the food is simply excellent. Big, simple, direct, delicious flavours. Large portions too.

We consumed with relish (ho ho), homemade Mango chutney and a wonderfully spicy, acrid pickle, then shared (almost) two bowls of chaat - the best, topped with sensationally fresh coriander leaf, sweet and tangy with tamarind yoghurt, and creamy with filling, fibrous chick peas. Taking the option of two half portions for the main course - constituting more than a whole - I delighted in a preperation of buttery little potatoes in a coconut rich tomato sauce and ochre yellow-orange daal, thick and hearty, reminiscent of the most wonderful veg stock. Chris had Sag Paneer, not quite so fulfilling, and Claire a gorgeous, perky Aubergine yoghurt curry. Cumin rice, moist and toasty, proved bountiful.

As I gazed out the window at the sea the following morning and spied a lone pink sail, I thought, only in Brighton! I imagine Planet India will remain hip in a kinda lo-kool way for some time, possibly until the inevitable death of our sun.

FOOD (& DRINK): 4.5
VALUE: 5
SERVICE: 5
AMBIENCE: 4

Willp2328score: 9/10

*only yoking!

Gurkha Chautari - Liphook

2009-06-11T08:30:00.003+01:00

We had an excellent June meeting at the Gurkha Chautari. The restaurant was quite busy for a Wednesday night, and though our numbers were lower than usual, we were warmly welcomed.

Starters were delicious - lamb, chicken livers and momo dumplings. The restaurant chose the main courses for us: lamb and spinach, a hot and a medium version of khursani kukhura (chicken), hot prawn curry, monkfish, and 'Katmandu kukhura' - a mild chicken dish. All of these tasted really good, and were complemented by some vegetable curries, rice, chilli potatoes (sauteed rather than cooked in a sauce like Bombay potatoes) and dhal.

Some of our members' comments:

"some of the best flavours we've tasted"

"one of the best curries I've had"

"I usually find this place a little mild, but tonight - perfect"

"next time I eat here - monkfish"

"best food, best service, best music"

To summarise - a very good evening, enjoyed by all, excellent service. Highly recommended.

34-10 and the Gurkha Durbar in fine form too!

2009-03-16T17:29:00.005Z

Back after a fantastic day out at Twickenham (England beat France 34-10), we finished the celebration with dinner at the Gurkha Durbar. They were on top form, accurate, good service, delicious food.

Choila, chicken livers, kukhura saag (chicken and spinach), khursani kukhura (battered strips of chicken breast cooked wth onions, peppers and chillies), some Nepali Ice beer - a great way to finish a great day.

Gurkha Durbar - Grayshott

2007-10-27T14:06:00.000+01:00

The Petersfield Curry Club began its tenth year (?) with a visit to the roundly approved Gurkha Durbar. 15 of us, a XV, fitting given the clubs Rugby origins. For my part I’d only been to Grayshott once before to help Nan buy a carpet (my advice was only bought by the promise of an ice cream) so it was mostly new to me.

Aperitifs in the ‘Lounge Bar’ of the Fox And Pelican, rather plush, then up the road to the restaurant. PLACE is small and immaculate inside, pristine white walls draped with occasional Gurkha green flags, varnished wooden floor you could see your reflection in. In John’s absence Trevor fixed the menu and drinks were ordered.

Poppadoms came with mint yoghurt dip, mango chutney and something vaguely reminiscent of Branston pickle (Tamarind chutney ed!). We were SERVED very well. 4 starter platters between us, including deliciously moist Aloo Khaja (potato cakes with carrots, peas, ginger) as well as Chicken Liver (aka Kalejo Bhutuwa) that combined superbly with sweet roast red peppers and onion. Rather too salty char-grilled lamb only made into 50% of mouths, Sinka Prawn and the famous Momo were enjoyed by all. The main course included a couple of clay oven dishes, Chicken and Lamb (thumbs up), one each of several others, stand outs some of the milder dishes this time, Rato Kukhura, CTM cum Rezala, sweet, nutty, resplendent orange and Mayalu Khasi, Lamb like a velvety Korma. I’m a stickler for Veg and Aloo delivered super taste, Aloo Tama Bodi, bamboo shoots, black eyed beans and spuds, lovely mountain homestyle flavour to savour. Rice and Naans too…all at great value. PRICES are keen, not that the curry club care about menus just the FOOD which happened to be extremely good. Afterward, everyone invited back to Grayshott social club feeling well satisfied but by no means stuffed, besides the season has passed for stuffin’ (Turkeys everywhere breathed a collective sigh of relief).

...On returning for my 23rd birthday, enjoyed slow paced evening in relative peace and calm. Informed by one waiter that in 2 weeks since Telegraph review restaurant has been fully booked, Monday the first quiet night. Glad of it? Unlikely, hard work second nature to a Gurkha.
After exchange of pleasantries our party of 6 set about ordering. House White, Pinot Grigio, a safe companion to curry meals, light, crisp, cutting through the spices, hitting top notes. Starters included aforementioned potato cakes (Aloo Khaja) and chicken livers (Kalejo Bhutuwa), one offering of deep fried Aubergine. Sensible portions - countless curry houses forget these are only supposed to be ‘appetisers’ - simple, fresh presentation. Chicken livers good depth and richness of flavour. Mains too many to mention. I chose Monkfish in a smooth, light tomato orange sauce, that sang of several spices, accompanied by a moist saffron gold rice, creamy homestyle black lentils (Kalo Daal), delicious and mild, as well as cumin spiced fried potatoes (Aloo Jeera), bit on the floury side.

...Aloo Jeera part of their Petersfield curry club selection third time around. This time the dish was executed perfectly, indicative of a restaurant going from strength to strength (like Englands Rugby World Cup team). We thoroughly enjoyed the same starter platter as in January. Choila one slight dud then was last night a highlight. Baby pieces of exquisite lamb, gorgeously salted with a smooth soft aftertaste of mustard and ripe spring onion. Momo, lovely, sweet, herby mince in fatty steamed dumplings, potato cakes, sinka prawn and chicken livers too. Mains, all delicious, no criticism, no need to be churlish. Largely medium to medium hot. Lamb curried 3 different ways. With lentils, rich, thick, hints of lemon. With peas and in a luxurious pink orange gravy resounding of ginger and garlic. Other treats included a piece of char grilled lamb, clay oven chicken each, 2 chicken curries in typical Nepalese style with tomato based sauce aromatic sauces, and 1 I missed. Mixed Vegetables, delicately treated, sumptuously buttery, Aloo Chana and Saag Aloo, Aloo Jeera both with firm starchy new potaoes simply added to the enjoyment.

...Eating with family friends from Fleet, almost every table (including ours) reserved. We were one of the first groups in, one of the last to leave. Another commendable meal. All of us enjoyed something different. A mild curry here, a clay oven dish there: on my left Mikey braved Tarai Kukhura, piquant, hot with chilli resin and on my right Dougie considered the 17 different spices in his Sherpa Lamb – I detected 7 or 8 though the bitter aroma of cloves was perhaps too predominant. However, little faulting the gorgeous Choila I had to start, more gingery than a fortnight previous, Kukhura Sag, a tangy, moist preparation of chicken and spinach or Pahelo Dal, yellow lentils, tempered with sulphurous garlic and coarse sweetness of cumin seed. Mushroom rice was perfectly acceptable too.

In SUMMARY the Gurkha Dubar is a fairly unique purveyor of ethnic cuisine, where one can enjoy dishes with individual character. Everything is beautifully presented and refreshingly moreish.

Willp2328 score: 8/10

Ouch! Gurkha on Gurkha: Grayshott's Durbar versus Liphook's Chautari

2008-07-10T12:00:00.012+01:00

Although now part of the same concern, there remains enough difference between the restaurants to make a comparison worthwhile, not least the geographical fact one is in Grayshott and the other in Liphook.

Factoring in the the inflated cost of petrol (ignoring the railways), for those just above the poverty line - with digital TV, membership of the local cinema and the means to afford a meal out, i.e. 20k with kids, 14k without - which is really worth the traveling too? The following 'best for...' may help you decide.

aperitifs: CHAUTARI - The Links has flourished under new management -lovely terrace too

dining room: CHAUTARI - a little more spacious and light

tables/chairs: DURBAR - there's a round table!

crockery/cuttlery: DURBAR - lovely cast iron recipticle for lentils, blue rimmed china bowls for chutneys

toilets: DURBAR - less like my Aunts

service: CHAUTARI - staff in the Durbar are pleasant and polite just less efficient(not helped by the bar which is almost out the back door)

poppadoms: TIE

chutneys: DURBAR - excellent homestyle lime and chilli chutney, better HPesque Tamarind sauce

starters: CHAUTARI - both offer Chicken Livers (Kalejo) and salt spiced Lamb nuggets (Choila) but only at Liphook can you enjoy Bhuteko Prawns, pan fried, plump and sea fresh in a mild, thin tomato sauce obliging high notes of heady coriander leaf and sultry earthiness

clay oven: CHAUTARI - a close one but the char grilled meat and fish at Liphook cannot be matched, e.g. Pahadi Kurkhura, chicken in a sour yoghurt, spear minty, green chilli strong coating

curries: TIE - never had one that hasn't been at least good. Some have been truly superior including Ameelo Jinga (high class heady, sweet and sour Prawns), Bhutuwa Lamb (in a thick, rich paste with red peppers), Khursani Kukhura (egg battered strips of chicken in a tasty dish infused with sesame oil, strangely reminiscent of pancakes with brown sugar and lemon), Khatmandu Ko Wasa (best quality stewed lamb in a hot rich, smooth curry, pepper laden with a strong undertones of red wine and acetous cardamom) as well as Monkfish in a smooth, light tomato orange sauce, that sang of several spices

vegetables: CHAUTARI - spot on Jeera Aloo - rich round waxy baby potatoes plus my favourite Aubergine dish in smoky, spicy, soy marinade

dal: DURBAR - creamy ochre yellow lentils tempered with toasty cumin seeds and garlic, Kalo dal, savoury, mild black lentils

rice: DURBAR - really fragrant rice simmered in whole milk and toasted cashews

bread: DURBAR - truly toothsome Gulio Roti's, soft buttery dough stuffed with raisin and almond paste

wine: TIE - similar wine lists, both par for the course. They tend to serve wine at the correct
temperature though

beer: DURBAR - they offer two Nepali beers not one

dessert: forget it!

freebies: none as yet!

prices: TIE - for all the above expect to pay the same whichever you're at

gurkha heritage: DURBAR - you might see a real Gurkha major (the owner)

In conclusion, if you live in Grayshott or Liphook then count yourself lucky, you've an excellent local on your threshold. If you don't then at the time of writing I'd opt for the Durbar (just!) over the Chautari. Why? For all aforementioned differentials, there's simply more choice on the menu.