CURRY SCENE

Falmouth does, I believe, have the honour of having the first Indian restaurant in Cornwall. I have heard two stories relating to the origins. The first is that it opened 31 years ago (which would have been about 1970) in Arwenack Street, where there is still an Indian - or rather Nepalese - restaurant called Balti Curries.  The owner then opened the Cornwall's second Indian restaurant (Taj Mahal I believe) in Penzance and then on to St Austell to open a third Indian restaurant.  The second version is that the site of this first Indian restaurant was not the Arwenack address but somewhere at the other end of town. If any local readers can provide any definitive information on these two versions of the origins of curry in Cornwall it will be greatly appreciated!

Falmouth now has one Indian restaurant, one Indian/Nepalese restaurant and one Indian take away. The Nepalese is situated at the above mentioned site at 47 Arwenack Street and is called Balti Curries (although the menu has Balti Curries but underneath Secrets of Nepal so I think they are having an identity crisis at present). The first restaurant at this address was called Hannan Tandoori named after, I believe, the owner Mr Hannan. It remained as such until 7 years ago when it became Balti Curries, but 3 years ago changed to the current Nepalese owners.  For several years I thought it was a take-away only but recently discovered it is a restaurant as well.

The Indian restaurant is called Asha and situated at The Moor. It has been an Indian restaurant for about 10 years, originally called Viceroy of India but changed hands and name some three years ago.

The Indian take away is just up the road in Killigrew Street and called Spice if India.