I last visited about five years ago, and my experience was not a happy one. I found it very poor, describing all dishes except the Dall as ' all in a thin, watery gravy without any substance and went on to say that the Chicken Achari was ' basically pieces of chicken in a brown coloured, pickle flavoured spiced water', while the Niramish I related as having 'vegetables swimming in a liquid which could quite easily have been drunk through a straw'. I concluded by saying (unsurprisingly) that 'the food wouldn't attract me back unless I was in Edenbridge and desperate'.

Well, I found myself back in Edenbridge, and although not that desperate as there is a take-away opposite, it was clear that the Quality looked different, so I relented and decided to give it another try. I'm pleased I did, as generally things were much better.

Firstly the restaurant itself has undergone a total refurbishment (in July 2006), and is now a light, airy restaurant of the modern contemporary design, seating over 70. I was told that it is still under the same ownership, and certainly the menu was much the same, being a comprehensive list covering all the usual dishes. 

Most importantly, though, the food had improved. I didn't have the Achari this time, so can't say whether that was still soup-like, but the Chicken Tikkah (sic) Dhansak was in a lentilly gravy of the usual, thickish consistency and flavour. The Mixed Vegetable Curry was also more of the usual consistency than on the previous occasion, and again pleasantly spiced, although a little oily. Tarka Dall (which was the only dish that I found up to standard last time) was again of good, average standard. My only complaint on this occasion about the food was the Tandoori Chicken (and Tikka in the Dhansak). Firstly the chicken of the Tandoori Chicken was very dry and rubbery, and there was hardly any vestige of being marinated in a tandoori mixture or cooked in a tandoori oven. Similarly the chicken tikka in the Dansak lacked any real taste of being 'tikka'd', and tasted  like ordinary chicken pieces, with both tasting as though they had been cooked under a grill. Perhaps the restaurant doesn't have a tandoori oven, but if so then the meat had not been given much more than the faintest trace of any tandoori spicing or marinade. However, apart from this, the food was a good average formula curry, and certainly a vast improvement on last time's abysmal meal (maybe I'd visited when the chef was on holiday last time!) 

Portions sufficient, although could not be described as generous, and the service was courteous and efficient. Prices about average, although I was over-charged by £2.50, and when I went to look at the bill the waiter took it saying 'that is mine'. Perhaps he was simply indicating that the restaurant keeps the bill rather than allow customers to take it away, but his swift action in trying to grab it it did raise my suspicions as to whether the overcharging was simply an innocent mistake! But perhaps I'm just being cynical.

Unlike last time, I would go back again, although I'd probably avoid the Tandoori/Tikkah (sic) dishes - and I'd keep a close check on the bill!

Malcolm Wilkins - August 2006