Situated near the station this restaurant opened in 1983 and has enjoyed a monopoly in Paddock Wood ever since (although a take-away The Bengal Spice - opened around the corner in late 2002 to provide some competition).

Inside the restaurant is larger and more comfortable than it looks from the outside, seating some 80 to 90 people in total. There is a pleasant reception area and bar just inside the door while the interior also has a nice ambience with a large fish tank at one end and greenery between every few tables and hanging from ceiling recesses. The tables are sufficiently spaced not to feel cramped.

A comprehensive menu lists all the usuals, but curiously has a section headed "Authentic Indian Cuisine"! As it is an Indian restaurant (albeit Bangladeshi run) this implies that none of the rest is really Indian food at all! A strange heading indeed. Even more strange is that two of the seven dishes so listed are Afghan Meat and Afghan Chicken! That doesn't sound very 'Authentic Indian' to me - and why are the more standard dishes, many of which are to be found in restaurants in India,  not considered  'authentic'. And it's no good asking the manager (as I did) - he hadn't the faintest idea what the difference was! Marketing techniques gone mad perhaps!

So what of the food? Well, all three of us were not expecting too much as the first pointer of the 'smell test' was negative - i.e. outside and upon entering there was absolutely no enticing smells of cooking spices or Indian foods. This lack of smell even remained when the dishes were served at the adjoining table. Perhaps they just had a super efficient air extraction system! But more worryingly, when I first visited in 2001 I gave the restaurant a poor report (I reported "....lack of firm spicing or definitive taste ........and Tarka Dal was awful - a consistency like greasy tasteless thick custard needing salt, pepper, garlic, spices and just about everything else to give it some taste......etc.) Indeed, I said that I was unlikely to return, but their Operations Manager - Mr Abdul Bari - contacted me to apologize if I had experienced a bad meal expressing the view that I would not be so disappointed on another visit. So this was the second visit to find out (but, I hasten to add, completely incognito). 

Fortunately I can report that despite the lack of hunger inducing smells and poor previous report, it was much better on this occasion. Not brilliant, but much better. Of the starters the Onion Bhajias were by far the best, and one of the best examples I have had for a long time. Four large round Bhajias (not on the starter menu, but in the Vegetable Side Dishes at a very reasonable £1.80) were each made up of plenty of onion strips, looking rather like a ball of string, which were crispy, light and full of flavour. Excellent, and much better than the bahjias often served nowadays which are stodgy and overloaded with gram flour. The other starters were more run-of-the-mill - the Sheek Kebab was a pretty standard version while the Chicken Juri (and new one on me, but the same as Chicken Tuk-Tuk found on many menus in Cornwall and the West Country) was pieces of chicken tikka in a type of batter and slightly greasy. OK, but not particularly appetising and nothing special.

For the main dishes my two companions chose Chicken Moharani (Chicken cooked in clay oven with chopped onion, cucumber and medium spice in a thick sauce), and Chicken Kazana (chicken with ginger, coconut and medium spice) respectively. They were both pleasantly tasty, but very similar - indeed, it was difficult to tell them apart from appearance (both the same consistency, both had cucumber despite it only being mentioned for one, and both had onion although one more so than the other). In the end, after several tasting sessions, we decided that there was a slight difference in taste - probably the coconut - although they were fairly similar. Nevertheless, both were declared satisfactory. The other main dish was Chicken Dansak - one that we often use as a benchmark - and I am afraid that did not come up to scratch. It was in a thick and almost congealed lentil sauce (as though it had been made a long time ago and heated up) and although fairly hot, the spicing was lifeless (again, not that freshly cooked tang). All three of us declared it was much poorer than the average restaurant Dhansak.

The accompanying Vegetable Bhaji was good - good selection with a good, peppery flavour - and I am very pleased to say that the Dal (listed as Dal Special, but in effect Tarka Dal) was quite different to our last experience. This was a good consistency, tasty with a definitive garlic flavour and nicely browned tarka (caramelised bits of onion or garlic) on top. And the Peshwari Nan was also well above the average - light and fresh and, why, it even had bits of fruit in it! Excellent.

Service a bit of a mixed bag. Firstly the table reservation arrangements ( a common rant of mine). I tried to reserve a table for 9.15 but was pressed to make it 9.00. I explained that I was unlikely to be able to make 9.00 (but would try) and would prefer it at 9.15. This was agreed with some reluctance, but when we arrived there were plenty of tables and the place gradually emptied as the evening progressed. Why were we pressed for 9.00 rather than 9.15? Also, I wasn't asked when I booked whether I wanted smoking or non-smoking, and although there were tables free (mostly in smoking) there wasn't one reserved for us and we had to wait while a table was prepared. So I wonder whether the reservation system really works (but if not, then this failing is certainly not restricted to this restaurant - I find it a common fault). Secondly, although the manager and lad behind the bar were friendly enough, our waiter never smiled or spoke once, and could be described as surly. Having said that, however, the food was served promptly and efficiently enough. 

Prices reasonable and good portions.

Overall a much better experience than last time. Although the food is formula curry, and overall fairly standard, the Onion Bhajias and Peshwari Nan were certainly above the average and, unlike my previous experience, I would be happy to return if in the area.

Malcolm Wilkins - August 2003