ZEERA, 5 SEVENOAKS ROAD, BOROUGH GREEN

The original restaurant on this site was called Planet Spice, which opened in about 1998. I reported on it in 2002, and although not wonderful (I reported that the starters were poor and dishes too oily, although mains OK) it was OK. However, the current restaurant took over about 5 years ago according to the manager, and is now under the same ownership of the nearby Raj. Although the Planet Spice was modern in decor, this has had a face lift but retains a very modern contemporary style. It seats about 40 (although there may be further seating upstairs), and although there is no street parking outside, a car park in the parallel Western Road has an exit opposite the restaurant. .

The menu declares 'exclusive south Indian cuisine' and features a great many unusually named dishes on the menu, including ten under a separate 'South Indian Section'. Having said that I didn't see any of the dishes I would expect to see featured in a South Indian restaurant (for example, Dosas, Idlis, Uthappam, Appam, Avial or any of the dishes that appear, for example, on the menu of the Coco Diner - a genuine South Indian restaurant - in Chatham). To be fair, however, they did offer a vegetable Molee and Sambar, and many of the dishes included coconut, so who knows? Unfortunately, and unusually, I neglected to enquire as to the origins of the chef.

The dishes were certainly a little different. I had Kholee Caffael (chicken cooked in black pepper, mustard and green chillies),. It was a little different to the Goan Cafreal, which I assumed it was (a dryish dish of chicken rubbed and marinated in spices and then fried, which my wife happens to prepare extremely well) as it was in a rich dark sauce, but it was tastily spicy. The other main meat dish was Kholee Uppakari (Chicken in 'south indian spices' -whatever they are! - with fresh ginger and coconut). This was OK, fairly mild with a distinct coconut flavour, but in a much thinner sauce and extremely oily. The main dish of Sabji Sambar was excellent in flavour with a good selection of vegetables with the lentils, although it was the British version of all recognisable vegetables in a thick consistency rather than more exotic South Indian vegetables in a thin sauce as South Indian sambar usually is. Nevertheless, it was a good dish. The other vegetable dish of Dalroshun was essentially Tarka Dall despite the name.

All in all the food was fine, different and tasty, although we found it all a little oily - particularly the Uppakari - , which curiously was a feature of the previous restaurant despite it apparently being a different chef. The service was efficient, prices very reasonable for the menu, and portions generous. Despite all this it was surprisingly and disappointingly empty, with only one other table with two people there (and one person coming for a take-away) at 8.15 on a Saturday night. Maybe Borough Green is not big enough to support two Indian restaurants. Only time will tell.