Definitive UK Curry House Throwdown

Slothrop

Tight but Polite
Which is best, innit?

Anything from backstreet formica-tabled canteens to upscale michelin starred "modern indian" can enter, although given that this is Dissensus I'm expecting a strong bias towards the former. Bonus points for veggie only, BYOB, regional specificity, rude staff etc.

About the best I've been to are probably Rasa N16 (the veggie one) and Jai Krishna / Jai Shri Krishna, although that's kind of a reflection on my North London parochialism more than anything else. Tayyabs has a strong rep, but doesn't seem /that/ special apart from the chops. I'd like to try Hansa in Leeds.
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Glad someone else said that about Tayyabs - didn't see the fuss at all when I went.

Think Rasa has gone downhill of late - seems a bit bland. Maybe I'm just bored of it after many years tho. Drummond Street has good South Indian restaurants, but they aren't mind-blowing, just good.

Went to Dishoom in Covent Garden last weekend - disappointing. I like Cafe Nawaz around the back of Guy's Hospital in Borough - never seen it mentioned anywhere tho.

Not been to High St North - which is the best choice there, Luka?

Southall too, obviously, though it's many years since i've been. Good places in Tooting, too - I think Radha Krishna Bhavan was the one I liked, great tomato curry.

Was looking for Kashmiri restaurants after making a curry last week (without onions and garlic, and only powdered ginger - typical for Hindu Kashmiri food?) http://www.chorbizarrerestaurant.com/newsite/index_london.html and this place comes up. Expensive but interesting menu
 
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luka

Well-known member
ive only been to two. i only remember the name of one. taste of india. thats an offputting name but a good resturaunt.
 

luka

Well-known member
drummond st is servicable, green st can be good but high st north is special.
 

Bangpuss

Well-known member
Sundarbon, a family-owned Bangladeshi joint in Selly Oak, Birmingham. You can indeed bring your own booze, I believe.

Girls Aloud used to go there, which is advertised rather prominently in the window. But don't let that put you off, it adds to the greatness.
 

crackerjack

Well-known member
Tayyabs is great. The trick is to treat it like a tapas place – ignore the mains and order tons of starters.

Indiana is really good. It's in Limehouse but delivers if that's too far off the beaten.
 

Slothrop

Tight but Polite
Sundarbon, a family-owned Bangladeshi joint in Selly Oak, Birmingham. You can indeed bring your own booze, I believe.

Ah, I was waiting for a non-London option. I don't think I've ever been anywhere genuinely top class outside the M25 (except maybe Mother India's Cafe), but that's largely because I haven't tried all that hard.

I was also waiting for someone from eg Wimbledon to come and challenge Luka's assertion of East Ham's primacy, but then I remembered that noone on Dissensus goes west of the A5 other than for carnival.
 
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Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
Think now is the time for Scott Disco to make his return.

Yeah, this is very much his kind of thread.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the House Committee on Un-Dissensian Activities, there's a place on B***k Lane that deserves a mention. Can't remember what it's called but it's on the corner of one of the smaller roads leading off to the east, and is basically the curry equivalent of a greasy spoon. The tables and chairs look like they've been pinched from a down-at-heel state comprehensive, the water is served in battered metal jugs and the walls are decorated with these amazing posters of hilariously macho-camp Pakistani wrestlers. The food obviously isn't the most awesome curry you've ever eaten or anything like that but it's decent and pretty cheap. A good antidote to those upmarket places that are all tasteful dim lighting, Indo-jazz at subliminal volume and menus that overuse the word 'authentic'.
 
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luka

Well-known member
its called sweet and spicy i think. its good. used to get breakfast currys there when i loved in bethnal. im always happy with a 5 pound buffet from the mad vegetarian place on chapel market too
 
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luka

Well-known member
im prepared to believe tooting and southall have good things but i havent explored
 

crackerjack

Well-known member
Yeah, this is very much his kind of thread.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the House Committee on Un-Dissensian Activities, there's a place on B***k Lane that deserves a mention.

Oh, now that you've broken cover, this is very good. It's also about 30 yards off Brick Lane, so you can still look down your nose at the tourist riff-raff.

Outside London, Gurkha Grill on Burton Rd was my second home when I lived in Manchester. Haven't been in a decade but friends still go and say it's still good. On the same street, a mate of mine called Seema ran a café-style place that was great, if extremely limited in choice. Feel bad now cos I forget the name of it. But she did an amazing tuna steak.
 

matt b

Indexing all opinion
Hansa's in Leeds is very good, but not as nice as Prashad, although i've not been since it moved (10 years ago it was formica, then it got Gordon Ramsey'ed). Many think it has lost its charm over the years, but the food was still aces when I last went- starter platter and dosa's rule.

There are tonnes of good curry houses in this part of W. Yorkshire. There are 3 in our village alone (two good, one very average)-asking for recommendations from anyone ends up being an hour long discussion.

Even the Council has helpful recommendations!- http://www.visitbradford.com/food-and-drink/Bradford-Curry-Guide.aspx
 
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Bangpuss

Well-known member
Ah, I was waiting for a non-London option. I don't think I've ever been anywhere genuinely top class outside the M25 (except maybe Mother India's Cafe), but that's largely because I haven't tried all that hard.

I was also waiting for someone from eg Wimbledon to come and challenge Luka's assertion of East Ham's primacy, but then I remembered that noone on Dissensus goes west of the A5 other than for carnival.

The best curries are probably outside London. The Golden Mile in Leicester, for instance, is meant to be excellent. It's an Indian/Bangladeshi mile of shops and restaurants in Leicester. Ashamed to say, when I lived in Leicester, I never ventured there. Maybe something to do with all the white people in Leicester calling that area 'Bangladesh' in a derogatory way that made me not consider its appeal.

That place in Brum is bloody terrific, I tell you. Service is impeccable, and you'll eat for about a tenner.

im always happy with a 5 pound buffet from the mad vegetarian place on chapel market too

Living nearby, it's something I've been meaning to do for ages. What I'm suspect of with buffets (although less so if it's veggie) is that it's really watery and low-quality, and will have been there ages. How's this place stack up?
 
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