Curry Time!
Tikka Masala has overtaken Fish & Chips as the national dish of Britain if the media is to be believed - and it's probably just as well, given the soggy, oily excuse that passes for Fish & Chips over here. Without a memorable cuisine of their own, the Brits are to be applauded for importing the best of the Empire to an Indian restaurant near you.
Indian restaurants can be found throughout the UK, and there are dozens in London alone that are worthy of a visit. These range from the neighbourhood curry house with its red wallpaper, plastic flowers, and suspiciously colourful tandoori, through to the up-market establishments with surroundings and dishes suitable for a Raja.
Indian food - with all its regional variations - amounts to much more than the well-known kormas, masalas, and vindaloos. The best dishes are often those of the street, simple concoctions refined over the centuries not by great chefs, but by peasants and street vendors.
To let you explore the Indian Restaurant map of London yourself, we've brought together a short list of some of London's most respected Indian establishments:
The new kid on the block is the excellent Masala Zone (9 Marshall Street London W1; off Carnaby Street, Oxford Circus Tube, 020 7287 9966), our July Restaurant of the Month. This establishment is dubbed a 'casual indian restaurant', and with it's bright, modern decor it certainly avoids the usual cultural clichés. Street food is heralded at Masala Zone, and prices are affordable to match. We recommend the 'singles bench', which gives a great view of the frenetic kitchen activity.
Fancy a lazy Sunday lunch with a bit of jazz thrown in? Just the ticket can be experienced at Britain's oldest surviving Indian Restaurant - Veeraswamy (101 Regent St W1, Piccadilly Circus Tube, 020 7734 1401). Given a fresh and fashionable look in more recent times, Veereswamy is a bit pricier than many, but the £15 three-course Sunday lunch (with the spot of jazz mentioned) is hard to beat.
Zaika (259 Fulham Road SW3, South Kensington Tube, 020 7351 7823) is one of Chelsea's more popular eateries, and is not one of your 'after the pub' establishments. While not within everyone's budget, chances are you'll still have more change than from a West End restaurant. "Zaika marched straight onto the shortlist of London's exceptional Indian restaurants", the Rough Guide notes. Treat yourself!
There are now four Monty's restaurants (try 54 Northfield Ave W13, Northfields Tube, 020 8567 6281, or Ealing Broadway, 020 8576 4646), all spawned by three chefs who once shared a kitchen. More neighbourhood than West End, the prices are consequentially more affordable, even if the food is just as memorable.
Winner of the 1998 National Curry Chef Awards (yes, they have an Award!) was Tabaq (47 Balham Hill SW12, Clapham South Tube, 020 8673 7820), a Pakistani restaurant that features the cuisine of Lahore. Reasonable prices and an extensive menu.
The Malabar Junction (107 Great Russell Street, Tottenham Court Road Tube, 020 7580 5230) is a spacious, centrally-located restaurant well-known for the fish and vegetable dishes of southern India. Reasonably priced.
The Kerala Restaurant (15 Great Castle Street, London W1N 7AD, 020 7580 2125) blends a number of cuisines into a delicious fusion of Indian cooking. A short walk from Oxford Street, the Kerala is remarkably well-priced.
Of course there are dozens if not hundreds of neighbourhood curry houses well worth a visit, so next time you're stuck for a night out - make it a spicy one!
If you've stumbled across a memorable Indian restaurant that you want to share with us all, please get in contact at .
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