Spice Lounge, Petersfield

Unbelievably, we hadn't been to Spice Lounge since May 2007. There's so much strong competition from the other restaurants in the area - in fact the only one we've visited twice in the last year is Gurkha Chautari in Liphook. Anyway, we didn't let them down, and a good turnout of Curry Club members enjoyed food to match, after seriously denting the kitty over aperitifs at Foggys.

Following a mixed starter of bhajis, samosas, kebab and tikka chicken, we had a great array of dishes. Chicken came as CTM, chicken chilli mossala, garlic chilli chicken, and murgh Khyber Pass; prawn dishes included zingha zafrani (tiger prawns), king prawn sag and prawn jalfrezi. Lamb dishes were achari lamb and a balti, and side dishes included chana dhal, tarka dhal, a selection of plain, keema and garlic naans.

Will missed his first Curry Club meeting in over a year, so you won't be getting one of his ratings for this meal. I thought the food OK, reliable, but not outstanding. Possibly the decision to serve so many main dishes made it less easy to perfect any of them. The only disappointment for me was the tarka dhal which seemed all thick dhal and no tarka (sizzling garlic oil on top). But as ever, we were made very welcome and we shouldn't leave it another 11 months before we go back.