Blue Cobra - North End, Portsmouth, 6/5/08

Compared with high standard I have come to expect from Blue Cobra I had a slightly average meal on post bank holiday blow out with Swansea mate Dave. I won’t entertain the idea standards are slipping or rush to any hasty conclusions but the menu is getting bigger and bigger – unless the chef has as many arms as Ganesha he’ll find it difficult to do himself justice, well he would had they a regular clientele. Doubt the kitchen ever has to respond to 100 plus covers even at weekends, a shame, the restaurant deserves to be patronised.

Perhaps the abundance of new dishes is designed to attract customers, they sound tempting. E.g. Bombay Buffalo Bhuna - slow cooked lean Indian Buffalo in a medium strength thick sauce with black cardamon and Chicken Mooli. Beef Malabar, another new addition, was my main course. I’d hoped for the classic version, thick, pasty with roasted coconut. Turned out tart and mustardy with an underlying bittersweet liquorish taste from cloves and star anise. Salty but the flavours just about balanced.

A new starter, Dim Aloo (stupid potatoes) – two breadcrumbed patties, mostly egg and a little masala mash were fine but a bit dull. The pilau rice was as per usual perfectly audente and plentious. Apropos portions have got even larger, why waste good ingredients? This doesn’t neccesarily mean better value of course. A massive Aubergine side dish, drenched in ghee disappointed though it disappeared all the same (and not under the table). Cooking egglpant well is definitely a benchmark of a good indian, that said I’ve had too many good things* in the past to judge Blue Cobra on this alone.

* rich and delectable Gosht Kata Masala, chilli hot Naga Chicken, aromatic Tava Lamb, savoury Murgh Masala and Garlic Aloo Paneer

FOOD (& DRINK): 3.5
VALUE: 3.5
SERVICE: 3
AMBIENCE: 3

Willp2328 rating: 7/10