The table is booked, for our Christmas meeting on Tuesday 13th December!   We'll be at the Paradise Balti which we visited in September, and thoroughly enjoyed.  That's when we decided that it would be the ideal place for our last meeting of the year.

Aperitifs will be at the Old Drum from about 19:30 and then it's a short walk to the restaurant, just round the corner in Lavant Street.  Dinner is at Paradise Balti at 20:30. 

Please let me know as soon as possible whether you expect to make it.  I'm expecting a big turnout - we had 18 in September and we need to give the restaurant as much chance as possible to fit us all in.   You can use the feedback page on the web site or alternately send an answer to the e-mail notice which will be going out to members shortly.

Looking forward to a great evening with an interesting choice of dishes and a chance to catch up with old friends and some spicy food before the wonderful Brussels sprouts of the Christmas season.

Gurkha Chautari, Liphook, Nov 2016

We chose Gurkha Chautari for our monthly curry club meal, our first visit there in a few years. While we've been away, it has changed ownership twice, with new management taking over around the beginning of October 2016.

After enjoying aperitifs at the slightly expensive Links Hotel, we arrived at the restaurant to a warm welcome. Drinks service was prompt, and then papadums were served. We asked the restaurant to select the dishes to give a range of tastes. No starters were proposed, and we went straight to main courses which included khursani chicken, battered and cooked with a chilli sauce, lamb bhutuwa, a thick-sauced and very tasty dish, konkoni prawn curry, coconut sauce and fairly mild, and a Gurkha Chautari special chicken. Lots of good side dishes including aloo chana, mushroom bhaji, a mixed vegetable curry and sag aloo, were complemented by pilau rice, mushroom rice, plain and garlic naans. Favourite dish was the lamb, very good, and the naans were just right too. Every dish was empty at the end.

This place deserves to be busier, although it's no big surprise that it was quiet on a damp November evening. So far as we know, this is the only place in Liphook where you can eat a curry with restaurant service rather than takeaway, and we enjoyed our visit.

We chose Gurkha Chautari for our monthly curry club meal, our first visit there in a few years. While we've been away, it changed ownership twice, with new management taking over around the beginning of October 2016.

This review was originally published on TripAdvisor

Station Road, Liphook, Hants.  01428 729355

November 2016 - Gurkha Chautari, Liphook - Tues 8th

The table is booked!  Our November meeting takes place at Gurkha Chautari in Liphook, on Tuesday 8th.  We haven't been there for a while, not since May 2013 in fact, as we've been concentrating on Petersfield and Haslemere/Grayshott.   Despite the long gap, it's still our 5th most visited restaurant, just behind Madhuban and Malabon in our all-time list.  Since we last visited, the restaurant has entered new ownership and been redecorated, so it's time to try it again. 

The restaurant is on Station Road, but we normally meet for aperitifs at the Links Tavern on Portsmouth Road, just about 300 metres away.  Aperitifs start about 19:30 unless you're feeling extra thirsty and want to begin earlier. 

Members are asked to let me know whether you expect to be there, either in response to the e-mail notice or through the feedback page on the web site.  I've booked for 10, but the restaurant can accommodate more if we give them sensible notice.  There's plenty of parking nearby, on Station Road.

Let's look forward to some great food on 8th!

Tuesday October 11 - Chilli Nights

The table is booked!  October sees us return to Chilli Night(s), in Haslemere, on Tuesday 11th.  We were last there in May, and it's consistently good.  Here's a link to a TripAdvisor review in November last year.  As usual for this end of Haslemere, which has a shortage of good pubs, we meet at the restaurant at 7:30 for 8, and aperitifs can take as long or as little as we like. 

Members, let me know whether you expect to be there, either in response to the e-mail notice or through the feedback page on the web site.  I've booked for 10, but the restaurant can accommodate more if we give them sensible notice.  There's plenty of parking nearby, either on Wey Hill itself, round St Christopher's Green, or in the free car park on St Christopher's Road (by Shahanaz).

Paradise Balti - Tuesday 13th Sept

The table is booked!  Our September meeting is on Tuesday 13th.   Not the 10th. 

Aperitifs in Old Drum from about 19:30 and then it's a short walk to the restaurant, just round the corner in Lavant Street.  Dinner will be at Paradise Balti at 20:30. 

Please try and let me know as soon as possible whether you expect to make it.  You can use the feedback page on the web site or alternately send an answer to the e-mail notice which will be going out to members shortly.

Looking forward to a great evening with an interesting choice of dishes.

Bay Leaf - a most enjoyable evening

We chose Bay Leaf for our Curry Club meeting in August and arrived to find the place full apart from the table we'd reserved for 14 (though in the end only 12 of us made it due to a problem at air traffic control). As usual we asked the restaurant to make the choices for us; they did extremely well, featuring some times that were new to their regular menu along with some favourites.

A mixed starter included vegetable samosas, chicken tikka and mushroom kauchari (garlic crisp fried mushroom). Main courses were lamb garlic chilli masala, chilli chicken and Lawsuni Rawas (salmon cooked in the tandoor and then a thick tomato-y spicy sauce), accompanied by various dhals, rice and naans, along with an aubergine bhaji.  

Little was left - no doggy bags tonight - and the verdict of our members was "excellent food, great service considering the restaurant was so busy". We paid £28 a head including tip, and the drinks part of that was over £10 a head. So really good value too. A most enjoyable evening.

This review was originally posted on Trip Advisor, while watching Rugby 7s in the Olympic Games.  Re-posting it here has given me an opportunity to iron out the auto-correct whoopsies. 

August meeting - Bayleaf, Grayshott - Wed 10th

The table is booked!  August's Curry Club venue is the Bay Leaf restaurant, Grayshott, on Wednesday 10th August.  We'll meet at the Fox and Pelican (front bar) for a gentle aperitif from about 19:30 and then it's a short walk to the restaurant, where dinner will be at 20:30.

Since some people may be away for summer holidays, we need to be careful to let the restaurant know just how many to expect.  Please try and let me know as soon as possible whether you expect to make it.  You can use the feedback page on the web site or alternately send an answer to the e-mail notice which will be going out to members shortly.

There's lots of parking at the pub or in the Headley Road car park just behind the bus stop opposite the restaurant (see map below). 

This is one of my favourites, not just because it's near to home, but because they do a superb chilli chicken dish which is extremely tasty without causing pain.  Looking forward a great evening!

The table is booked -ish!  Due to other priorities, I've had to do the reservation by e-mail, but at least  it's been done.  Aperitifs will be at the Red Lion from about 19:30 and then dinner is at Malabon at 20:30.  

John and Fiona have kindly agreed to be the organisers on the night.  Please reply to the members' e-mail notice or use the feedback page on the web site to let us know whether you plan to be there, and I'll let them know who to expect.  Have a good evening - I'm sorry to miss this one, but I'll console myself with an ouzo or two.   
 
καλή όρεξη!

Tuesday 14th June - Spice Lounge revisited!!

The table is booked!  We had such a good time at the Spice Lounge in April that we've decided to go back on 14th June.  This time it's a Tuesday meeting, but otherwise the details are as usual. We'll meet for aperitifs at the Old Drum at around 19:30 and then dinner will be at 20:30 at the restaurant. 

Just like last time, we need to know if members would like kulchi lamb to be ordered in advance.   In April, the chef did a great job by preparing the dish with a bit of kick to it; people seemed to like this very much.  If at least eight say Yes then it can be ordered, but we need to  know by Sunday 18:00 .  Please either use the feedback page on the web site or mention on your reply to the members' notice e-mail to let your preferences be known.  

Looking forward to a great evening next Tuesday!

May meeting - Tue 10th - Chilli Nights

The table is booked - we return to Chilli Night(s) for our May meeting, on Tuesday 10th May, 7:30 for 8.  Due to the lack of a comfortable pub within walking distance, the table is booked early so that we can have aperitifs at the restaurant.  We were last there in November, when we enjoyed the food, lots of contrasting flavours, and generally had a great time. 

Members, let me know whether you expect to be there, either in response to the e-mail notice or through the feedback page on the web site.  There's plenty of parking nearby, either on Wey Hill itself, round St Christopher's Green, or in the free car park on St Christopher's Road (by Shahanaz).

Wed 13th April - Spice Lounge

The table is booked for April's meeting at Spice Lounge in Petersfield.  Aperitifs will be at the Old Drum from 19:30 and then dinner will be at Spice Lounge at 20:30.

We need to know if members would like kulchi lamb to be ordered in advance.  If at least eight say Yes then it can be ordered, but we need to  know by Monday 18:00 if people want this - not everyone does. Please either use the feedback page on the web site or mention on your reply to the members' notice e-mail to let your preferences be known.  

I expect to be away so someone else will be organising on the night - have a great evening!

Grayshott - Tuesday 8th March

The table is booked - we'll be haring off to in Grayshott for our March meeting, on Tuesday 8th.  Aperitifs will be at the Fox and Pelican from about 19:30, followed by dinner at the Gurkha Durbar at 20:30.

Please let me know either using the feedback form on our website or in response to the members' e-mail notice whether you expect to be there.   Great food, Nepali style - should be a good evening!

Madhuban - Tues 9th February

The table is booked - we're looking forward to our visit to sunny Liss and Madhuban on Tuesday 9th February.   Aperitifs will be at the Whistle Stop at about 19:30, and then we'll make the short journey across the railway line to Madhuban for dinner at 20:30.

This is our favourite venue for Curry Club meetings, it produces some truly great food, so we can expect a good turnout.  Members, please let me know  as soon as possible whether you expect to be there, either through the feedback page of the web site or in response to the members' notice e-mail.

Just a little note to members who sit waiting for their monthly e-mail: this notice on the blog page is always prepared first, and then I copy and paste it into an e-mail to send to you when I have time.  So you can often find out the details of the monthly meeting earlier if you check this page.  Looking forward to a great evening next Tuesday!

Wed 13th January - Paradise Balti

The table is booked - we start the New Year with a visit to Paradise Balti, on Wednesday 13th Jan.   Aperitifs will be at the Old Drum from about 19:30 and then dinner is over the road at the Paradise at 20:30.  

This was a very popular venue in August - our joint top attendance of the year - so please members, please let me know if you expect to be there, either using the feedback page on the web site or in response to the e-mail notice,  when I manage to send it out.  The process has been completely messed up by an upgrade to Microsoft Office 2016 and iCloud for my phone.  The Curry Club contact group has fallen down a crack between these two and I may have to rebuild it from scratch before sending out any more mails.  Or use MailChimp instead. 

I'll be asking for a volunteer to host the meeting on the night, but wish everyone a very happy and healthy New Year, and a most enjoyable evening on the 13th.