Wednesday evening saw me swiftly back to the Midnight Tandoori to test out their traditional curry and savour another glass of plummy Monetpuliciano.
For starters 'Prawn and Pineapple' was as simple as it sounded. Cloaked in a light tomato yoghurt sauce and underwritten by earthy tumeric and concentrated coriander it contrasted nicely with the plump seafood and the acid sweetness of pineapple.
Next up smoky chicken in a hot, sour Jalfrezi sauce, moist with sweet fat onions, roasted peppers and fried tomatoes. There was a citrussy tinge (lemon juice?) to my Sag Paneer of creamy curd and spinach simmered in usual savoury spices. Raiding across table I got a mouthful of an original walnutty Passanda that had arrived beautifully garnished with rose petals in a deep triangular procelain bowl.
Dishes are well presented, staff well turned out and brought up -haven't been trained to be pleasant, its natural. In between serving the four or five tables they talked of football, Man Utd versus Pompey and Cristiano Ronaldo's winning goal. Safe in the knowledge the three points were secured and full of good food I left very content.
Willp2328visit: 7/10
Thursday, 31 January 2008
Saturday, 26 January 2008
Midnight Tandoori - Palmerston Rd, Southsea
The PLACE is hides itself well, tucked away in a niche between two multi storey apartments down toward the sea front. Rich ended up in Kashmir, a few doors down until he realised his mistake, Mike and Aaran turned up 45 minutes late after a search.
Business has been 'alright' according to the bearded young bangladeshi on duty Friday evening, they've a small but loyal clientel. Aaran's Mum is a regular, 'surprised she's not here' he mused, perhaps just as well as he forget her birthday (hope I don't get in trouble for this remark).
While waiting for company I enjoyed a glass of House wine, yes its Montepuliciano D'Abruzzo! An excellent value red with bold fruit bouquet, cocoa finish, popularised by the Wine Society and Matthew Dukes among several.
Studying the menu PRICES seemed reasonable and as the evening progressed positively good value. Polite and effecient SERVICE merited a decent tip and FOOD wise it was super.
I began with a Chicken Sheek. Dry, orange chippolatas with a smoky chilli taste. For main course Lamb Joshwala proved one of the best dishes I've enjoyed for under £7. Tender, fat chunks of meat in a zingy and lively spiced curry with rich chocolately undertones, highlighted by cherry tomatoes bursting with ripe flavour. Delicately treated pulpy slivers of okra and decent white pilau well above par as well.
In SUMMARY the Midnight Tandoori is a discovery I'm glad to have made, if I can call it so, was recommended to me in fact. The menu is generally north indian but they are are enough variations to explore to merit more than a few return trips.
Willp2328 score: 8/10
Business has been 'alright' according to the bearded young bangladeshi on duty Friday evening, they've a small but loyal clientel. Aaran's Mum is a regular, 'surprised she's not here' he mused, perhaps just as well as he forget her birthday (hope I don't get in trouble for this remark).
While waiting for company I enjoyed a glass of House wine, yes its Montepuliciano D'Abruzzo! An excellent value red with bold fruit bouquet, cocoa finish, popularised by the Wine Society and Matthew Dukes among several.
Studying the menu PRICES seemed reasonable and as the evening progressed positively good value. Polite and effecient SERVICE merited a decent tip and FOOD wise it was super.
I began with a Chicken Sheek. Dry, orange chippolatas with a smoky chilli taste. For main course Lamb Joshwala proved one of the best dishes I've enjoyed for under £7. Tender, fat chunks of meat in a zingy and lively spiced curry with rich chocolately undertones, highlighted by cherry tomatoes bursting with ripe flavour. Delicately treated pulpy slivers of okra and decent white pilau well above par as well.
In SUMMARY the Midnight Tandoori is a discovery I'm glad to have made, if I can call it so, was recommended to me in fact. The menu is generally north indian but they are are enough variations to explore to merit more than a few return trips.
Willp2328 score: 8/10
Thursday, 24 January 2008
Paradise Balti - Petersfield, 23/1/08
Arrived 10 minutes early so I sat and read the Daily Mirror. That took a minute and a half. I observed fellow Wednesday night dinners until my mate turned up. The restaurant was pleasingly busy, over half the tables occupied.
Graham had resolved to give up drink until February but a visit to Weymouth last weekend derailed good intentions. We shared a bottle of Cabernet Sauvingon, all red summer fruits, raspberries and red currants.
After crisp, warm poppadoms a jolly nice meal was had. Coconut Fish, 3 mini cod fillets fried with coconut and coated in bread crumbs was simple, light and sweet. A Prawn Patia, toothsome yet sour with tamarind, spicy with chilli resin, heady with coriander. First class perfumed pilau rice and a succulent moreish Cauliflower, Pea and Tomato curry cooked in lashings of onion was lovely.
The chef has been the same for 15 years, seems he knows that punters want an 'indian' to involve big flavours and equally sizeable portions.
Willp2328 visit: 7/10
Graham had resolved to give up drink until February but a visit to Weymouth last weekend derailed good intentions. We shared a bottle of Cabernet Sauvingon, all red summer fruits, raspberries and red currants.
After crisp, warm poppadoms a jolly nice meal was had. Coconut Fish, 3 mini cod fillets fried with coconut and coated in bread crumbs was simple, light and sweet. A Prawn Patia, toothsome yet sour with tamarind, spicy with chilli resin, heady with coriander. First class perfumed pilau rice and a succulent moreish Cauliflower, Pea and Tomato curry cooked in lashings of onion was lovely.
The chef has been the same for 15 years, seems he knows that punters want an 'indian' to involve big flavours and equally sizeable portions.
Willp2328 visit: 7/10
Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Mirchi - Albert Road, Southsea, 18/1/08
After a late afternoon session in the Wine Vaults discussing the top 100 pop albums of all time (does Ennion Morricone's Once Upon A Time In The West soundtrack qualif? Yes of course!) we started on a bottle of grassy Muscadet with honeyed melon aromas. Emma is an architect and was surprised at Mirchi's carpet, it'll wear out in 3 years, not 7!The thing is, will Mirchi still be around in 3 years? The venue has changed hands at least 4 times in the 3 years I've known this stretch of Albert Road.
The food is good enough to suggest the guys here might survive. Chicken Tikka, firm fleshy nuggets in a thin but tart n’ spicy marinade was fine. Lamb Goan Korai - dense cubes of Lamb in a whipped up creamy coconut sauce, juicy with stewy onions, soured by red peppers and green chilli rather nice too. Chana Bhajee, fibrous chic peas lightly fried with earthy tumeric, cinnamon as well as fresh leafy coriander also satisfied without amazing. Pilau ok.
Overall the meal was decent, a word I don't like using, but on this occasion the most fitting way to conclude.
Willp2328 visit: 6.5/10
The food is good enough to suggest the guys here might survive. Chicken Tikka, firm fleshy nuggets in a thin but tart n’ spicy marinade was fine. Lamb Goan Korai - dense cubes of Lamb in a whipped up creamy coconut sauce, juicy with stewy onions, soured by red peppers and green chilli rather nice too. Chana Bhajee, fibrous chic peas lightly fried with earthy tumeric, cinnamon as well as fresh leafy coriander also satisfied without amazing. Pilau ok.
Overall the meal was decent, a word I don't like using, but on this occasion the most fitting way to conclude.
Willp2328 visit: 6.5/10
Thursday, 17 January 2008
Khans Brasserie - Midhurst, 16/1/08
A triumph! At last I succeeded in paying for a whole meal with Mum (even if I did have to resort to hiding her wallet before driving to Midhurst). Minus handbag she indulged in poppadoms, pineapple juice, Onion Bhaji's three and ordered the same main dish as I (it's in the genes).
For my part I chose to begin with 'Panir Kebab', a balloon of tandoori chicken filled with mash that looked interesting but didn't really excite the taste buds. Two Sally Lambs, reasonably priced at £6.50, were pleasant although lacking the nuance of other incarnations. A rich potato and apricot curry it tasted most of citrussy saltiness of freshly ground coriander seed and a little of camphorous bitter sweet cardamom though the meat was well done. Good plain Naan, soft and light as well as a decent Bhindi bhajee (ladies fingers prepared with ginger and garlic) were enjoyed. A large glass of a blackberry tinged Shiraz proved a fine compliment to the food.
The staff were friendly and the restaurant felt very snug inside, like being deep in the bowels of a warm, friendly giant - the BFG? Just hope the bladder holds out - the gents loos are outside (not literally but they are seperate from the main building)
Willp2328visit: 6/10
For my part I chose to begin with 'Panir Kebab', a balloon of tandoori chicken filled with mash that looked interesting but didn't really excite the taste buds. Two Sally Lambs, reasonably priced at £6.50, were pleasant although lacking the nuance of other incarnations. A rich potato and apricot curry it tasted most of citrussy saltiness of freshly ground coriander seed and a little of camphorous bitter sweet cardamom though the meat was well done. Good plain Naan, soft and light as well as a decent Bhindi bhajee (ladies fingers prepared with ginger and garlic) were enjoyed. A large glass of a blackberry tinged Shiraz proved a fine compliment to the food.
The staff were friendly and the restaurant felt very snug inside, like being deep in the bowels of a warm, friendly giant - the BFG? Just hope the bladder holds out - the gents loos are outside (not literally but they are seperate from the main building)
Willp2328visit: 6/10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
