Hector has managed to reach Düsseldorf without Curry-Heute in London, Crawley or Brussel. Somehow Dinner was lost in the midst of Hoppy Belgian Bier yesterday, and so The Hector had something resembling a normal appetite on arriving at Tandoori (Immermannstrasse 32, Düsseldorf, Deutschland) just on 15.00.
The choice of venue was simple, Sources suggest that this is the only Düsseldorf Curry Haus open mid-afternoon, everywhere else shuts at 15.00 until the evening. Two Chaps sat under the canvas outside, shaded from the unseasonally warm sun, 31ºC this afternoon. Hector walked inside the empty Restaurant, the entire doorway was open to the elements, a far cry from the Dark and Stormy Night for my first visit to Tandoori.
Last time I had the Gosht Khyberi, a Karahi Variant: Under-seasoned, Spicy with an Onion-overdose. It was OK. Today I resolved to have a Traditional Curry, Lamb Vindaloo €16.90) was a possibilty, Bhuna Gosht €17.90) intrigued, why the extra Euro? As is customary in Europe, Rice was inclusive which in part justifies the relatively high price for Curry. Let’s not overlook that thanks to the nutters who voted for Brexit, this Dish costs excatly £2.00 more to the British than it did a couple of months back.
The 0.2l Bottle of Sparkling Water was a bit of a disappointment, in this heat one needed to take on Bunkers. I had no clue as to the cost of this tiny bottle, better safe than sorry.
A Complimentary Poppadom and Dips were provided. The Poppadom was laden with Cumin Seeds, the Tamarind Dip was suitably Tangy. The Lime Pickle was ignored, last time I added both of these to my Gosht Khyberi to liven it up.
The metal dish warmer preceded the presentation of the Curry. I decanted half of the Rice, I had more on my plate than I would normally take. The remainder, destined for the bin. Enough for two, more than enough for two. Nobody could eat this mass of of Rice, so why serve it?
The Bhuna Gosht was a very pleasing brown, the Masala was Classic Indian, not the Thickest ever seen but far from Shorva. One assumes the Onions are pureed to create this Texture. A Decent helping of Meat and Masala was arranged on top of the Rice, this was a plateful, there was still plenty left in the serving dish.
The Seasoning hit home first, the Salt level was definitely in one’s face. The Spice Level was at the Mild end of the Spectrum, I hadn’t specified – Scharf, so I cannot complain. The Lamb was Tender and tasted of Lamb. A not so Spicy Lamb Stew – flashed through Hector’s mind as the note-taking continued. However, is this not the definition of – Curry?
There was a very distinctive and powerful Flavour whose source I could not fathom. Assuming an Onion and Tomato base to the Masala, this was a blend which was a standout.
The remaining Lamb was placed on the still abundant Rice. I had not bothered to count the Meat at the time of serving, I could see there was a substantial portion. As – Full – began registering I counted what lay before me, I was still in double figures. I still had a Portion larger than most Curry Houses serve up, so much for the standard seven or eight pieces of meat.
Given there was enough Rice for two, I concluded that there was probably enough Bhuna Gosht for two. Supposing one came to Tandoori and ordered a Starter?
I hate to waste Food, defeat was staring me in the face. Six pieces of Lamb were abandoned with still a noticeable quantity of Rice. Just how much Curry had I been served? Apart from the days when Curry is ordered by weight, to share, this must be the largest Curry Portion I have ever encountered.
The Bill
€20.50 (£17.82). €2.60 for the small bottle of Sparkling Water, expensive. Bier would have been cheaper.
The Aftermath
The escape was efficient. No Calling Card was left being a return visit.
Next time, Lamb Vindaloo.