Riga – Indian Raja – First Latvian Curry

Hector, Steve and Neil boarded a flight from Glasgow to Riga departing at 06.25 this morning. It’s going to be a long day. A first visit for us all, Mr. O’Leary made us an offer we could not refuse. Having checked in to the Hotel Ibis, we moseyed down to the Old City in search of Quality Bier Pubs, but firstly – Curry.

Indian Raja (Skarnu street 7, Riga, Latvia) appears to be one of only two Curry Houses in the Old City, there are more to the north. The Waitress offered us a choice of tables, we took one with the best view. The Menus were brought, there was an instant feel of Authenticity.

Zivs (Fish) Bhuna (€14.50) stood out from the Menu. The promise of Fish and Vegetables, potentially a Hector Curry. Neil too went for Fish, Salmon Curry (€14.50), this had no mention of Vegetables.

Steve normally goes for Lamb Madras, however, the mention of Coconut was somewhat off-putting, Cream too. Rara Gosht (€14.50) was Steve’s choice. The accompaniments were Yellow Rice (€3.00) for Hector, and a Garlic Naan (€2.50) each for Neil and Steve.

Steve decided to order the first Bier of The Trip, Neil and Hector stuck to Water, there will be time for Bier.

A wall separated us from the main dining area, it was difficult therefore to judge the size of the premises. This was very much a – Restaurant – and therefore very different in ambience from the venues I have visited in the past week.

The wait for the Curry was not long, long enough. The Waitress presented the Dishes as we had ordered them. Neil was unsure as to which was his Salmon Curry and my Fish Bhuna. The presence of Vegetables confirmed the Bhuna. The Masala in the Salmon Curry also looked to be Thinner. All three Dishes had a Swirl of Cream stirred in.

The Garlic Naans were presented halved in a basket, grains of Garlic were visible. Neither Neil or Steve made a comment on the Quality, presumably fine. The Rice Portion was enough for two. Once again a case of Rice being wasted in Europe. Cumin Seeds were mixed through, this was in effect Jeera Rice.

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Zivs Bhuna

Green Beans and Carrots accompanied what was a decent Portion of Fish. Was this Salmon too? Whatever, the Masala Fish maintained its integrity and gave off Great Flavour. The Masala was reasonably Thick and in no way Excessive. This had the makings of a Very Good Curry.

The Spice Level was Moderate, the Seasoning was fine. With the stomach still at 37.000ft, time was taken. The Cumin Seeds added more Flavour to the combination, without the Yellow Rice, this would have been a completely different experience. Good choice, Hector.

My only criticism was the temperature. Having enjoyed a Steaming Hot Karahi Gosht yesterday in Glasgow at Karahi Palace, this Fish Bhuna was served – Warm – Hector prefers – Hot.

Rara Gosht

Mmmm – said Steve after his first mouthful. Quite a positive start.

The Rara Gosht appeared to be a Keema Curry with pieces of Lamb mixed through, nothing wrong with this whatsoever. The presence of – Cloves – was remarked upon. Steve went on to compare the Overall Flavour of his Rara Gosht to the Curry Cafes on Glasgow’s Southside, this was quite an accolade. Another happy customer.

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Salmon Curry

The Masala was definitely not as thick as the Bhuna, as one would expect. Neil enjoyed his Fish, though the Quantity beat him.

A bit of a tangy taste – was his observation.

Hector was offered a Soupçon, however, I had more than enough Curry on my plate.

The Bill

€61.50 (£51.48) €14.50 for a Main Course presently looks expensive from the perspective of the exchange rate, but whose fault is this? It’s a Pity we were not here ten years ago.

The Aftermath

The Calling Card was taken up to the counter. Our Waitress accepted it gracefully and appreciated our interest in Curry. Mein Host was introduced, our enjoyment of the Curry was restated, time to depart.

It was Bier o’clock.