The weekend of – The London Marathon – and – Caroline Milkshake – is taking part. Marg and Hector are here to support, however, that’s tomorrow and today is all about enjoying – that London.
The India Club – Hotel Strand Continental (143 Strand, London WC2R 1JA) was the locus of the 14.00 rendezvous with Lord Clive and Lady Maggie, who having missed us so much, came up to the Capital to join in the revelry.
The content of the Menu remains the same, the prices have been tweaked, upwards, of course, yet VAT has not returned to the full amount pre Lockdown. One can sympathise with businesses who have been shut for months. I hope the Chancellor has sympathy for the retired when inflation and pensions are next up for review.
The three Lamb Dishes a Hector’s point of focus when dining at The India Club. Today the ladies would add diversity to the coverage in Curry-Heute. I am now one visit short of adding The India Club to the list of Hector’s Recommended Curry Houses, a dedicated page will follow, but hopefully not this year, there are other plans.
Today, for Clive and Hector – Bhuna Lamb ** Chef Special ** – (£10.25) with the Capsicum garnish withheld. Maggie chose Mughlai Chicken (£9.50), served on-the-bone. It would be wonderful if one could have Lamb on-the-bone here one day. Maggie asked for the Chilli to be withheld.
Marg surprised us all by having her first ever Dosa – Lamb Masala Dosa – (£8.75). By avoiding Curry per se, she was clearly planning ahead for dinner later on. Doesn’t she know how these days pan out?
Hector and Clive pushed the boat out and went all the way with the Rice, Pilau (£3.50) whilst Maggie stuck to the more modest Plain (£3.00).
A large bottle of Sparkling Water was ordered for Marg and Hector to share, Maggie secured a bottle of tap water, Clive was not thirsty.
I know the portions here are not large, London portions, London prices. For a moment I considered suggesting Clive and I share a Vegetable Curry (£6.75), or even another portion of the Bhuna. Sense prevailed, even if the words midnight and kebap did drift through the mind. The waiter tried his hardest to have us order Bread, there were no takers.
The wait was not long, but a more authentic amount of time than the near instant Curry served last night at Needoo Grill (Whitechapel).
I did take the opperchancity to photograph as much of the interior of the dining room as possible. Remember, this was once a works’ canteen. I have yet to try ordering food in the lounge downstairs.
Bhuna Lamb ** Chef Special **
If there’s a Bhuna served anywhere in the UK which defines the genre then I offer that served at The India Club. Here was the classic Thick, Minimal, Brown Masala, a Bhuna. I counted twelve pieces of Meat which should surely be enough, somehow, one looks at this and knows that more would be even better. Two portions each? Not out of the question, we’ll see how many more visits before greed wins over sensibility.
Tender Meat but still with a bit of Chewiness, Lamb to savour. The Spice Level was no more than moderate, the Seasoning was there, nothing here pronounced. This Curry is all about the Flavour. I felt a single – Clove blast -, ditto for a Cumin Seed. Two Green Cardamom were discovered and quickly set aside before the negative side of their presence took hold. Every mouthful was quite simply superb. This was simple, straightforward Curry, yet few venues serve food of this quality.
The Rice portion covered the plate, just. Compare this to the total waste served at other venues, especially on Mainland Europe. I think I still remember Mainland Europe. Today, I was still facing leftover Rice despite there being far from excess, further proof that the Curry portion could have been more.
I wanted more, a share of a Vegetable Curry would have sorted that. I also wished both Curry and Rice had been served – hot.
Clive offered no criticisms at all:
Excellent, not dry-dry, moist. Very tender meat. Possibly the best Curry I’ve had in a while, since Whitechapel.
Mughlai Chicken
A pale Curry with clearly more Masala than the Bhuna as one should expect. The was an abundance of peripheral Oil, but this was in no way excessive. Hector was too busy eating to observe the Chicken Meat being separated from its bone. As Clive and Hector had done, Maggie cleared every edible morsel from her plate. I was not quite sure what the Mango Chutney was for.
Correctly portioned – said Maggie – took out the Chilli as I asked, just great.
Maggie too admitted that if the portion had been larger, she would happily have eaten more.
Lamb Masala Dosa
The alternative vessel to Bread and Rice? Is it Curry?
Two small pots accompanied, one with a Potato in a Masala, the other a Coconut Sauce. A Soupçon of the Potato-Masala came my way, Earthy, but spoiled by being lukewarm as my Curry and Rice were. As Marg ate, she remarked about the presence of Potato in her Dosa, I had to wait until the end to verify the presence of Meat:
The first time eating a Dosa, full of Lamb and Potato with Masala. (I’m glad about that.) And on the side was a lovely Coconut Sauce to top the interesting flavours.
I suspect Dosa #2 will not be too long in the future.
There we have it: The India Club, by no means perfect, but serving beautiful Curry one has to experience.
The Bill
£52.75 For four, fair enough.
The Aftermath
The staff are somewhat diffident, exits tend to be quiet affairs.
What’s this out the back?
