| Pub & Restaurant Reviews |
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Hindustani Roti - Sahota Indian Restaurant We have now lived in Spain full time for 3 years and have been to several Indian restaurants, and on so many occasions have left feeling disappointed. We wondered if we would ever find one that compares to our once local haunt, in the heart of ‘Balti’ land – Birmingham, (where there are as many Indian Restaurants as there are Fish ‘n’ Chip shops)! Thankfully, Mick, Pam & Sonia Sahota, owners of The Hindustani Roti Indian Restaurants ,restored my belief that there is quality Indian cuisine available right here on our doorstep. Mick invited me and my wife to sample the food from his restaurant at The Commercial Centre, La Ronda in Lomas de Cabo Roig, after I had spoken to him about my disappointments up until now. He informed me that this was about to change, and sure enough he didn’t let us down...... We arrived at the restaurant, which also incorporates the Vino Lounge Bar, and chose to dine on the outside terraces with the wonderful views out to the coast line. You can also choose to eat inside in the beautifully decorated, air-conditioned room, where designs were created by a top London designer with authenticity and quality evident. The furnishings include pure silk curtains and table dressings imported direct from India, with authentic Indian artwork adorning the walls. The menu boasts all the classic dishes including Tandoori, Prawn & Vegetable dishes as well as Vindaloos, Phals and Jalfrezis for those who prefer the hot and spicy food. They cater for both meat eaters and vegetarians with an array of rice dishes and Asian breads to compliment your meal. They are also proud of their own specially bottled wines, for which they are well known. For starters we ordered Keema Samosa which is spicy lamb mince in pastry triangles on a bed of fresh crisp salad, followed by Chicken Dansak (chicken with lentils, mango chutney cooked in an Indian spicy sauce) for myself. My wife chose Chicken Bhoona (chicken cooked in a thick spicy Indian sauce with peppers and tomatoes). Whilst we sipped our drinks waiting for our food to be freshly cooked, the aromas coming from the kitchen led us to believe that if the food tasted as good, then we were in for a real treat. The samosas were crisp and packed with spiced minced lamb that were accompanied by a selection of traditional dips, a great choice to start our meal and a tantaliser for our main course to follow. Chicken Dansak is a big favourite of mine as I enjoy lentil dishes and I can honestly say that this was one of the best I have ever had. It was spiced to perfection with tender pieces of chicken. My wife was equally complimentary of her meal, confirming that the Bhoona was just as she liked – medium. The spices were such that her taste buds knew they had sampled an Indian meal, but not too hot for her to enjoy! To compliment our meal we enjoyed the plain nan and keema nan, which again did not disappoint. We then rounded off the meal by chilling our pallet with a Kulfi (traditional Indian ice cream with nuts). There are customers that return time after time. Local residents Terry & Margaret have visited the restaurant twice a week since it opened. There was a family of diners from Derbyshire who had been on holiday for 5 days and had eaten at the restaurant every night including the barbeque which is available at weekends on the Vino Lounge Rooftop Terrace, where ‘Santacruz’ (a very famous and talented Spanish saxophonist) entertains. Over all, I can honestly say that Mick has reignited our passion for quality Indian cuisine here in Spain. I would also like to say ‘Thank You’ to manager Vicky and head chef Qamar Zaman for their contribution to an enjoyable evening. C.C. La Ronda, Lomas de Cabo Roig, Orihuela Costa - for reservations call 965 320 461. Also at Avenida Rio Nalon, Los Alcázares - 968 583 156 Mark Salter |
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Restaurante Kathmandu The Restaurante Kathmandu is situated on Avenida Dr Gregorio Marañon 41, Playa Acequión in Torrevieja. For those not familiar with the area it is a short distance along from the salt bridge conveyor and unloading dock in the harbour on the left hand side of the coast road going out of the town towards Punta Prima opposite the Volkswagen showroom. It is a small restaurant of about half a dozen tables set out in line. There is also a terrace area outside the front door. The restaurant is owned and run by two Nepalese gentlemen Bhaiab and Giri. Bhairab is the chef and Giri handles the front of house duties. The soft furnishings in the restaurant including the tablecloths, napkins and curtains are examples of Nepalese work. Around the bar are hung replicas of small prayer flags the like of which adorn shrines in the mountainous area of Nepal. Anyone familiar with Indian food will find the menu very straightforward as most of the main styles of Indian dishes are represented. In addition to these there are a number of purely Nepalese dishes. I knew nothing about Nepalese food and so asked Bhairab and Giri what distinguished Nepalese food from that of its larger neighbour India and the main difference is in the flavouring of the dishes. The spicing is much lighter often sweeter than the corresponding Indian dishes. Bhairab said it was the difference between using green as opposed to the hotter red chilli peppers and Giri added that many people found Nepalese food kinder on the stomach than the often fierier Indian counterparts. I asked Giri to choose some dishes for us to try and to start the meal he chose a plate of mixed starters, pakoras and bajis fried in a light turmeric batter. They were very good. This was followed by chicken tandoori, chicken tikka masala, pilau rice and a plain nan bread. I have to say I would not normally personally choose chicken tandoori as I usually find it rather uninteresting but the Kathmandu’s was excellent. The chicken was cooked to perfection and the spiced skin flavouring was very well balanced. The Chicken tikka masala demonstrated the points both Bhairab and Giri had told me about Nepalese food because the sauce was sweeter and more fragrant to similar dishes I have had in Indian restaurants, more like a korma sauce. The nan bread is also worthy of mention, as often they can be heavy and stodgy but the one we ate at the Kathmandu was lightness itself, again with a touch of sweetness. No meal is complete without a pudding and it is good to see so many restaurants nowadays able to offer a choice of Asian sweets. At the Kathmandu we tried the mango Kulfi and a special carrot based sweet. They are both homemade by Bhairab and the Mango Kulfi was perfect, no hint of ice crystals which marks the difference between those who can make homemade ice cream and those who cannot. The carrot based pudding which is a warm pudding was also very good. You would not believe it was made form the humble carrot. To finish what else could it be but chai tea which is a brew made from tea and spices which can include cinnamon, cardamom, ginger and cloves. This traditional drink has been gaining in popularity over the past few years and can be found in some Indian supermarkets here in Spain. The service was very friendly and efficient. Another plus to the Kathmandu’s menu is that every section has a vegetable option be it Jalfrezi, Dansak, Rhogan Josh or any of the other styles. In addition there is a large selection of other vegetarian dishes which reflects a more authentic view of Asian diets. The Kathmandu has a very good value 4 course lunch menu and a 6 course dinner menu also representing outstanding value. You can also order food to take away if you want to spend the evening at home. The Kathmandu is open from 12.30 pm until 3.30 pm and again from 18.30 until 11.30 every day of the week. You can ring them on 966 928 515 Paul Mutter |