20 October 2008

Looking for the best curry in Canberra

| Willozap
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My wife and I moved to Canberra about 8 months ago, and since then we’ve been looking for reliably tasty Indian take away. We’ve tried a variety of places – some are occasionally good, some are reliably awful.

So I thought I’d throw it out to the wisdom of The RiotACT – where is the best place to get a curry in Canberra?

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Pommy bastard10:44 am 29 Aug 10

Had a take away from Neeta’s last night, 81/0 highly recommended. Funny place, not some where I would consider for a meal out, it looks like it’s just being refurbished/reequipped.

Food was good, had a mix of vege/fish/and meat dishes. Hot (spicy) food was as a spicy as I like it, no more no less. Portions were adequate, service was prompt and polite. Value for money was excellent.

We4’ll definitely get food from there again, a good find.

I wouldn’t like to try Blair’s 16 million reserve. I think that would bring on a heart attack. Do any of the Indian restaurants have stalls at the Food and Wine frollick? They should do.

They’re making ever more hot sauces, as ever-more hotter chillis appear. Once habaneros were the hottest, now there’s these Naga Jolokias and friends (from India, I think) that are way above habs.

Chillis morph, they are quite bizarre. A mate in Texas pickled me some of his Jalapenos, and it was like playing russian roulette. You’d choose one out of the jar and start crunching. It might be a sweet, slightly hot chilli crunch crunch crunch, or, it might reveal itself to be a stealth-chilli and you’d blow th etop off your head. They all came from the same plants, but some had morphed into ultra-chillis.

PB Dave’s insanity sauce is a little on the weak side. there is a chilli, from Dorset of all places, which rates at 900k scovilles. Take a look at http://www.chilliworld.com/FactFile/Scoville_Scale.asp for the best of the best.

Notice that the hot stuff is always from hot places; India, Mexico, Vietnam, Thailand, etc. Makes you sweat to cool you down. Rucci used to do a really nice lunch buffet.

Pommy bastard8:29 am 10 Dec 08

ns said :

For vegetarian I’d recommend Neeta’s in Gungahlin. Neeta’s a vegetarian and she makes all the vegetarian food herself.

Thanks very much for that, I’m obliged.

Any one got any others?

Mirci in the Platypus Centre in Ngunnawal is excellent. Never had a bad meal from them. Highly reccommended.

For vegetarian I’d recommend Neeta’s in Gungahlin. Neeta’s a vegetarian and she makes all the vegetarian food herself.

Pommy bastard10:39 am 09 Dec 08

Phal
This particular dish is a UK invention and not found in India (Phall actually means fruit). This dish is effectively a hotter version of the Vindaloo and has been known to be a favourite of inebriated diners.

http://currypages.com/dishglossary.aspx?dish=Phal

Anyone wanting to really suffer should try these;

Dave’s Gourmet is a company notable for creating and introducing Dave’s Insanity Sauce, which for a while held the title of “world’s hottest sauce.” The sauce is widely distributed through gourmet hot-sauce boutiques and online hot-sauce sites. It is well-known to hot sauce enthusiasts, and is often used as the standard of comparison for flaming hot sauces.

Dave’s Gourmet has since introduced sauces with increasingly greater concentrations of capsaicin under names such as Dave’s Commemorative Insanity, Dave’s Total Insanity, and Dave’s Ultimate Insanity, which has been reported variously as from 90,000 to 250,000 on the Scoville scale and comes with a caveat Use this product one drop at a time.” Keep away from eyes, children and pets. Not for people with heart or respiratory problems. Also offered is Dave’s Private Reserve which comes in a coffin-shaped package and has been reported variously as from 500,000 to 750,000 Scoville units. His most recent release is a super-limited holiday edition, which is two to three times as hot as his private reserve, and was limited to 200 bottles total, selling for $199 per bottle.

As a comparison; 2,500-5,000 Scoville for Tabasco sauce

http://www.davesgourmet.com/

ant said :

One of our number in between gasps asked if they had Phal on the menu. The waitier (imagine standard Indian accent) said oh yes sir, we have phal, but it is not on the menu because foolish people try to eat it.

Quote of the week! Thanks Ant.

Skidbladnir said :

Until now, I’d never even heard of phal, but it sounds godawful.

It’s just a searingly-hot curry, probably from southern India. I remember our group visiting an Indian place in Turl Lane, in Oxford. The curries were somewhat hotter than th emilder ones we’d had in London, and there were scenes of carnage around the table (I have a photo of it somewhere).

One of our number in between gasps asked if they had Phal on the menu. The waitier (imagine standard Indian accent) said oh yes sir, we have phal, but it is not on the menu because foolish people try to eat it.

Until now, I’d never even heard of phal, but it sounds godawful.

I’ve never seen Phal in Australia, but we seem to do it differently here. The poms had a system whereby teh curry was set at its heat leavel, not this thing where you order a curry and then stipulate the hotness of it. So Korma was mild, madras was medium and vindaloo was hot. Some Indian restaurants in the UK hide Phal, they don’t have it on the menu, you have to ask for it.

Pommy bastard9:00 am 09 Dec 08

I’m entertaining some Brit mates next week, unfortunately vegetarians, can someone recommend an Indian where you can get
a) Good vegetarian grub
b) Spicy food (vindaloo/Phal)

Vindaloo from Jewel of India is not for the faint hearted, in fact it may make your eyes bleed and you stomach shrivel up into a small ball of burnt flesh.

However, it is great.

LOL, Nice image Thumper!

In the UK they have a type of curry called a Phaal. It makes Vindaloo seem like ice cream. I had half a teaspoon once in a little place in Brick Lane just to try it and had to go home. I was sweating so much it looked like I’d been standing in the rain all day. Aweful stuff.

I’ll also add my voce for Rama’s but you do need to book well in advance. The owners name is ‘Mini’ she’s great and evenif you don’t go back for a few years, she doesn’t forget you. And yes, you do become like family if you go there regularly.

That said, I also like the Taj Mahal in Civic (upstairs on Northbourne next to Club X. The food is very good if a little small in the portions. The best bit is the decor hasn’t changed in 30+ years and strangely enough, being Indian it still really works!

Vindaloo is mild. See if any of them will rustle you up a Phal (they may not have the requisite industrial gloves to handle the chillies). Keep your toilet paper in the fridge for the morning after.

Eyeball In A Quart Jar Of Snot11:15 pm 08 Dec 08

The vindaloo from Jewel of India is incredible, but it’s not for weak stomachs.

You may feel an unpleasant burning sensation on your next trip to the toilet.

Instant Mash10:07 pm 08 Dec 08

Rama’s in Pearce. No Question.

Kashmir House in Narrabundah is the best Indian in Canberra by a mile (Lamb Saag to die for). Ramas was good but havn’t been for years. The refurbed Ruchi in Belconnen with new menu was a surprise (nice) recently. Paprika Belconnen way overpriced for what you get and worst ‘curry’ goes to Rasa Sayang Dickson. about the worst food I’ve had in Canberra period.

yay! thursday and i am off to get my 2x cheese naan & butter chicken from indian affair….

Chalisa Indian Restaurant , Tuggeranong. FANTASTIC good.

Wide Boy Jake4:35 am 21 Oct 08

Best by far – Rama’s at Pearce Shops.

Good fate for them but.

ant said :

I bet they serve recumbent bikes, too.

Curried recumbent bikes? That hardly sounds very appetising.

Enny said :

Rama’s is my favourite place to eat in Canberra – and they’re very vegan friendly!

I bet they serve recumbent bikes, too.

I’m sorry to hear that Gerry-Built had a bad experience at Ruchi’s (I must admit I haven’t dined in for ages), but I think its Indian food is the best in Belco.

But for a quick takeaway, the Belco food court also gets my vote! I think it’s actually the takeaway arm of Jewel of India (but don’t quote me on that)…

Rama’s is my favourite place to eat in Canberra – and they’re very vegan friendly!

threeze: seconded on The Tandoor – can’t believe it took until #34 for it to be mentioned! They make my benchmark garlic naan.

Go buy yourself a cookbook by Atul Kochhar and make it yourself

Indian Affair in Phillip is hands down the best in the city.

I like Bollywood Masala or whatever it is called in Dickson…

pug206gti said :

Rama’s at Pearce, however, takes the cake. And corkage is free.

I have to agree. I also like the Taj Mahal (next to CLub X in Civic) it’s been there over 30 years and the decor hasn’t changed a bit – strangely it’s still works for the place and the food is great even if the portions are a little on the mean side nowadays.

We are quite happy to drive to struggletown (aka Queanbeyan) to get take away from the Punjabi Hut – you probably wouldn’t want to dine in, but the food is terrific and worth crossing the border for. The same folks have just opened a second Punjabi Hut at Erindale; we haven’t tried it yet though.

The Tandoor at Belconnen is my personal fav, and I like the Indian in the new food court in the new bit of the Canberra Centre too – great on a Friday night.

I 2nd the Indian in the Belco Mall food court. Restaurant quality food at food court prices.

Okay, that’s it! I’m so getting Indian take-away tonight 🙂

Believe it or not, the Indian food in the Belconnen Mall Food Court is excellent. Unbelievable for the price … Dosa with dhal and coconut chutney and yoghurt chutney around $7.00 …

Skidbladnir said :

Jehangir at Swinger Hill

I agree with this one !

tylersmayhem4:09 pm 20 Oct 08

My wife has also given big-ups to Bollywood in Dickson as well. I really should go and check it out some time soon.

Jewel of India is great – and they home deliver.

Whatever you do don’t ever order anything from the Indian at the Narrabundah shops. I’ve had better food from the Indian Home Diner takeaways in Kings Cross.

Nambucco Deliria3:59 pm 20 Oct 08

Jehangir and Jewel of India are both great. As, somewhat improbably, is Rani’s (sic) in the Civic Bus Interchange. I often roll in there half cut on my way to gigs and the food so far has been uniformly excellent, as has the service. Best of all you get to see John Hargreaves spilling things down himself as he talks.

I’ll post this link to their site NOT as a plug, but just so you can look at their menu. I’m prejudiced as they’re within walking distance for me. I’ve never been disappointed with the food, although one time I did ask them to make my vindalu hot… and they did not disappoint. It’s a terrible experience to love something that you cannot physically finish.

http://www.bollywooddimensions.com.au/rest/index.html

I’ll cast a vote for Bollywood Dimensions in Braddon (across from the Knightsbridge Penthouse and Officeworks). Food has always been of excellent quality, and the takeaway is just as good. They put their prices up not too long ago, but I still think it’s more than par with the other Indian restaurants. The owner also runs a dance school, hence the name.

Bollywood *Masala* in Dickson always struck me as more style than substance. The food was adequate but they tried to make up for it with decorations.

Banana Leaves in Civic does a good Chicken Biriyani. They do Sri Lankan style curries, but there are some mainland curries on the menu as well. The service is good and quick, and the prices reasonable. Quality seemed excellent and compared very favourably with the Biriyani I had when I visited Kolkata earlier this year. The kitchen at Banana Leaves is clean and totally open to viewing by the patrons, which is always a positive sign because you can see if the staff are genuine chefs, or just a pack of grots.

My favorite is definitely Flavours of India – challenge yourself to a vindaloo some time!!
Taj Agra is also really good; great service.

But best of all – make your own!!
Try this one its super easy and most ingredients will be in the cup board:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chicken-Jalfrezi/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
30 ml vegetable oil
1 onion, grated
2 cloves garlic, chopped
680 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in half
7 g ground turmeric
3 g chili powder
9 g salt
1 (14.5 ounce) can peeled and diced tomatoes
30 ml ghee (clarified butter)
6 g ground cumin
6 g ground coriander
10 g grated fresh ginger root
25 g chopped cilantro leaves
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DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken, and season with turmeric, chili powder and salt. Fry gently, scraping the bottom of the pan frequently and turning the chicken.
Pour in the tomatoes with their juice, cover the pan, and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Uncover, and simmer for another 10 minutes to let the excess liquid evaporate.
Add the ghee, cumin, ground coriander, ginger and cilantro, and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. Serve the chicken pieces with sauce spooned over the top.

Bollywood Masala is a disappointment, especially the bread – I got a “fruit and nut” nan once that was no more than nan smeared with jam! Never went back.

Rama’s gets my vote – great flavours, friendly staff, only drawback is no nan.

Holden Caulfield3:11 pm 20 Oct 08

grundy said :

Bollywood in Dickson has always been reliably good.

I second the Bollywood Masala nomination. It’s probably a bit more pricey than some other Indian restaurants, but the food has always been great in my experience, although I’ve not been there for a year or so … must be time to go back!

Rama’s is more than great Fijian-Indian food. Go there 3 times in reasonably short order and you become like one of the family

For mine (in order best – worst):
Jehangir,
Rama’s,
Taj Agra,
Laziza,
Greater Indian, and way behind
Ruchi (Belconnen) – how’d it ever get “Restaurant of the Year” several times???

Not comprehensive, just where I have eaten…

plausibly_deniable2:45 pm 20 Oct 08

You need to go underground to the Greater Indian and International Restaurant in Curtin, not for the food, but for the atmosphere and largely to experience the proprietor getting sauced behind the counter as the evening wears on. Also good: Shalimar in Civic (for the lamb rogan josh), and the Tandoor House in Kingston for the moglai chicken.

Best Indian I’ve had in Canberra = Jehangir at Swinger Hill Shops. Atmosphere pretty average, and food pricey (by comparison); but damn worth it!!! (about $100/couple inc. drinks)..

Other previous haunts:
Taj Agra at Belconnen Town Centre has quite good food and excellent decor/atmosphere – affordable pricing, friendly staff (about $60/couple inc. drinks).
Greater Indian at Charnwood is pretty average (but close to home for me) (about $60/couple inc. drinks)..
Laziza at Melba is okay (about $60/couple inc. drinks)..
Rama’s at Pearce has good food, nice staff, but pokey little place (hard to get out of tables). Best to avoid at busy times! (about $75/couple inc. drinks).
Ruchi at Belconnen – avoid due to poor service (on several occasions)!!!

In interests of competition, most places seem to offer 10% discount on takeaway if they happen to offer ‘free’ delivery – but you seem to ALWAYS need to ask for it!

Ruchi is Manuka has been ok whenver I’ve been there.

Rama’s at Pearce, however, takes the cake. And corkage is free.

We eat at Taj Agra in belconnen quite frequently.
I always get the Butter Chicken and hubby gets the vindaloo.
Have always had brilliant service and on the occasion that we have had it delivered,always within a reasonsable time period.

Bollywood in Dickson has always been reliably good.

Butter chicken can also be called “makenwala” (my spelling is TOTALLY wrong but that’s what it sounds like)… from memory it means mild butter chicken or something like that.

I’ve never seen that in Canberra though, only elsewhere.

Oh and Flavours of India in Garema is the best for spicyness – the Vindaloo is not to be reckoned with!; Tandoor House in Kingston is pretty good – love their saag paneer; and Swinger Hill is VERY good, but expensive unless you order before 7pm (where you get a discount of 20% or so).

The Indian Sweet Centre in Oatley Ct, Belco does very good, cheap curries (Yum, goat curry!) at $7.50 incl rice eat in or t/a. A small range of meat and vego curries but very, very tasty. Breads are under $3 for naan etc.

Willozap said :

I live in the inner south, but I don’t mind driving for good food.

I’ve heard the one in Manuka is pretty good, but I can’t remember what it’s called (Jewel of India?) and I’ve never eaten there myself.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

what is this butter chicken thing that’s sprung up in the past few years?

It might be listed as ‘murgh makhani’. There are lots of stories about how it came to be. The most favoured story is that an irritable (usually white) customer arrived at a restaurant late at night and demanded to be fed. He got leftover tandoori chicken and oven drippings simmered in a can of Campbells tomato soup.

LOL you are probably right WMC. I’ve never seen it on the menu at any restaurant in the subcontinent. It’s probably the only dish I actually make better than my mum’s/grandmas’ cos they’ve never bothered making it 🙂

blue elephant looked like it was being cleared out when i went past on thursday last week…

For people on the northside, Taj Agra in belco is pretty nice now that it’s in it’s new location.

The indian at Melba shops is pretty average so won’t recommend it.

Woody Mann-Caruso1:45 pm 20 Oct 08

I like Ramas and sometimes Jehangir, but they’re all way overpriced in my view, especially for their breads. If we feel like Indian food these days I go all out, spend a day cooking, invite some people over and make a night of it.

what is this butter chicken thing that’s sprung up in the past few years?

It might be listed as ‘murgh makhani’. There are lots of stories about how it came to be. The most favoured story is that an irritable (usually white) customer arrived at a restaurant late at night and demanded to be fed. He got leftover tandoori chicken and oven drippings simmered in a can of Campbells tomato soup.

Skidbladnir said :

Indian Affair for mine, Gary Singh and his wife Surinder are features of the Phillip business landscape that deserve to be appreciated.

Jehangir at Swinger Hill, or the one at Weston (name?) are also well worth visiting.

shame gary doesn’t do butter chicken takeway lunch boxes on monday. sigh. feel like one now…

The Blue Elephant was awful. Been there on two separate occasions when the food has been cold (ie. not microwaved for long enough!), and the rice crunchy.

Oh and Butter chicken is often known as Kashmiri chicken.

Indian Affair for mine, Gary Singh and his wife Surinder are features of the Phillip business landscape that deserve to be appreciated.

Jehangir at Swinger Hill, or the one at Weston (name?) are also well worth visiting.

Second Indian Affair.

Is the blue elephant in Braddon still kicking on?

Slightly veering off topic, but what is this butter chicken thing that’s sprung up in the past few years? It seems to be everywhere, but it’s not mentioned in any of my Indian cookbooks. Is it a local invention?

I live in the inner south, but I don’t mind driving for good food.

Hmmmm, where do you live? If in the Inner North I would recommend Flavours of India in Garema Place. (awesome butter chicken)

Woden area, Jehangir’s at Swinger Hill (try the goat curry!) or Indian Affair in Phillip are both excellent.

There are some good ones in the Inner South and Belco, but off the top of my head I haven’t eaten there enough to recommend one.

Some people like Rama’s at Pearce of which I’m personally not a fan but that’s mainly cos I don’t really like Fiji Indian.

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