The Indian Restaurant Debate

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 12:53

This subject seems to very popular on this forum, But I suppose when you cosider that it was the best loved food in the UK, then its bound to, In 1995 the Indian Restaurant industry, employed more people than the Coal, Shipping, and Steel industry together. I have decide that over the next few weeks to visit as many of the Indian eateries here in TRNC, and comment on them, it will be honest , and I shall work out various important categories. Based on my own knowledge. I am a fully fledged indian Chef, and have been responsible for the overall running of one of the finest Indian Restaurants in the Uk for the last 14 years, and created most of our unique menu, so I feel that I can give you a true opinion, I am astounded by some of the comments on the forum about what is classed as good Indian food. Its easy enough to make, and with the superb fresh veg and local produce it should be even better here than UK. http://www.thekingsrepose.co.uk

minertor



Joined: 14/02/2009
Posts: 1238

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 13:53

looking forward to your comments.

negativenick


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 6023

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 19:14

you taking the Mongers with you ??

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 20:25

Message 3 we could do that, do you reckon you could vouch for my knowledge. oh and as long as the fat bird don,t eat my curry whilst i pop to the loo,

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 20:51

You're not that idiot that invested in 'Nigel' opening an Indian restaurant in the South of France which was well documented by the BBC?



Richard

rowlo



Joined: 12/10/2008
Posts: 4796

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 21:46

behave richard .

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 21:59

"Go Johnny go go go....."

Hector


Joined: 26/08/2008
Posts: 2352

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 22:02

I liked that series. Anyone know what happened to those involved? I really liked the Indian restaurant owner.

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 22:32

Message 5, Not guilty, I also enjoyed that series. But with reference to the Idiot bit, when I started the Restaurant many people thought it was a pretty stupid thing to do, I had no previous catering expertise, I just loved Indian food, and I wanted to try to prove a point,Also I wanted my restaurant to be Unique and the best, I was in Bathrooms and Tiling at the time, so this was a big challenge, But my dad was strict, and there was no such word as can,t in his book. Loads of people told me I was an idiot, and that I wouldn,t do it but that was red rag to a bull, but I have to give credit where it is due, my partners and my master chef are all Bengali Muslims, and they are the most wonderful, caring, sincere people. I wouldn,t have stood a chance without them, yet they say the same thing about me. I see it as a team effort, So no Richard I,m not that Idiot, just an idiot

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 22:33

It was a contrived BBC programme, Nigel, the owner was a journalist and made loads of dosh from the series, not from the restaurant!



Richard

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 22:47

Yes Richard, I also heard that, its a bit like when I went to the BBC, and asked them how much they would pay me for my life story, of all my affairs, heavy drinking, drug taking, endless young women, fast cars, total life of decadance and debauchery, and asked how much they would payfor the rights to it, They said £750,00 ,I said OK, you give me the money and I,ii make it happen.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 23:48

Johhnylee



You weren't a rock star!



Richard

Hector


Joined: 26/08/2008
Posts: 2352

Message Posted:
29/07/2009 23:54

Johhnylee

I like your attitude



Can you put my mind at rest over the issue of food suppliers bulking out chicken with water mixed with animal products powder?

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
30/07/2009 00:01

johnylee you are a star anyway xxxxx

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
30/07/2009 11:42

My God what lovley comments, (I,m all shook up) Can,t comment on message 13, I don,t know, but its probably true, I remember talking to a guy who worked at the Cold Store, in Wolverhampton. That was a very large food storage depot , and he reckoned that some of the frozen meat in they stored for resale was up to 15 years old.

zerochlor


Joined: 03/04/2009
Posts: 4024

Message Posted:
30/07/2009 11:59

message1



To be honest i see nothing so special on the bengali menu that you post a link too.



There seems to be nothing original on that menu that i cant order in any of the so called classy bengali restaurants in and around the north west of england.

To be honest i much prefair the pakistani style of cooking as opposed to bengali cusine.



maybe just my taste!

scoobydoo


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 2434

Message Posted:
30/07/2009 12:00

Can't wait for these reviews, I love indian food but my husband hates it so will you be able to provide information on the alternatives as well!! We can only go to an indian restaurant in the summer so he can sit outside as he feels awful sitting inside with the 'curry' fumes floating about, he does genuinely go green!!!!



I have recently gone off quite a few of the more popular indian restaurants over on the east side but have been told that the Raj in Ozankoy, which is new, is good with proper naan bread!!

palacerclass


Joined: 19/11/2008
Posts: 109

Message Posted:
30/07/2009 12:46

Cant stand indian food.You cant beat the English Breakfast ! At least y can see what y eat, y cant with indian food, y dont know for sure what they put in those sauces !

yunus



Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 327

Message Posted:
02/08/2009 01:52

i have never felt the need to argue the fact that my cooking, with regards to Indian food was unbeatable. my passion for the cuisine started at the age of 10. my obsession led me to eat out at most of the Indian, Pakistani, Bengali and Bangladeshi restaurants that i could fined in london. restaurants with awards and write ups for the best taste. my obsession led me to make friends with people from the curry cooking nations just so that i could try the cuisine in their own homes, the way it's supposed to be. there was no competition, i was the Don Corleone until today !

you know the feeling, great sadness but also great joy at the same time.

i met Lee (msg 1) and his lovely misses almost 3 weeks ago. he had previously mentioned his restaurant in England but only yesterday had he told me about his ability to cook the cuisine. my first thoughts were "yeh right, another wannabe."

today i was given a taster of his cooking !

continued

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
02/08/2009 02:00

Now from wolverhamon then we all know what a good curry tastes like. Kiddermminsters me xxxxxxxxxxx

yunus



Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 327

Message Posted:
02/08/2009 03:13

to be exact, a spicy tuna starter, murgh keema chicken madras, another creamy and mild dish ( i want the recipe ), pilau rice, yogurt sauce, salad and a hot chutney.

surprisingly all mixed and prepared by the man himself !

" an absolutely amazing taste ".

the food was better than any other i had ever tasted, even my own :(

all the flavors worked in harmony and were extremely well balanced.

the down side of this great meal came when reality kicked in. . . i was no longer the Don Corleone of the curry cooking world. i take my hat off to you Lee, really i do. . .



ps ; fined= find , misses= mrs , and any other errors are due to me still suffering "shock" from the whole ordeal. wonder if he can repeat the performance or could it have been a one off ?

Aussie


Joined: 17/06/2007
Posts: 657

Message Posted:
02/08/2009 11:45

Yunus



Good to see a bloke who is passionate and versatile in his cooking and also prepared to admit when he has tried even better food.



I love Cypriot and Turkish cuisine but also think its great to cook other cuisines such as Indian. The one advantage of coming from a country (Australia) with no notable cuisine of its own is the ability to adopt the best of everywhere else s, particularly Asian foods such as Thai and Japanese and India/ Pakistan etc .





Aussie

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
02/08/2009 13:52

Yhank You Yunus for your kind words, my wfre and I ( Jan) had been preparing an Indian meal,we had friends coming in the evening, And when you dropped by in the evening, you where in the right place at the right time. So the least we could do was send you off with a take out. Pity you couldn,t have stayed we made fresh indian bread on the barbercue.

We are hoping to start our Indian Restaurant reviews this week, I reckon it will take a few weks to complete. and I think the fairest way to do it is to publish the results at the end, Other wise I feel it would give other restaurants an unfair advantage, but would welcome any members comments on this please.

BigMart


Joined: 26/02/2009
Posts: 423

Message Posted:
02/08/2009 16:19

Johnnylee,



You don't have to go to many as they are all the same !! same owner, same quisine ,apart from the Taj Mahal which is independent,

chezzi


Joined: 12/03/2009
Posts: 162

Message Posted:
02/08/2009 21:19

Dear Johnnylee,

Do me a huge favour as you go around doing your survey, SPELL out to these restaurateurs how dangerous NUT allergies can be to some people! Whilst I accept that nuts can be a big part of the ingredients list in certain curries, people with allergies are at serious risk from them and should feel that if the dish is not listed as containing nuts, they can request a meal “without nuts” and feel confident that it will be served as such, unlike our experiences at 2 separate occasions at the well known restaurants on the west side.

The second time my son recently ended up in a "critical" condition in Girne hosp and very nearly died.

Eating out abroad can be risky and we fully accept that “contamination accidents” can happen, and although we don’t want to feel unable to dine out at all, more care could be taken by these restaurants as for this to happen 2 out of 2 times is unacceptable and just confirms a disregardful attitude towards this problem.

Sorry to harp on!

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
03/08/2009 11:32

Message 25, What a dreadful thing to happen, thank god your son is OK. I agree with you 100%. It should be loud and clear on the menu. the use of nuts and nut related products is obviously very dangerous for certain people. Did this happen recently? I think the best way to approach this is to start it via this forum, the Restaurant owners do read and use this site, It may not be just Indian Eateries that are guilty of this, and I suppose its like many other things here, that people just arn,t educated in these matters, My chef at The Kings Repose is a master chef, and it took me close on 8 years to get them to stop using the red food powder colour, thats why in previous years Kemma nans, Nargis kebabs, Tandoori Chicken etc. was that bright red colour. I,m not sure wether or not the Enviromental people banned it, I Let,s see what we can do with the nut situation.

parky


Joined: 13/06/2009
Posts: 182

Message Posted:
03/08/2009 12:49

i fear your quest may be in vain, as they all have the same menu, use the same ingredients and the same sauces, Jashan's is the best the rest are all same old same old, it is all perfectly edible though.

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
03/08/2009 13:07

oh chezzi thats an awful thing to happen. Glad he is OK. I look forward to Johnny report xx

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
03/08/2009 17:54

Message 20 Lilli, you mentioned Kiddeminster, I know it well used to travel from Wolves to a fantastic Indian , The Bengal Lancer, then I nicked the chef and it went down the pan. Actually thats not quite true, but it sounds better, the chef did come to me and the owners son,. But it was superb food , one of the first buffet indians.

chezzi


Joined: 12/03/2009
Posts: 162

Message Posted:
03/08/2009 22:33

Hi JohhnyLee,

Yes it was recently, it was in July!

Thanks for your support.

Chezzi

Washerman


Joined: 19/09/2008
Posts: 2301

Message Posted:
03/08/2009 23:00

I had a chiken tikka massala, bombay pot's and four pints of lager at lunchtime (at the Grove - Catalkoy)

It was first class. Her indoors had a tuna salad, but ended up eating half my bombay spuds.

Last Thursday, eat at Erols in Ozankoy - fillet (absolutely beautiful!)



Washerman

tonni


Joined: 07/12/2008
Posts: 178

Message Posted:
04/08/2009 04:15

must admit it,when we go back to uk our first takeaway meal is an indian,Onamika in Barnehurst kent,you can't beat it.

RipToff


Joined: 28/03/2009
Posts: 28

Message Posted:
04/08/2009 21:12

There have been quite a few threads on this forum regarding 'Brits' that live and work in the TRNC with and without work permits, however, It makes me laugh at some of the supposedly 'legitimate' people out there have double standards.



They are quick to condemn others, yet would think nothing of employing people 'on the side' to save money. (because they pay, then I suppose this must be ok? ).



Admit to playing in bands with members who had 'NO PERMITS'.......



Buy stuff from other countries and deliver into the South to 'avoid paying KDV' .....



Take cash up front and avoid issuing a Fatura and KDV receipt/invoice.....



Buy/Sell services for TV that is certainly illegal..!



Perhaps, we should be looking at 'ALL' the moral crusaders out there who in one way or another are avoiding being 100% legitimate.



If you really do care that much then think back to all the times you paid cash for a service and didn't receive a receipt or the amount of times you paid 'cash in hand'

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
04/08/2009 22:47

Message 33, with all due respect what does your posting have to do with this topic ?

Baspinar Bob


Joined: 15/02/2008
Posts: 618

Message Posted:
05/08/2009 09:34

Message 34.



Not a lot.



Bob.

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
05/08/2009 15:51

Hi Chezzi, could you kindly give me a bit more Info on the Nut Problem, Is it anything from the nut family, ie. Coconut, Nutmeg, Almond, etc, In fact any info. from anyone with this problem would be welcome, It is one of those things we all ignore, until it happens to some one you care for, then I would imagine to see this happening to your child or loved one would be horrific. I am going try to bring some awareness to the situation here, In Indian cooking we do use several Nut pruducts, but so do many other forms of cooking, Would it also say apply to Marzipan, (almond) I know one of my friends flew to the south from the UK, and the capatain apologised that no complimentary nuts would be served on the flight, due to a passenger having an allergy, I suppose in an enclosed space, and the air system on a aeroplane it could be disasterous. We have checked out 2 local Indian Restaurants so far, Was going to publish review at the end, but may do it week by week.

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
05/08/2009 15:56

RipToff is either making and drinking his own moonshine or is on class A!



Richard

rowlo



Joined: 12/10/2008
Posts: 4796

Message Posted:
05/08/2009 18:46

hes posting it on every thread , richard you could be right .

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
05/08/2009 19:21

Msg 33, ah Britain in the old days - I remember it well, thank god it still exists!



Nothing to do with curry mind you but just to put it into perspective!



The Royal Bengal in Wellington (Telford), we used to drive 16 miles for a take away - did not have any seats in those days - and cheerfully wait for 2 hours for it to be cooked, because there was a local football match on and we had ordered late!



Best Tarka Dahl I have ever had anywhere apart from a place I can not remember the name of in Corsham, Wilts (Pink something or other). Need a different menu out here, its all good but could do with variation if possible with available ingrediants. Best of luck JohhnyLee.

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
06/08/2009 09:10

Here we go first review, We want to br fair and honest, I know how hard it is to run a restaurant, or any business and survive, So any comments made, hopfully will be taken on board by the owners, and used to their advantage. Also this is being based on what are considered to be important factors, and we are also trying to keep it to a realistic budget, many of us that live here are on incomes that are dwindling due to the interest rates and increased prices etc.

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
06/08/2009 09:27

Taj Mahal, Alsancak, Take Away, for 2, Chicken Jalfreizi medium, Chicken Sag, Madras, Rice, 2 Parathas, Aloo Gobi side dish, Met Jeff, very helpful, smashing guy, yes its just a cafe but that dosn,t bother me I,m looking for food quality. Portion sizes ,Excellent, Rice Perfect. Parathas, Excellent. But the most important part of the meal the main courses and side dish, tottaly tasteless, lack of Ginger, Garlic, Salt, and Garam Masala. the presentation,and the cost you could not fault. And I suspct the Madras heat in my meal was acheived by adding Chilli powder to the basic sauce, this a big no no. you just dont do it. If you must use chilli powder then it should be added in the early stages, otherwise thats when you get that horrible burning that dosn,t go away, and the next day it,s fermenting in your gut,s. Overall very dissapointing, Jeff is such a nice guy, I thought it only fair to tell him, Plaese see next thread.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
06/08/2009 09:30

Johnny, what was his reaction when you told him?

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
06/08/2009 09:38

Wanted to explain to Jeff, and may be that was just a one off. So we went back with 4 friends, and sat out side, I won,t bore you with the details of what we ate etc. as before Excellent, except the main courses, The important bit , Yes they where slightly better, but still totally lacking flavour. Service, and presentation could not fault it, Dont know about the pirce my friend paid, but I would imagine the bill would have been reasonable for what we had, but whats the point of a reasonable bill if the food isn,t first rate

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
06/08/2009 10:10

Re. message 42 Hi, Doyen, very helpful, and said we wouldn,t be dissapointed this time, see message 43.

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
06/08/2009 10:24

Well done to you Johnny for talking to the owner and letting him know. I think this is the way it should always be if you are not 100% happy with any service you are paying for - not only meals.



Congratulations too, on your honesty and impartiality. Keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to next report.



You could start your next thread...."Heeeeeres Johnny"... )

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
06/08/2009 10:41

The Punjab, Lapta From the moment we walked in, First rate service, beautiful place, met Riaz, Very nice guy and good atmosphere, very helpful waiters, Got it just right not too over attentive. We had, Chicken Boonha Madras, chicken Jalfraize, includes rice and nan bread. And a side dish Alo Gobi. and 2 Effes bottled. we had a 3rd Effes later, Service , Excellent, Main courses, excellent, Rice Excellent. Side dish Excellent, it really was a great tasting meal. the Potatoe and cauli. in the side dish cooked to perfection. I would describe this as a good old fashioned authentic taste, I could have done with a bit more chicken in mine, but my wife had lots in hers, so I nicked some, and the only comment i would make on that was , not a lot of difference in taste on the 2 dishes, And the Nan breads are chapatis, (but very good ones at that) We had complimetary brandy, and our bill was only 60 tl. approx £24,Overall, very enjoyable, just 1thing, Gent,s toilet needs a few things doing

Suzphone


Joined: 10/02/2008
Posts: 50

Message Posted:
08/08/2009 10:43

On the nut allergy subject, my Son-in-law is allergic to nuts, which he always tells any restaurant he goes to, although he had still had some bad experiences until he discovered that ground nut oil also did it for him!! He now asks the question " what oil do you cook with" when he goes to a restaurant.

chezzi


Joined: 12/03/2009
Posts: 162

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 01:36

Hi JohhnyLee,

My Son has had serious allergies to all dairy, eggs, animal fur and nuts since birth & has been under the care of Guy's hospital in London. Even 1 chocolate button as a toddler would make him vomit! He outgrew the egg allergy around 9yrs old, the milk at 12, but the nut remains. We "suspect" he can now tolerate Almonds and Hazelnuts, but none of the others, peanuts are usually the most lethal. We therefore avoid ALL exposure to nuts, and even though we "think" he may be ok with Almonds and Hazelnuts, he would never eat them, unless having the "challenge" they carry out under supervision in hospital.

His consultant’s opinion is that each time he is “exposed” his reaction will get worse, this is contrary to some thoughts that “de sensitising” is the way ahead. Certainly each time he has been exposed it has been worse for him, the latest here in TRNC being the most serious.

chezzi


Joined: 12/03/2009
Posts: 162

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 01:37

We ask for him to be patch tested with anything he has had reactions to in the past and other suspicious products, he was tested and is fine with coconut. He was not tested for Nutmeg, but is ok with it. Marzipan was a problem also.

Major airlines such as BA no longer serve anything with nuts in, or give nuts with drinks etc

It is my understanding that the curry he had recently in TRNC had cashew nuts in the Peshwari Nan, which is not the “norm” to any we have had in the South of England, and even though we asked for “no nuts”, they didn’t seem to register that it needed to apply to the “whole” meal!

Another friend of ours also has a nut allergy and she collapsed and had to be rushed into hospital after “kissing” someone under the mistletoe who had been eating peanuts at a NYE party, and it was only a peck on the cheek. Luckily my (now ex) husband was at the party and due to the training we have received for our son, he was able to administer her Epipen Adrenaline shots until

chezzi


Joined: 12/03/2009
Posts: 162

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 01:39

Cont..

the ambulance arrived which without doubt saved her life.

Suzphone, you are correct about the nut oil also, but I had not even considered any one cooking with this, so thanks for the tip!

My real moan about this was that it has happened TWICE in the same restaurant, so they did not learn by their mistakes the first time, and what will it take to get them to be more careful? A fatality?



In the UK most restaurants we have visited state CLEARLY on each menu which dishes contain nuts and which nuts.

Keep up the good work!

Chezzi

Camli


Joined: 08/08/2009
Posts: 59

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 06:42

Chezzi I understand the concerns re nut allergie, but this is NC! Most restaurants will do their best to help but its not the UK! We dont have the rules and regs over here like we do in Britain. Eating out is always going to be difficult wherever you go. I just think this thread is about reviews of Indian restaurants not about anything else! Everyone reading this thread just wants to know where they can go for a good Indian meal... Please start another thread for your concerns....I for one have found this thread very imformative and interesting and agree with whats been said regarding the restaurants mentioned..



Mr C

Tenakoutou



Joined: 27/07/2009
Posts: 4110

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 11:13

Yuk - shudder - chunder-tucker!



Curry's only good to help prevent amoebic dysentary.

chezzi


Joined: 12/03/2009
Posts: 162

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 15:03

Dear Camli,

If you read back up the thread, you will see JohhnyLee asked me for more info on the allergies, so that is simply what I have given. I only mentioned this whole business here in the first place as he was going to do the survey and thought it could be an "appropriate time" to ask him to mention this to the restaurant owners.



I do accept this is NC, which I also stated earlier on, and I am always extremely careful about what we order and where we eat, but this is also LIFE & DEATH and 1 mistake I accept, 2 is downright negilence!

When you watch your son fighting for his life, perhaps you would understand my position better.

Why does everyting on this forum have to end up with people slagging others off all the time?

I am sorry if you felt my posting was inappropriate here, but I also have no wish to start another thread which would have led to naming and shaming the restaurant concerned.

Regards,

C

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 15:22

Chezzi and Camli, Yes this is topic is about reviewing Indian Restaurants, but if this topic brings this subject into view of the local restaurants I for one have no objection . I did not realise how serious this situation was, and yes I did request the information. But just imagine your child in this awful situation, If we can help then lets do it. I will be reviewing the next Indian Restaurant this week, May be I should start a new topic, asking people to read the comments on this thread , with regards to the Nut Allergy, and then lets see if we can get a bit of awareness for it here in the TRNC, I think its one of those things we ignore, cus it s not happening to us, Thanks Chezzi and Camli for your comments and input, catch you soon kind regards

Camli


Joined: 08/08/2009
Posts: 59

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 15:29

Chezzi,



Im not sure why you feel you are been slagged off? I think the problem with this forum is people just get a little oversensitive at times.



Not for a moment do I think that a nut allergie is not very serious problem. I just feel that by starting a new thread on the subject you might get a bit more joy and make people aware of the situation, rather than having it hidden away in a thread reviewing indian restaurants.



Why have you no wish to name and shame the restaurant? If my son had gone through what yours had, It would be the first thing I would be doing to make sure it never happens again to anyone else!



Regards



Mr c

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 16:10

I do beleive you should name the Restaurant also , it may help to stop someone having the same dreadful situation.

joandjelly


Joined: 24/02/2008
Posts: 2953

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 20:54

chezzi if you visit TRNC often then perhaps it would be a good idea to have a card made up that explains very clearly why your son must not have nuts in any food that he eats and then have it translated into Turkish. It may well be that the restaurant in question just did not understand the problem enough to take the appropriate action.

chezzi


Joined: 12/03/2009
Posts: 162

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 22:29

Sorry JohhnyLee, this is hijacking your post so this will be my last post on the matter, you can contact me off forum if you need any further info from me.

I really appreciate what you are doing and how serious you have taken this matter. I didn't post about this originally or mention the restaurants concerned as I didn’t feel it was appropriate to do so, especially as the owner of the restaurants is a regular poster here and has many friends here, I didn’t want to start a war!! I have addressed it with them and needless to say we will never return to them.



joandjelly, that's a good idea, but the waiter fully understood our request, I just think they dont understand how serious it is, maybe they just thought he didnt LIKE nuts, finiky English kid or something!

The first time we came to TRNC we stayed at the Acapulco, nightmare, everything had nuts on it!! Full board and he could hardly eat anything. They even confiscated his (brought from UK) soya marg/milk from our room!

CX

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
09/08/2009 23:15

Chezzi, I have no objection to you using this post, but however I have created a new topic with regards to this situation , what you say about Acapulco, that is a disgrace, next time stay somwherelike Riverside, Fridges in the rooms, basic cooking ring in kitchen, and you can take back anything you wish to your accomadation. Totally relaxed, and no stupid rules, When we moved here we stayed for several weeks, and we could buy our provisions from the local supermarket, we had a fridge freezer, and we could cook or own meals if required, then we could walk to the bar and stagger back to our apartment. I would never stay at one of these places that search your bags when you go back to your room, Please see the other Topic, Kind Regards

jashan-indian



Joined: 11/04/2009
Posts: 867

Message Posted:
10/08/2009 00:20

hello chezzi

i am very very sorry about your,s son problem wich happend to my restaurant.my waiter realy made a very big mistake.i do apologise from me and from my waiter.this will never happend again in any of my restaurants .i understand how serieus this could be.pls pls forgive us.and when you come to cyprus with family be a my guest and i will make sure that we will cook food for your,s son with out any nuts and other things wich he got problem from.i already send you email saying very sorry but you did not reply.pls say sorry to your,s son from me as well.i wish him very good health and long life

regards

riaz

00905428500294

Camli


Joined: 08/08/2009
Posts: 59

Message Posted:
10/08/2009 01:13

Johhnylee,



So glad you have taken this up, I was not trying to be rude towards Chezzi, just pointing out that it was better to open this debate in a separate thread,which you have now done. Loving your reports on the restaurants, looking forward to the next post!



Chezzi,



I am shocked to find it was one of Riaz`s restaurants that was involved with this, but having met him and eaten many times at his establishments I am sure that your concerns will be taken very seriously and I have no doubt at all it would never happen again! I feel he is one of the most professional in the industry on this island and as you see from his posts on this forum he really values his customer feedback. I think Joeandjelly have made a great suggestion regarding the card as this would take out any misunderstandings.



Mr C

chezzi


Joined: 12/03/2009
Posts: 162

Message Posted:
10/08/2009 01:30

Mr C,

I said i would not post again re this but felt I need to answer you so here goes,

I will def take joeandjelly's advice and get a card made. My neighbour in TRNC is a wonderful TC lady speaking perfect English so it will be no problem for me to get a card made with her help.

I apologise if I thought incorrectly, that you were coming on a bit stong when you stated in your post

"I just think this thread is about reviews of Indian restaurants not about anything else! Everyone reading this thread just wants to know where they can go for a good Indian meal... Please start another thread for your concerns...."

I did not want to name the restaurant on here as the incident had already been resolved, but did want JohhnyLee to mention it during his surveys. I certainly never expectged it all to boil up like it has, but maybe it needed to, who knows?

C

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
11/08/2009 19:27

Would just like to say. Nice One Riaz, you are man enough to post on here and admit that it was one of your Restaurants that caused the nut problem, it takes a big man to apologise, I have been surrounded in my life by people who think it is beneath them to say sorry. It is such a simple word, that can take the heat out of a situation. Well Done. OK, back to the topic, I will be reviewing more restaurants in the next few days , In the meantime Kind Regards to you all and thank you for taking the time to read these threads. I have also decided that the first two people to contact me who are forum members, and who it is logisticly possible for to get to my Restaurant in the West Midlands in the near future, ie.if you live here and are due back to the UK, or you are members and you post on here and live in the UK, then I will arrange a table for two free of charge as my guests and I would like your comments, good or bad posted Happy Eating

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
13/08/2009 11:38

Oleander , Chose the wrong night I think, LIve singer, she was good, but I dont like live music when I go for a meal, prefer subtle background music, this is not a knock at the singer,other people obviously enjoyed it. The only thing I will say is that 2 bright halogen flood lights on the stage area do not do much for the ambience of a restaurant, (use amber). Ok the food thats what I,m on here for, went for basic good old fashioned chicken vindaloo, with rice, and aloo gobi side dish, and nan bread inc.. BUT ITS NOT NAN BREAD, it,s a chapati, oh and a pint of Effes. Good size portion of rice, Aloo gobi ,very good, chapati,s ok, but I was very concerned, my chicken vindaloo was served within a few minutes of ordering, I did post previously about the chilli powder added to hot it up, (and the affects of it) it tasted OK , but Iwas fairly certain thats what had been done, and no evidence of a single fresh chilli, my main course was also very short on chicken, ctd.

DutchCrusader



Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 11281

Message Posted:
13/08/2009 11:43

RE msg 64, JohnnyLee: (...) BUT ITS NOT NAN BREAD, it,s a chapati, oh and a pint of Effes. (...)



=> It's not Effes, it's Efes...

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
13/08/2009 12:05

My bill was 31 lira, ,wich is reasonable, but considering I could have gone to Riaz other restaurant, The Punjab then it would be no contest, I havn,t tried Riaz,s other place for a few months (jashans) so I cannot comment on that. Oh and back to the chilli powder, yes I was right. I dont sleep well at the best of times, and last night I spent most of the night awake with that horrible burning sensation in my stomach, thats the uncooked chillipowder fermenting inside you. If you insist on using chilli powder, add it early and cook it through, But why not use Fresh deseeded chopped chillis, Re meesage 65, I think that,s a typing error, I,m tired. and oh and belive you me I used a few F.s while trying to digest it. My Oleander experience, Not very good. But that is only my view and the place was busy,

No1Doyen


Joined: 04/07/2008
Posts: 16617

Message Posted:
13/08/2009 12:18

Another good, balanced , review. Well done Johnny. Keep up the good work.

negativenick


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 6023

Message Posted:
13/08/2009 22:20

mess 64 - the fat bird at the curry house is enough to put anyone off a very average curry....



Shame really because the building is knock out.....



Live music whilst eating doesn't work....

ladylittle


Joined: 09/03/2008
Posts: 498

Message Posted:
14/08/2009 17:34

Johnny you really must try The Raj in Ozankoy, they are closing down at the end of the month, well worth a visit

Washerman


Joined: 19/09/2008
Posts: 2301

Message Posted:
14/08/2009 18:07

JohhnyLee, we have two things in common, Curry and Guitars.

My missus cooks a mean curry from scratch and we could talk about guitars all night.

Your welcome round to ours any night to sample the food and the hospitality. If you give us a good review, you never know, we might end up opening a curry house. Email me off board.

Washerman

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
18/08/2009 06:02

Thought we would try Riaz,s other place Jashans, Nice atmosphere, low key background music,(that,s a relief)2 Efes, 2 glasses of white wine, Jan oredered Chicken Dupiaza (medium) I had Chicken Rogan Josh (madras to hot) served with rice, and nan breads( chapati,s) but very good ones, and at this venue we had a choice of persharwi, garlic or plain, , and the mixed veg side dish, every thing was very very good, my only comment would be, as some one did point out in the early stages of this topic, was that the dishes do all taste very similar, and my madras was medium hot, good portions, and what I do think is very good with these places is that they will bring you extra rice and bread inc. I think Riaz has got his price structure right, you see the price for the complete meal, and that is what you pay.We where given two complimentary Brandys, and or bill was 68 lira. very good value, The waiters and staff , you could not fault them,

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
18/08/2009 06:10

Re, message 69, Hi Lady Little. we will do our best to get to The Raj before it closes, where abouts is it in ozankoy please and what date is it closing, thanx

vadiev


Joined: 29/08/2009
Posts: 204

Message Posted:
29/08/2009 17:07

Taj Mahal is moving to larger premises with nice comfortable seating etc. on Tuesday 1st September, into the old Light of Bengal next to Aydin chemist in Alsancak. Open Buffet for first night. Reservation to Jeff - Tel; 0533 8720304......

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
20/09/2009 13:41

Sorry it,s been a while, don,t sem to have had much spare time last few weeks. So last night we thought we try Al Shaheens. It was the special Curry night. We had starters, Aubergine Barghi, and Samosas, inc. chutneys, and 2 Efes. It was very busy, looked like about 55 covers. Very polite and helpful staff, unfortunatley our starters took 35 minutes to arrive, When they did they where very good, , and I forgot to say the menu choice is excellent. So with the wait we had downed a couple of glasses of wine. Ok the main course we had ordered, Ginger chicken HOT, Chicken Curry fairly hot, and the meal incs. rice and Chapati, and yes they call it what it is, (not nan bread) We finished up having another glass of wine, because would you belive it, a further 30 minutes wait.By this time my wife had got hiccups, (not good) OK , main course, good portion of Pilau rice, (very good) small but first class Chapatis. My chicken ginger was Superb, really tasty and hot, decent portion sizes, ctd.

Smity



Joined: 14/09/2009
Posts: 826

Message Posted:
20/09/2009 13:50

Message 1



We live in the midlands and do visit the KR quite frequantly along with friends whom never seem to be disapointed.If any one wnat really great Indian Quesine please try this Restuarant and try the king praws in garlic butter as a starter as I do mean KING.

It is also well patronised so be wise to book especially at weekends

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
20/09/2009 13:54

Al Shaheen ctd. The basic chicken curry that my wife had ordered was very dissapointing, it did not really taste like a curry, more like tomatoe puree with coriander, so that combined with the long wait, was a let down. My meal was First rate, the best so far. everything else was very good, But the waiting time with no explanation unacceptable, We wanted to go out after, and we actually missed the first half of the show we wanted to see. How ever when the bill came, things looked up. Can you belive this, Starters and main course, 2 Efes, 2 glasses of red wine, and 2 white, 64 lira, May be we picked a bad night, it has not put us off we will definatley go back, maybe when its a bit less busy, and we have more time, then at least i could have spoken to them at the time.

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
20/09/2009 14:51

Message 75, thank you for your comments, we are back in the UK shortly for my wife to catch up on paperwork and VAT etc at the KR, I introduced the Gigantic King Prawns when we opened in 95, I am a big fan, That is one thing we miss having access to, So when we come back we stay at the Hotel next to the KR, It,s full English Breakfasts, and Indian food at night, ( what a diet) Smity next time you go in ask Monsur , or one of the staff to get Misbah the chef to show the size of the Prawns prior to cooking, Evil looking things woudn,t want to meet one in a rock pool

waddo


Joined: 29/11/2008
Posts: 1966

Message Posted:
20/09/2009 16:14

Confused! I know that The Raj has closed but has it opened again in another spot under another name (Taj Mahal) or just faded into the distance?

susief


Joined: 06/11/2008
Posts: 529

Message Posted:
20/09/2009 16:21

It's moved just down the road (near Aydin chemists in the block of shops next to Starling) where the Light of Bengal indian restaurant used to be, much better premises but same delicious curry!

philnles


Joined: 11/08/2008
Posts: 413

Message Posted:
20/09/2009 17:53

Jeff now has tandoori oven and his menu has expanded, also has more staff to cope with being busy, still a first class meal with a good service.

Enrico


Joined: 07/12/2008
Posts: 209

Message Posted:
20/09/2009 20:37

Message 79

Can you be a bit more explicit about the new address of the RAJ.

After all there are "Starlings " all over the place.

Is it still in Ozankoy?

Sorry to be such a dummy, but please put idiot proof instructions.

Regards

susief


Joined: 06/11/2008
Posts: 529

Message Posted:
20/09/2009 20:48

Appologies Enrico - I misread your post, I thought you were asking where the TAJ had moved to. I don't know about the RAJ but think it's completely separate from Jeff and Emine at the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is near the second Starling in Alsancak - ie Lapta end.

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
16/10/2009 13:14

I,ts been a while, but this next one will be worth waitng for, but at the moment i am suffering from a bad dose of WINE flue, It,s a bit like SWINE flue, but it comes from grapes.



The symptons are headaches, feeling generally rough, and don,t really want to make conversation.



Who was it who said grapes are good for you?

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
16/10/2009 13:33

The Nosheen, Alsancak, this place just says high standards, from the minute you walk in. The decor ,the managment, the place shines, It is beautiful, You could eat your food off the toilet floor, it is so clean.I sneaked a glance in the kitchen,IMMACULATE, Service very very good, Drinks prices for a class Restaurant , Efes, 4lira, good Red wine, 20 lira. Large brandy 4lira. It was my wifes birthday, we had a table of 7, so being a party a large proportion of the bill related to drinks. The food may be slighty more than the other Indians locally, but when you see the portion sizes, and the quality, it is worth every Kuresh, and we are only talking slightly more expensive.We had several different dishes between us, inc, starters and Nan breads, YES NAN BREADS, cooked in a proper tandoori oven, that burns charcoal, and not gas, even most of the UK ones use gas, In my eyes this is a very big plus, a bit like gas bbq.s they arn,t bbq.s. you may as well take the gas hob outside. ctd.

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
16/10/2009 13:56

My starter was Chcken Pakora, first rate and enough for the healthiest appetite,Jan had Dahl soup ,our friends had, other choices, inc. large fresh samosas, freshwater prawns, everyone agreed that the starters were all first rate. Also the chutneys wre slightly different, and the poppadoms. fresh and not greasy.The waiting time between courses was perfect. Again we all chose different main courses, everyone agreed that whatevr they had chosen was 100%. I had Chicken Masala Rogan Josh, madras hot. and I didn,t even have to ask, they used fresh chillies, like the propietor Tariuq said, we have an abbundance of them here, so use them. If you like proper fresh huge nan breads this is the place to go, mine was packed with keema .I cannot go into detail about each dish it would take to long, I just want to give you an overall view. And that is I cannot see this place being beaten here, For all of you curry addicts, this is what we have been waiting for.And the Patron say,s NO LIVE MUSIC.ctd

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
16/10/2009 14:04

We had a very good evening at the Nosheen, 7 very satisfied people. I think or bill in total was just under 400 lira, but like I said earlier about 140 of that was drinks, So maybe about 37 lira per head for an excellent choice of quality food, and lots of it.

I reccomend you try this place, even if you arn,t local make the effort, it really is worth it.

and thankyou to Baspinar Bob for reccomending it

BillyB


Joined: 19/05/2008
Posts: 436

Message Posted:
16/10/2009 16:42

JohhnyLee, Thankyou for the review, sounds like a great place to eat. However I would be concerned if I discovered anyone eating off the toilet floor.

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 10:40

That,s fair comment, Billy B but i,m sure youv,e all seen the disgusting state of some of the toilets of in bar,s and places here. and this really is a breath of fresh air.

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
18/10/2009 11:55

Smity, you asked for directions to Nosheen , head towards Alsancak, and about 400mts before the golden lady, on the left hand side you will see the large sign. It,s what used to be Friends Hotel.

Enrico


Joined: 07/12/2008
Posts: 209

Message Posted:
18/10/2009 14:01

Johnny Lee.

Well done for your postings, but this thread is getting very long and it is difficult to remember all your reviews.

May I suggest that when you have done most of them, that you post a list of restaurants with your views in one posting. This way, the readers can quickly scan the list instead of ploughing through lots of not so relevant material.

Thanks.

JohhnyLee


Joined: 25/04/2009
Posts: 2495

Message Posted:
18/10/2009 19:20

Thats a good point, In fact a very good one , unfortunatley I am not very bright with IT and related matters, so yes that makes sense, thankyou