Curry Leaf

Curry Leaf Indian Restaurant
18 Charlotte Street,
London
W1T2LZ
02074367402‎

BoF has been has been ensconced in London for around a year now. Following a reasonable amount of hard work on other projects, I’ve got around to taking some well earned vacation. Times being hard and what not, (something to do with Bankers I hear…) I’ve opted for a staycation. Hanging around in town led me to be enjoying the company of some friends I haven’t seen in a while, whilst soaking up some late afternoon Sunday sun. As tends to happen when there are few commitments planned for the following day, we soon found that afternoon had become evening and our collective hunger had grown to levels which no amount of (insert fried potato snack here) could satiate.
At this point in the piece I could enter some kind of diatribe, railing harshly on the poor state of London’s 24 hour credentials. But of course an Indian restaurant came to our rescue. (The Mexican restaurant we were intending to patronise across the road had shut up for the evening, as had most other Charlotte Street eateries grumble grumble.…)

Indian meals usually induce in me the kind of tongue beating macho masochistic behaviour we all expect of a bunch of pissheads. I was however accompanied by 3 souls of a more tender appetite, and so let all decisions be handled by them. POPADOMS were excellent and accompanied by the usual array of PICKLES, the best of which being the CUCUMBER AND MINT RAITA which was fragrant and deliciously creamy. We chose to share CHICKEN ROGAN JOSH, VEGETABLE JALFREZI & a CHICKEN WHITE KORMA, accompanying these with SPECIAL FRIED RICE, COCONUT RICE (my only input to the order) and PLAIN NAAN.

What to say about the main courses? They weren’t my choices, but there’s something fun to be said for that. All 3 adhered to their ‘Brit-curry’ requirements; they were slightly more bland than my usual tastes but were perfectly good in themselves. The chicken was also a good cut and not dry.
What I’ll take from the meal? Memory of the fantastic NAAN – perfectly textured and straight from the oven, and that the waiter didn’t look incredulous when we asked for a jug of tap water. A Sunday night spent with friends…Oh, and they were open (the restaurant I mean.)

BoF.