Beyti Ockabasi on my Green Lanes

I’ve been living in Stoke Newington for nearly 2 years now, and been eating at the excellent Turkish restaurants on my part of Green Lanes, closest to Newington Park since day 1.

A Great Takeaway from Sunderban Tandoori

I have been a bit lazy these past few days and really cannot get my arse in gear to cook anything. So after eating out three or four times over the last few days, we needed to eat indoors and tighten our wallets. Well that was the plan anyhows, but after getting back from a day of shopping and photography, I again couldn’t be arsed to cook, plus I was too tired to go out and eat. A takeaway was called for.

We’ve tried quite a few takeaway joints around Highbury and on Blackstock Road area. Most are average at best. But what to have? Wasn’t in the mood for pizza, as had it at the last monthly meeting at work. I generally do not like Chinese food in a takeaway form, as it is 9/10 pretty bad. Plus I ate an average Ma Po Tofu the day before at work. Again.

I am eating a lot more Indian food, which is not surprising really, as I am working for an Indian company staffed by Indians, to which some of them or their wives are damn good cooks. Being spoilt rotten I am. Excellent.

We’ve tried Desh (below average), Shahi Spice (average), Ruman Balti and Tandoori (very good, but I was very drunk and very hungry, so no idea really). I’ve wandered past Sunderban on many an occasion, and it is always populated. I’ve been meaning to try it for a while now, but never got round to it, but now was its chance.

Sundermans is your typical small Indian restaurant. It seats around 20 odd people, plus it has the obligatory take out table at the back by the bar.

The menu has the normal favourites that we are so used to, plus one or two other surprises that I was not expecting.

As I sat perusing the menu I ordered a pint of Kingfisher. I always find a nice cold beer helps the choosing process run a bit smoother.

I was tempted to go for some of our regular choices, such as a Korma, Dansak, Jalfrazi or my personal favourite the Lamb Biriyani.  But something was telling me to try some new dishes, especially as it was the first time here.

So I opted for a Lamb Dupiaza, (which is supposed to have twice as much onions to meat), a Chicken Begon (I asked what this was and was told it was cooked with aubergines and quite mild), a sag paneer, pilau rice and a keema naan.

As I waited for my food, the manager or owner was chatting away to a regular customer about this and that. It’s nice to see interaction on a personal basis in a restaurant, as it is so rare these days.

The food when I got it home was pretty damn tasty. Everything was well cooked, well seasoned and quite mild, but I had ordered it that way as the wife was feeling a tad ill and I did not want to make feel any worse.

The star of the show was the Begon or Begun. Very mildly spiced but had a wonderful aubergine flavour that was really different and has now become a dish I want to eat more of.

The Dopiaza, again as mildly spiced and well cooked, although not a great deal of onion was present. The sag paneer, was a delightful creamy combination of cheese and spinach that lived up to my memories of this dish when I’ve eaten it back in India recently.

All in all Sunderban does a very fine takeaway, and I will to go back and enjoy their food, but next time I sitting in their restaurant and hopefully have a chat with the staff.

Shahi Spice

 

With the wife away enjoying a free trip to Nicaragua for the week, and me not being in the best of moods lately. I really haven’t been in the mood to cook. As Lina isn’t too keen on takeaways, I’m taking advantage whilst she’s away.

Shahi spice is on Blackstock Road and the corner of Gillespie Road. I’d walked past it many a time thinking I’d like to get a takeaway from there one day.

After a disastrously boring day at work when our server had melted the processor and no work was done for the 2^nd day. Why did I go in.

So thinking all day that what I was gonna cook for tea tonight. I’d brought some flat rice noodles as I was thinking of making a version of mapo tofu without the tofu and with noodles. All I needed was some mince y voila. Most of everything else is in my cupboards.

But when I got to Barons Court on the tube, I just couldn’t be arsed to get off, as it was soooo damn cold outside. So within seconds I’d made the decision for a Ruby Murray. Brill.

Shahi Spice actually looks shabbier on the inside than from the outside. It has the large counter that props up the drunks on a Friday or Saturday night, and allows them to try and make their choice without collapsing on the floor.

There are some chairs to relax on whilst you wait for your meal to be cooked. But no fruit machine or pac-man to play on. Very disappointed I was. But the shop opposite does sell cheap cans of lager to accompany your meal. So by the time you paid, strolled across the road, brought your favourite tipple and wandered back. Your curry is almost ready. I would have been scared if it was there waiting for me when I got back.

I ordered a chicken chilli fry, pilau rice and some keema naan. I also go some fresh crispy popadums, the ubiquitous onion salad, and some bright orange chutney. That I was sure was radioactive.

The chicken chilli fry was ok, the chicken was a little dry, but the gravy had good heat, and lots of whole green chilli’s for me to munch on. Many years ago I used to have a book called Curry Secrets, and it explains that all Indian restaurants have one base sauce and by just adding cream, chilli or other spices makes our favourite dishes. This was definitely one of those sauces.

The pilaw rice was cooked well, nice seasoning. Although it had illuminous green and red things in it. I’ve no idea what they were.

The keema naan was below standard. It had that bright red filling that only comes with a pre-brought naan from some mass supplier.

The papadoms were freshly made though, as they were still really crispy. The onion salad was an onion salad. The bright orange nuclear chutney was supposed to be mango I think. It had no taste, or maybe the chilli’s had destroyed my taste buds. But it did cool my mouth down a bit.

I brought some chutneys from India before I came home. They are the real deal and are very strong, but they are so good.

All in all Shahi Spice is your typical knock them out Indian takeaway. Not the best I’ve ever had by a long way, but also not the worst I’ve eaten either.

Would I return? Maybe, maybe not, there are better choices on this stretch of road to have. Plus there are many more for me to try.