New Indian Restaurant - Curry Home

[eanto]

I noticed a new Indian eatery the other day located very near Sutus Court on.Soi Bua Khao. It's decor is smart and modern so typical of renovated western restaurants. The prices are a little above my expat budget but looked reasonably comprehensive.

 

As there was no aloo gobbi on the menu (strange I thought) I chose a chicken byrianni at 180 baht. It was just ok I thought and not 'extra' spicy as requested. Sorry for being a butterfly Tikka Center, I will be back very soon!!

[petermik]

And I wondered why they hadn,t put a menu outside to check the offerings

[Kreggerz]

I've eaten at this place three times already.

For now I can say it's a mixed bag, some dishes very good, some dishes not so great. 

 

Their nan I do not like.

The nan at the place I posted about before, Royal Masala, is much much better.

They don't sell plain basmati rice unless you make a special off menu request and the portion is quite small at 40 baht.

On the menu is boiled rice which is Thai rice at 20 baht or you can get a more expensive  palao with basmati or a fancy biryani dish.

Normally I usually just want plain nan but like I said I don't like their nan. 

 

I've had two tandoori appetizers.

The chicken shashlik at 180 was excellent though a smallish portion but sold as an appetizer so OK. 

The tandoori mushrooms at 120 was pretty good flavor but poor value for the portion. Would not order again.  

 

Curries I tried a veg curry on the menu labeled as aloo bhaji but I could tell by the description that it was a menu mistake. Actual aloo bhaji is fried potato fritters which I didn't want. As expected I get a potato curry which was much soupier than I expected but the flavor was excellent. This is like Indian home cooking, not usual restaurant food. I asked for it SUPER SPICY and someone came out from the back to confirm that I was serious and that's what I got, so very happy with the dish. 120 I think.

 

Another time I had the Aloo Palak, spinach potato curry. I was promised this was going to be made from fresh spinach which is very unusual to find in an Indian restaurant here and makes for a much better dish than from frozen. Well, sorry, to my taste it did not taste fresh but how can I know unless I see it in the kitchen? I asked for it super spicy again and this time it came bland. That annoyed me as I had been there three times already and they should know their customer by then. They offered to fix it but the thing was already cooked enough, so I said no thanks. I think that was 120 as well.

 

Another dish I had is called chicken Dhansak, Very unusual to find on  an Indian menu as it's a dish from the minority Parsi culture in India. Ordered it extra spicy and got it.

This dish was really fantastic. It was really different but at the same time I don't think challenging to westerners. Suggest going there just for this dish. I think they have with lamb as well.

 

Some info about this dish:

http://indianfood.about.com/od/chickendishes/r/chickendhansak.htm

http://www.greatcurryrecipes.net/2011/02/20/try-this-chicken-dhansak-recipe-and-see-why-so-many-people-love-this-classic-indian-curry/

 

Moral of the story, if you really want it super spicy you almost have to hassle them in an obnoxious way or like many places they may not believe you. The excuse I got for the spinach dish ... well "English" people don't like spicy which really lame considering I had been so clear about it when ordering. 

 

If you're an expat regular they can probably learn over time what you want. 

 

I saw a veg biryani on another table and it looked to be properly prepared rather than the typical  Thai fried rice w/ Indian spices shortcut versions most places have.

 

A small portion of raita is offered for 50 baht. That's pretty good if you want it. 

 

Also there are some menu items I don't remember but are rare to find on local menus and I will definitely have to go back just to try those dishes.

 

Overall I like this new restaurant.  But the issue with the nan bread and rice options on the menu will limit how often I go there. I suggested to an owner that they add plain basmati rice to the menu and he said he would ... so look for that or if you want it ask for it. Thai rice with Indian food doesn't work for me. 

 

For most items, I think the prices are fair and very competitive with local Indian restaurants considering the quality.  No, not the cheapest. 

[expatdude]

Thanks for the review, Kreggerz.

[xdrt33]

Thanks for the posts guys.

Like eanto I'm a Tikka Center regular.

Will defo check this new place out next month

Dhansak is one of my favourites.

[storytime]

What is it about my own people that they have this great need to eat Indian food, surely in Thailand they'd want to eat Thai food

[sonny]

What is it about my own people that they have this great need to eat Indian food, surely in Thailand they'd want to eat Thai food

 

Thai food is good but there is no substitute when your gagging for an Indian Ruby.

[Kreggerz]

What is it about my own people that they have this great need to eat Indian food, surely in Thailand they'd want to eat Thai food

Well, I think tourists would be wise to mostly eat Thai food when visiting Thailand and silly to avoid it. But if you live here, you want variety like anywhere else you would be living. It makes me appreciate Thai food more by not eating it everyday. 

[xdrt33]

What is it about my own people that they have this great need to eat Indian food, surely in Thailand they'd want to eat Thai food

 

After quite a few trips, I've found that I don't like Thai food too much.

While in Patts I eat Chinese, Indian, German and Brit pub grub

Any improvement on the Indian food offerings will be much appreciated.....

[Kreggerz]

Another issue is that Pattaya being such a tourist town, it isn't that always that easy to get exceptional Thai food. I like Thai food of course but I would hate to be stuck with only having Thai food available. 

[chopper1]

Nobody mentions , Madras durbar which has just trippled its size you cannot possibly miss it , opposite central festival on 2 road always busy with indian customers which must be a good sign, its real south indian cooking, massala dosas, thalis etc, lots of familiar dishes also, the set meals are cheap, individual dishes medium prices, I like my indian food super spicy they do it on request, the newly opened extension is quite luxurious.

The other day I had chicken massala Lgf food court, central festival I was very impressed, its ready made fast food so I wouldn't recommend the rest of their offerings.

As has been said already the curry house is hit and miss.

certainly ali babas is one of oldest and best in town, but a bit expensive.

the 2 restaurants next to each other near ali babas, one them used to be a tailors, im sorry but I them both to be truly awful with the worse soggy onion bajghe ive ever had

[Kreggerz]

A dish I like at Madras Darbar are their South Indian CHETTINADU curry dishes (chicken or veg). Definitely get South Indian stuff there. Also South Indian at Saras, Royal Garden Mall, veg only. 

For thalis I don't like Madras, not special and portion so tiny.

Basically I think Madras is borderline overpriced considering the current competition.  

Like 280 baht for a South Indian fish curry ... nice flavor, small portion, I kind of felt ripped off. 

For better value tasty thalis, I would suggest trying Indian Touch South Pattaya (2nd road north of Pattaya Tai) on the Indian restaurant row there, further towards Jomtien than Royal Masala which I still highly recommend.

BTW, Royal Masala has not as yet raised their prices. So still a great deal for quite nice Indian food (for most choices, like anywhere some dishes are better than others). 

[xdrt33]

Thanks for your recommendations, Chopper & Kreggerz.

Will try some of these places next month.

[gopherbroke]

What is it about my own people that they have this great need to eat Indian food, surely in Thailand they'd want to eat Thai food

 

When you live here year round, you get more than you fill of Thai food.

[xdrt33]

Ate at Curry Home two nights ago.

On the plus side, everything was clean, shiny and new.

 

The chicken dhansak was ok rather than exceptional.

It contained pinapple for some reason.

Checking recipes online it's shown as an option on 1 or 2 of them.

Trouble is, putting fruit in a curry takes the edge off the spicing.

Hence it was a bit on the bland side.

 

The restaurant seems to be a meeting place for young Indians.

A terrible thought occured - are these the Indian tailors who hassle us all day??

I don't want to hang out with those guys! At least none of them tried to sell me a suit

 

I'll try the Curry Home again some time. My preference is still Tikka Centre.

[Kreggerz]

If you want your food spicy hot at Curry Home, you need to be very strong and insistent about it.

The chicken dhansak I had was indeed anything but bland. Trust me on that.

If you're white, they will assume you're a spice whimp unless you get obnoxious about it.

I should say since I posted before I've been back a few times and tried different curries.

Based on that, I am less hot on the place.

The curries, described well on the menu as being very different, were too much the same thing. 

Indian restaurants often have tricks and shortcuts.

That curries described so differently could taste so similar ... that to me is a bad sign. 

The place is a little on the pricey side ... so my tolerance for issues is less because of that.

BTW, I found the tandoori roti OK compared to their nan. 

[xdrt33]

Had Lamb Biryani in there last night.

Per Kreggerz advice, I asked for it spicy this time.

That made it just right for me. Very tasy meal

[Nuglut]

Hi -

 

Just thought I would add my two cents.  Went looking for some good Indian food and the thread seemed to suggest that Madras Darbar would be good.

 

Took my 10B Baht Bus over.  Saw Madras Darbar and it was definitely huge.  Spanned lots of frontage.  There was an equally big, second Indian restaurant next to MD, but it was run by different management as I found out.  Since it was empty, versus MD have two or three tables filled, I just played the odds, and went with MD, aftering seeing the menu and confirming it had North Indian food.

 

I ordered Butter Chicken, Aloo Gobi, and Raita.  I would rate the Butter Chicken 6 / 10.  The meat was nice and fresh, but the gravy seemed to be a generic gravy, and not indicative of the flavor that good Butter Chicken has.  

 

The Aloo Gobi I would rate at 4 / 10.  They had made the dish with curry, instead of dry as AG normally is.  And they seemed to have used a generic variation of the sauce that they had used for the Butter Chicken.   

 

The Raita was a 5 / 10.  Nothing great, but nothing bad either.

 

I had asked for Pudina Parantha (corridander bread) which is usually standard in most North Indian restaurants.  They did not have this.  However the Garlic and Butter Naan's were fine.

 

I had asked for Pickle ("achaar") at the outset, which they said they had, but what they brought out was not tradition Mixed or Mango pickle, but something that was small, chopped, carrots.  Another disappointment.

 

Overall, the staff was friendly and attentive.  The premises are reasonably large and clean.  It's just that the food was average.  I don't know enough other good Indian restaurants in Pattaya to make relative comparisons, but I have eaten at enough Indian restaurants to be able to judge a restaurant on its own merits.

 

Best.

[reddevil]

Some great reviews there guys .Great to hear another perspective other than the  Raj chicken vindaloo crowd(of which I am one ).Keep 'em coming  

[striderman]

couple of pics......

 

first curry house on buakoaw near junction with soi diana

ex pat bloke i know who drinks in the nearby metro sports bar rates this place highly and often orders a take away.

i don't eat indian food much other than chicken tikka so i cannot comment myself

 

 

 

 

 

 

now the other one that has mentioned second rd dead opposite central festival..............at least i think it is the one mentioned but it was a new sign i spotted on june 23 ?

there is not much else opposite the shopping centre !

curry house experts to the thread please

tomorrow i will look for madras darbar mentioned to see if i have this wrong !!!!!!

 

 

1 thing for sure no problem getting a taxi home

[Kreggerz]

Madras Darbar specializes in south Indian food. 

[reddevil]

Hi -

 

Just thought I would add my two cents.  Went looking for some good Indian food and the thread seemed to suggest that Madras Darbar would be good.

 

Took my 10B Baht Bus over.  Saw Madras Darbar and it was definitely huge.  Spanned lots of frontage.  There was an equally big, second Indian restaurant next to MD, but it was run by different management as I found out.  Since it was empty, versus MD have two or three tables filled, I just played the odds, and went with MD, aftering seeing the menu and confirming it had North Indian food.

 

I ordered Butter Chicken, Aloo Gobi, and Raita.  I would rate the Butter Chicken 6 / 10.  The meat was nice and fresh, but the gravy seemed to be a generic gravy, and not indicative of the flavor that good Butter Chicken has.  

 

The Aloo Gobi I would rate at 4 / 10.  They had made the dish with curry, instead of dry as AG normally is.  And they seemed to have used a generic variation of the sauce that they had used for the Butter Chicken.   

 

The Raita was a 5 / 10.  Nothing great, but nothing bad either.

 

I had asked for Pudina Parantha (corridander bread) which is usually standard in most North Indian restaurants.  They did not have this.  However the Garlic and Butter Naan's were fine.

 

I had asked for Pickle ("achaar") at the outset, which they said they had, but what they brought out was not tradition Mixed or Mango pickle, but something that was small, chopped, carrots.  Another disappointment.

 

Overall, the staff was friendly and attentive.  The premises are reasonably large and clean.  It's just that the food was average.  I don't know enough other good Indian restaurants in Pattaya to make relative comparisons, but I have eaten at enough Indian restaurants to be able to judge a restaurant on its own merits.

 

Best.

Try Indian by nature 

 

http://www.indian-by-nature.com/

[striderman]

Madras Darbar specializes in south Indian food. 

so is that still opposite central festival?

[sadisfied]

so is that still opposite central festival?

 

Yep, Madras Darbar is just to the left of Naan-N-Curry in your earlier pic, Striderman.

 

Bad pic from last month when Naan-N-Curry was still being set up.

 

[striderman]

Yep, Madras Darbar is just to the left of Naan-N-Curry in your earlier pic, Striderman.

 

Bad pic from last month when Naan-N-Curry was still being set up.

 

 

ok. never noticed it for some reason !! but curry does not rock my boat i just photo stuff i think is new.

well plenty of choice for sure !