Will writes...

Believe it or no, its actually quite difficult to find a ‘standard’ curry house in central London. They exist but only in the shadows, down narrow side streets, outshone and ousted by day- glow Sushi bars.  Rowly (trainee chartered accountant – yawn!) and I didn’t want to perch on high stools or gain first hand experience of what life in a tin of sardines might be like. 

After hooking up, casting around, ended up plunging into the Maharaja Tandoori off Piccadilly Circus.  PLACE is small, our table smaller still (about the diameter of a Poppadom), could barely fit our drinks on.  Waiters anxious for us to order, SERVICE bit pushy not exactly over polite, ‘uh oh, may live to regret this’ thinks I, why? Partly because PRICES seemed inflated. Starters circa £4, Mains £8-10, Veg £4.  Worried we were about to get fleeced, helpless like lambs to the slaughter. 

However, what followed was surprisingly good, the FOOD that is, not insipid House White (lacking necessary alcoholic content).  To begin succulent Duck Tikka, ‘where have you been all my life’ Lamb Chops.  Kitchen can certainly use a Tandoor, perfect barbecued meat in well balanced Chicken Jalfrezi, buttery tear drop Garlic Naan.  Additionally took pleasure in rich Daal Shamber, Aloo Gobi suggestive of several spices, fluffy Pilau rice.  .

To a SUMMARY; if you’d rather not sit cross legged like a Buddist monk, spend an evening seated on a foot stool at award winning cheap eat Chowki 3-4 doors down, Maharaja is a fraction more comfortable and somewhat comforting in its stubborn resistance to 21st century food fads