Sha Pla, Alresford was our venue in June.   In my view, still the best in the area, though Gurkha Durbar, Gurkha Chautari and Madhuban are near to its standard.

Will has written on the blog site and until I find my notes of the evening, that will have to do. Just close your eyes as you read past his execrable joke, which I first heard from my daughter (who graduated last week) when she was 5.

The June 2007 meeting was at Sha Pla in Alresford.  Numbers a little less than expected, but Ken got the long distance award again, having travelled from Northampton. 

We enjoyed a very generous mixed starter and then a selection of curries.  The lamb jalfrezi was extremely good, with wonderful initial taste and powerful underlying flavours.  We also enjoyed chicken bhuna balti, prawn dhansak (these prawns were felt to be a little too shrimp- like), a delicious duck and cinnamon dish, and CTM - which was the only one where the bowl wasn't scraped clean.  Accompaniments included keema and garlic naans, onion, pilau and plain basmati rice, aubergines, and saag gosht. 

The house red was Le Grand Vigneron, Beziers, 11%.  It's not one that I'd buy for home consumption, but clearly it met the needs of the wine drinkers.  At least, they ordered plenty of bottles. 

All in all, we had a delicious meal of very high quality, and Sha-Pla continues to be one of our top local recommendations.

We used the kitty system proposed at a recent meeting, to avoid the danger of one or two people being stung for enormous rounds in the pub beforehand.  This worked well, and we'll continue with it for future meetings.

We went to Sha-Pla, in Alresford, for the first time in 18 months.  This is one of the best places in the area and it was well worth the journey.  We asked the restaurant to choose the food, and we enjoyed lamb and chicken specials, prawn korai and methi gosht.  Great evening.

Ambience: ***** 5
Food:***** 5 (nothing drowned in sauce, skilful stuff)
Drink: ***** 5 (decent house wine  cobra etc...)
Service:***** 5

The place looked like it might once have sold antique furniture family heirlooms from the various aristos living around Alresford from the outside.  Inside it had a warm and cosy feel.  Staff lined up to greet us.

The cooking really was flavoursome.

Pilau rice was wonderfully aromatic.  The prawns in the Prawn Korai tasted sea-fresh! So often they lose their taste in among the medium spices.  The Methu Ghost was a delight as was the Chicken Special, succulent barbecued meat finished with a creamy sauce... Saag Aloo with good size chunks of potato and frankly the Cauliflower bhaji was just the best I've ever tasted.  Good breads too, plain, garlic and peshwari naans.

The house wine slipped down easily and the staff were genial and efficient in the true Raj style!

(Curry Club meeting)

…ON RETURNING to Shapla…

I lunched with my brother on the way to Winchester a few weeks later.  Had very well spiced Momo (minced lamb wrapped in wonton style pastry), brother had Mixed kebab, great tasting, natural looking chicken/lamb tikka.  Mains included Prawn Patia spiked with chilli, excellent but too much for Tom who kept heading to the loo to cool off (?) and a Balti Dhansak, rich, lemony and earthy.  Veg included a light, crisp Bindi Bhaji.  Among the very best in the county.

(January 2007)

Alf says: "A great turn out, a lovely meal & a fun evening."   

West Street, Alresford

June 2007

01962 732134

The restaurant is on the main road through Alresford, to the west of the Broadway.  Trains are not a practical proposition.  See Alresford trains.