Cyan

Agree, Indian culinary fare is generally 'duller' in Canada compared to the UK. Hardly anyone here has heard of terms like 'jalfrezi' or 'vindaloo', and I have to find cans/bottles of Patak's sauces if I want to recreate anything approaching the UK high street taste.

That said, I'm wondering if the nostalgia is somewhat misplaced considering the UK experience was typically getting smashed at the local corner pub (non-existent here), stumbling/walking across (you have to drive here) to the local Star of India (here they shut at 10pm) and ordering the hottest item to impress your chums....

Oink

I found a place that does a lovely lamb bhuna.

Bipat

Plenty of online recipes!!

I have put this hilarious link on twice before on other parts of the Forum, but nobody seems to appreciate it, perhaps you will??? Ordering the "blandest item".

scot47

The Indian (Anglo-Indian ?) restaurant in Britain is a recent phenomenon. Unheard of in my parent's time !

MarylandNed

That was my initial introduction to Indian food when I was at uni. However, I've had many good Indian meals in the UK afterwards where I was not actually smashed out of my head.

MarylandNed

Define "recent". I was eating in Indian restaurants in the UK over 30 years ago.

Bipat

Apparently there were Muslim restaurants more than a hundred or more years ago, but the generally accepted earliest in UK was Veeraswamy's in London 1926.
Now there are restaurants covering Indian cuisine of most of its areas/states. However in number, most restaurants in UK are Bangladeshi run.
Chutney Mary (v. expensive) in London, I think had some Anglo-Indian dishes, I went there once years ago, but found it pretentious.

Oink

When I'm in DC this is the place we usually go. Very posh nosh for an Indian.

The Bombay Club Restaurant

MarylandNed

I've been there. Next time you're in DC you'll have to look me up. We can get completely shitfaced, barge in for a curry and more than a few loud pints. It'll just be like being back at home.

dbd33

This has not been my experience, I usually order a vindaloo and, a fortnight ago, wished I'd gone for something milder after the lamb vindaloo at the Coridander Kitchen about set me alight. Numerous nans, Kingfishers and buckets of raita were needed.

Bipat

Thanks, but we are unlikely to be in DC.
If in UK/London and eating out usually go for South Indian food. Woodlands vegetarian (Marylebone) is good, even if a little overpriced.

MarylandNed

Well, it made me laugh....

Oink

It hasn't been mine either. My local place does all the favourites, vindaloo, jalfrazie, dhansak, rogan josh etc and you can order it from mild to extra hot. Just don't challenge the chef to "make as hot as he likes." It doesn't end well.

Bipat

Great, I have never been able to work out what "crap on the side" represents though.

EMR

Salad !,

In tbe SW and S wales we are seeing a trend towards what I can best describe as Nouvelle Indian, fortunately without the pretence that went with that fad years ago.
Much of it is based more on S Indian cuisine than the chicken tika variety.
More expensive with some of the dishes not really suitable for sharing..
Our local favourite is the Mint and Mustard group.

Even in our little part of Portugal where we have a holiday ome we can get excellent Indian food.
The restaurant in question is very popular with Canadian snowbirds who flock to the Algarve in winter.