Barnet - 26 Feb 2013

Barnet - Feb 2013

Date - 26/2/13

Venue - The Shapla, Barnet High Street

Attendees - Me, Malc, Harry, JB, Rick and Roland

Underhill has been a recent happy hunting ground for Southend United and it had been some time since we last suffered a defeat there. Barnet are perennial strugglers in League 2 and this was their last season at this old ground with a slope that almost qualifies as a blue ski run in the Alps. Therefore the opportunity to venture to one of the curry houses in Barnet High Street could not be missed. Last year we had a cracking one at The Shapla (the Chicken Jalfrezi literally had me panting and sweating) and so we thought we'd revisit, this time to get an entry into the blog for posterity.

The usual fairly easy journey was hampered by severe traffic caused by a combination of roadworks and an accident, but we still arrived in good time. Some of our number were already in The Red Lion (one of two sharing that name in the High Street, which can get confusing) and we had to wait for everyone to arrive. We had aimed for a 6:30 meet up at the pub, then a quickie and a short walk of no more than 50 yards or so to the restaurant, but because of the delays (and the fact that the game was an 8:00 kick off) we were lulled into a slightly false sense of security time wise and it was in fact gone 7:00 before we left the pub, leaving us probably only 30-40 minutes to get ordered and fed. Ok, not in the same league as the initial Cheltenham curry (see "The Curry Tasters" narrative) but still a bit of a rush to be comfortable.

Once inside, the waiter didn't really seem to grab our sense of urgency and it took some time and 3 attempts to summon him before we could order. Malc and JB were busy trying to organise the Wembley tickets for Southends upcoming JPT final against Crewe as the drinks and poppadums arrived and then we ordered our main courses. I went for the Jalfrezi again and there was the usual selection of dishes; Baltis, a Madras, a Biryani, some Pilau rice, Onion Bhajis and Naan Breads, vegetable sides, etc., all I have to say served at reasonable speed... eventually!  It all looked and smelt good.

The pickles with the poppodums weren't the greatest to be honest and of the commercial variety but the rest of the food was pretty good.  My Jalfrezi certainly wasn't as hot as last time but still had a kick and there were no complaints from anyone else either.There were meant to be two Peshwari Naan breads but there was so little flavour they may as well have been plain ones.I have to say it probably wasn't the most relaxed atmosphere to enjoy the meal but we managed and even got in two rounds of drinks. 

The big bonus here however was the price; it all came in at £18 per head including tip and that's great value.  The Meat Madras was just £3.95 and other dishes were quite a bit lower than we had been used to.   

Marks

Exterior - 7

Surroundings - 6

Interior - 7

Toilets - 7

Service - 6

Food Quality - 7

Value - 9

Overall - 7.  Definitely worth a return visit with perhaps a little more time. 

The match

Our last visit to Underhill was not a happy one.  Southend were beaten 2-0 and everyone, the team, the management and the crowd, looked tired.  Hardly the springboard for a promotion push!

Brentford - Feb 2013

Date - Tuesday, 15th February 2013 - The Guru Tandoori at Watermans

Attendees - Me, Malc, Mike, Pete, Roland, Alex, Dave (Rolands mate) and Dean (Mike's mate)

This was a trip that nearly never was; had Gavin Tomlin put away a golden chance late on in the original FA Cup 3rd Round match at Roots Hall then we would now be waiting to play Chelsea in Round 4.  Sadly, their keeper made a tremendous save and set up a Griffin Park replay.

There was a big group of us travelling up for this match and several of the usual curry tasters 'A' team opted to forego the Indian in favour of a few beers at Waterloo and then a "Brentford Burger" (which, I'm reliably informed, are supplied by Tesco and are guaranteed to firstly make you hoarse and then give you the gallops. What a load of pony that is.  Ok ok, enough now).

This meant that we had to field a few ringers, namely Dave, a mate of Roland and Dean, a work colleague of Mike and we hope they both enjoyed the company and the experience.  Come along whenever you can again chaps!

As for the restaurant, Malc, Keith and I sampled this a few years back and initially couldn't believe it was a restaurant.  The only clue to it's existence is an 'A' frame outside on the road as it is housed in the basement of the Watermans Art Centre which also is home to a cinema, theatre and bar.  Externally, it is not the most visually appealing of buildings although it is right on the riverside and according to the website photos, the back is much nicer than the front. Strangely, the website has absolutely no mention of the restaurant at all, which is actually an extension to the bar itself.

On our previous visit, we had wandered down into an area that was very poorly signed and which had the appearance of a nightclub; a bar one end, the restaurant at the other and what looked like a barren dance floor in the middle with scaffolding poles lashed together to form some sort of partition (well, it is an art centre!).  This time around, the layout was the same but the central area now had tables, chairs and sofas in it, plus a selection of golden curtains and drapes which made it look not quite so stark.  Still, last time we were very pleasantly surprised by the fare on offer and so we decided to return.  The added bonus was that there was a free car park that we could use for the whole evening.  Woo Hoo!

We arrived in plenty of time and had a drink before the restaurant opened.  There was a large table already laid out (we hadn't booked) and so we occupied that one and placed our orders.  The toilets were some distance away and served not only the restaurant but also the bar and other parts of the centre, which made it surprising that they weren't bigger.  Like most places, they weren't perhaps the cleanest or up to date part of the building.

Food wise however, we weren't to be disappointed.  I opted for the Chicken Jalfrezi, which was just the right heat and the accompanying keema rice was delicious. The Onion Bhajis were of the flat rather than round variety but the flavours were spot on and the Peshwari Naan was not the usual pre-purchased commercial variety... I would guess they made their own here.  Delicious.  I certainly heard no complaints at all from the other diners and the fact that by 6:30 on a Tuesday the restaurant was practically full says it all really.

The only problem was the service.  The drinks were slow to come over and the food didn't all arrive at the same time.  Alex was left waiting for his dish for ages and if we had adopted the usual manners of not starting before everyone's meal had been served then it would have all been stone cold.  When it did eventually arrive - as the rest of us were practically finishing - it wasn't the correct dish. However, his hunger and the time didn't allow a replacement to be ordered and so he just accepted what was on offer.

Price wise, it worked out at around £22 per head, so a touch on the pricey side, but it is West London.

Marks (out of ten)

Exterior - 5

Surroundings - 7

Interior - 7

Toilets - 6

Service - 5

Food Quality - 9

Value - 6

Overall - 6.43 - Let down by the appearance and service, but food is excellent.

The match

Brentford were a whole division above us and it showed.  Our keeper played out of his skin and stopped 17 of their 19 attempts on target.  We were basically thrashed 2-1.

AFC Wimbledon Nov 2012

Date - Tuesday, 20th November 2012, Daal Handi restaurant

Attendees - Me, Malcolm, Peter, Dave T., Harry, Bill, Rick, JB, Kit, Gary, Julian, Roland and Alex

This trip to AFC Wimbledon enabled another ground to be ticked off the list for me. I saw the old Wimbledon at Plough Lane back in the late 1970's, but had not visited Kingsmeadow, the home of the new AFC Wimbledon that they shared with Kingstonian.  My cousin Julian, who I only normally see at family weddings, funerals and anniversary dinners, lived not far away and so he became an honorary Shrimper for the evening.  Another of our troop, JB, brought a work colleague Gary who lived just down the road as well and this swelled our travelling group to 13, although only 12 of us made the curry.

Those coming by train to Norbiton station had it far easier than the intrepid travellers from Essex who had to endure apocalyptic weather on the M25 southern section, fighting through some horrendous driving conditions.  I took Malcolm in my car with his brother Peter and another newbie, Roland (one of his sons is the boyfriend of one of Malcolm's daughters) and we managed to park practically outside the ground, about 200 yards from the Prince of Wales pub, where we were meeting up with the others, and in the other direction a literal stones throw from the restaurant.

We aimed to get to the curry house at about 6 and I met Julian outside. Some of our number were already inside, as well as about 10 others, so for 6 o'clock on a Tuesday they were quite full.  The restaurant clearly weren't expecting this as there was just one waitress on duty, no waiters and probably only one chef in the kitchen.

It took at least 5 minutes for anyone to even acknowledge our presence, and whilst the early arrivers had arranged a table for 10, there were in fact 12 so we had to fend for ourselves by arranging the additional 2 places and snaffling chairs and cutlery from neighbouring tables.  The very friendly waitress eventually took our drinks order and offered us either the a la carte menu or a buffet, but the experience so far had left us with serious concerns as to whether we would get served before kick off so we opted for the buffet, which was ready and waiting now.

20 poppadoms were also ordered.

The first trip to the buffet was initially uninspiring. There were only six options; quarters of plain Naan bread, plain Pilau rice, Tarka Dall (was it a little 'otter?  Don't worry, I'm here all week...), Bombay Aloo, Chicken Madras or Chicken Korma.  Sadly, all that was available was the Naan, rice and Bombay Aloo with the other tureens containing sauce only.  Freshly cooked dishes of the same variety were being brought out all the time but only in quantities that would serve about 6 people... consequently the dinner was eaten in instalments. The toilet was clean enough although it had run out of toilet roll completely, which wasn't a problem for me personally but it's never a good idea in a curry house to allow the toilets to run out of paper, is it?

Some of us had been up for seconds by the time the drinks arrived and we did feel for the poor waitress who was trying to keep everyone happy. Our order of 10 pints of Kingfisher and 2 cokes took an age but the beers eventually arrived; however, the cokes had been forgotten and a gentle reminder was needed.

The poppadoms turned up on the bar when most had already been up two or three times and there were no pickles, which was disappointing.  After they'd sat there for a few minutes, Malcolm called across to Dave's son Harry to bring them over.  Seeing him deliver the poppadoms, new customers arrived and promptly asked Harry for a table for 2, mistaking him for a waiter.  He'd come straight from sixth form so was in a white shirt and black trousers (having left his blazer and tie back in the car) so I guess it was an easy mistake to make.  Hurrah, the cokes finally arrive but despite 5 or 6 visits to the buffet I never managed to get the chicken korma, which had always run out, despite being replenished on several occasions.  We did manage a second round of drinks as well, which was a lot quicker.

This sounds as though it was a bit of a disaster, but it really wasn't.  OK, the service was not great but they were doing their best considering they clearly weren't expecting so many people to turn up at once.  I could have done them a favour and booked in advance, so I felt a little responsible.  They were also extremely pleasant and friendly, but the biggest plus was that the food was absolutely gorgeous.  The Madras certainly had some heat, the Korma sauce was creamy and aromatic, the rice was cooked to perfection and the two vegetarian dishes were to the total satisfaction of Rick, who is a vegetarian.  How on earth they would have managed had we ordered a la carte is anyone's guess. We'd probably still be there!

Price wise the buffet was £6.99 but with the drinks and service (?), it came to £18 per head, which made the drinks a touch expensive.

Marks (out of ten)

Exterior - 8
Surroundings - 6
Interior - 8
Toilets - 7
Service - 5
Food Quality - 9
Value - 6

Overall rating - 7 - Would certainly consider going back, but would probably book.



The match

AFC Wimbledon 0, Southend 4.

We maintained our 100% win ratio against the Wombles with a clinical and professional performance in atrocious conditions where we elected to stand in the open corner for the second half to get a better view and got completely soaked in the process.  But who cares...we won, got 3 points, looked quite good and moved up the table to just outside the playoffs.

Gillingham - September 2012

Date -  Tuesday, 18th September 2012 - Spice Court Indian Restaurant.

On our arrival at Gillingham, we parked near the ground and having taken advice from a local, headed off towards the High Street where he said the nearest curry house was located.

I use the words "High Street" in the loosest sense of the word, as that conjures up a shopping centre of some description.  Again, if we are taking the literal meaning of "shopping centre" then maybe Gillingham's High Street does qualify.  But I swear I will never speak detrimentally about Southend's High Street again, which is like Westfield in comparison.  There was one dodgy looking establishment in the High Street itself called something like "Lahore Spice" which looked as though it may well serve up Salmonella Madras accompanied with Listeria rice and Botulism Bhajis.  Just around the corner though, bang opposite the rail station, was an establishment called "Spice Court" that didn't exactly look very nice outside but was like a palace in comparison to the other one.

The interior decor was ok and the toilet was clean, albeit under approximately 1mm of water.

We were the only ones there and as there were 5 of us (me, Malcolm, Peter, Jude and Harry), it was a bit strange to find us cramped onto a table for 4 with an extra place as there were plenty of other tables available, especially a nice round one with 6 settings sitting completely empty.

We were served quickly with some poppodums and pickles.  I look for the quality of the pickles and were they home made or out of a jar/bottle?  Well, the onion/tomato one was obviously home made, but the mango chutney, lime pickle and minted yogurt sauce were definitely commercial. 

There were the usual menu choices with a few additional items as specials.  I opted for Chicken Passanda and Honey rice, which I had never seen.  This was oversweet and with hindsight would have gone better with a sour dish, like a Rogan Josh or Jalfrezi.  The flavours were, for me, a little sickly.  Didn't stop me finishing it though!  The Peshwari Naan was totally standard and again, almost certainly commercially produced.

The others had a variety of dishes; Chicken Korma, Meat Madras, Chicken Tikka (dry) and a Chicken Biryani, all with rice.  No bhajis or other accompaniments were ordered.  The standard Cobra beer was available but bottled only, not draught.

After a while we were joined by Dave and JB, who only had some poppodums and a beer.

There were no complaints about the food although there was a fair amount of dish juggling at our end of the table due to the space being too small.  It effectively meant you had to empty everything out of the dish onto the plate in one go as there was nowhere to put the dishes.

Price wise the bill came to £80 (without service) for 12 poppodums, 4 bottles of cobra, 2 small cokes, 1 large diet coke, chicken tikka, chicken biryani, chicken passanda, chicken korma, meat madras, 2 x pilau rice and 2 x honey rice.

Marks (out of 10)

Exterior  - 4
Surroundings - 4
Interior - 7
Toilets - 7
Service - 7
Food quality - 6
Value - 7

Overall rating - 6 - Won't be rushing back but it will do if necessary.


The Match - Gillingham 1, Southend 0

As for the football, Southend dominated the match but were ultimately beaten by a Gillingham side that had one shot at goal, a penalty, and scored.  Having put our keeper in hospital and ensuring our player of the year went off with a bad groin injury (which resulted in the assailant being dismissed) they parked the proverbial bus and ensured an unhappy and frustrating journey home for us shrimpers.

We've had better nights in Gillingham.