Good Indian Curry

[stevemcqueen]

Many thanks to all

I'll try both establishments!

Steve

[mongoose]

Turn left off Thapae Road into the Night Bazaar street. Take the second left (the one before the four-way intersection where the Burger King is). Le Spice is some 60 meters down, on the right hand side.

Regardless of which direction I am coming from?

Hopefully you are only coming from one direction as Thapae Road is a one-way street.

Exactly. Priceless, a few stones and a scattering of dust are falling from the top of your pedestal. Be careful you don't slip -- remember, it's a long, long way to the ground!

I tend to walk a lot, and as far as I've been told Thapae Rd is still two-way for pedestrians...

/ Priceless

Oh Rasseru, after you pick yourself up along with your stones and dust, turn left at Chiang Mai Gate for the Bombay Indian restaurant.

[Rasseru]

Turn left off Thapae Road into the Night Bazaar street. Take the second left (the one before the four-way intersection where the Burger King is). Le Spice is some 60 meters down, on the right hand side.

Regardless of which direction I am coming from?

Hopefully you are only coming from one direction as Thapae Road is a one-way street.

Exactly. Priceless, a few stones and a scattering of dust are falling from the top of your pedestal. Be careful you don't slip -- remember, it's a long, long way to the ground!

I tend to walk a lot, and as far as I've been told Thapae Rd is still two-way for pedestrians...

/ Priceless

Sigh. I am not particularly eager to deal with such a pedestrian attitude, but as you persist, I will address your earlier question. Yes, regardless of which direction you are coming from, turning left off Thapae Road into the Night Bazaar street will get you there. Although I have not the faintest idea how you propose to turn left off Thapae Road into the Night Bazaar traveling east on Thapae Road, I can assure you that if you know a way to do it, as would seem to be the case, you will be fine.

[Rasseru]

Oh Rasseru, after you pick yourself up along with your stones and dust, turn left at Chiang Mai Gate for the Bombay Indian restaurant.

Thanks, mongoose, but I think you must of intended to direct your kind consideration to Priceless.

[Priceless]

Oh Rasseru, after you pick yourself up along with your stones and dust, turn left at Chiang Mai Gate for the Bombay Indian restaurant.

Thanks, mongoose, but I think you must of intended to direct your kind consideration to Priceless.

Shouldn't that be "must have intended", or is my dysfunctional English letting me down again?

/ Priceless

[Rasseru]

Oh Rasseru, after you pick yourself up along with your stones and dust, turn left at Chiang Mai Gate for the Bombay Indian restaurant.

Thanks, mongoose, but I think you must of intended to direct your kind consideration to Priceless.

Shouldn't that be "must have intended", or is my dysfunctional English letting me down again?

/ Priceless

Yes, that should have been 'must have intended', thank you very much, and your English is neither dysfunctional nor letting you down.

[mongoose]

Oh Rasseru, after you pick yourself up along with your stones and dust, turn left at Chiang Mai Gate for the Bombay Indian restaurant.

Thanks, mongoose, but I think you must of intended to direct your kind consideration to Priceless.

The comment was for you.

[vagabond48]

This is weird.

Why was my post saying "or it could be "must've" " removed?

I know I posted it cause, I was subscribed as of June 18th.

[Priceless]

This is weird.

Why was my post saying "or it could be "must've" " removed?

I know I posted it cause, I was subscribed as of June 18th.

Undoubtedly weird. I agree with your grammatical analysis, though, and have since verified its correctness with Rasseru.

/ Priceless

[FarangCravings]

Up until the other night I also put Le Spice at the top of my list however after pool the other night my friends and I decided to go eat at Omalleys however it was closed when we arrived so we saw a pakistani restautrant a few doors down 1 shop away from Hells kitchen (dont know the name as I was bladdered).

I ordered a chicken Curry and a Naan bread and 2 poppadums

the poppodoms were great and bigger than le spice

the curry was very very good and it even repeated on me the whole of the next day which confirms that its a good curry the Naan breads were also excellent

So now I have a new curry house to go too only problem is they are muslims so no BEER i had to nip next door but one and grab a cold one and place it just outside the restaurant and get up each time I needed a fix

Only thing different, I actually made it through the curry without dropping some of it down my white shirt which always seemed to happen when eating curry in Brum.

I have to do a quick review of my post I went and ate the same place again last night this time I was stone cold sober and the Nan was good papadoms good but the curry was not as good sober as it was pissed so be sure if you go there get pissed first it tastes much better if your not pissed best go to le spice which tastes good pissed or sober.

[Rasseru]

This is weird.

Why was my post saying "or it could be "must've" " removed?

I know I posted it cause, I was subscribed as of June 18th.

If it is any comfort to you, my terribly witty response to your same post has also disappeared into the twilight zone.

[iainiain101]

I have to do a quick review of my post I went and ate the same place again last night this time I was stone cold sober and the Nan was good papadoms good but the curry was not as good sober as it was pissed so be sure if you go there get pissed first it tastes much better if your not pissed best go to le spice which tastes good pissed or sober.

Very true, a curry is best devoured when pissed! This is my only criticism of Le Spice. I arrived there slightly after midnight one night last week to be told they had closed! They really need to stay open later!

[vagabond48]

This is weird.

Why was my post saying "or it could be "must've" " removed?

I know I posted it cause, I was subscribed as of June 18th.

If it is any comfort to you, my terribly witty response to your same post has also disappeared into the twilight zone.

At the risk of having it once again beamed to an alternative universe , what was your witty response?

[Rasseru]

This is weird.

Why was my post saying "or it could be "must've" " removed?

I know I posted it cause, I was subscribed as of June 18th.

If it is any comfort to you, my terribly witty response to your same post has also disappeared into the twilight zone.

At the risk of having it once again beamed to an alternative universe , what was your witty response?

I'm sorry, but I was able to describe it as witty only once it was gone. That, along with the fact that I am losing my memory together with my mind, leaves me no choice but to disappoint you now.

Edited June 20, 2008 by Rasseru

[vagabond48]

This is weird.

Why was my post saying "or it could be "must've" " removed?

I know I posted it cause, I was subscribed as of June 18th.

If it is any comfort to you, my terribly witty response to your same post has also disappeared into the twilight zone.

At the risk of having it once again beamed to an alternative universe , what was your witty response?

I'm sorry, but I was able to describe it as witty only once it was gone. That, along with the fact that I am losing my memory together with my mind, leaves me no choice but to disappoint you now.

[Flapman]

Just found this important thread!

Looks like there's about 11 or 12 places for indian food - including the freezer at Rimping!

Maybe a year ago I ate Indian food at The Whole Earth on Sri Donchai road, on LHS after crossing Chang Klan. Don't know if it's still going. Food was OK-ish, if I remember, but a tad pricey.

On the DIY side, there's a new batch of indian ingredients in Carrefour in the farang section on the far side from the fresh fish.

Then there's that little shop opposite the Imperial Mae Ping Hotel on Kampeangdin that did a bit of food and sells curry powder.

[tigerbeer]

Whole Earth has the worst indian food i have ever eaten in Chiang Mai. MY OPINION of course ..

Chiang Mai really needs a malaysian south indian muslim fare. IDli, Dosas, Banana leaf rice. Biryani, Appam, PuttuMayam, Murtabak. Some real curry stuff. Chicken/Mutton varuval. Fried Spanich Mackerel Fish, Sambar Dall. Sodi. yummy......

maybe someday i would be able to open one with enough capital unless someone beats me to one ?? which i would not really mind one bit !

[ihop]

Whole Earth has the worst indian food i have ever eaten in Chiang Mai. MY OPINION of course ..

I agree about Whole Earth. Nice atmosphere but pricey and the "indian" dishes were very disappointing.

Best indian food i've had in Chiang Mai was at the Royal Flora Expo from an indian restaurant from Bangkok that set up shop during the expo. Can't recall the name but the waitress said they were in CM only for the expo. dam_n.

Le Spice and Royal satisfy my naan n' curry cravings.

[Ulysses G.]

Whole Earth has the worst indian food i have ever eaten in Chiang Mai. MY OPINION of course ..

They seem to spend a lot of money on ingredients and it doesn't taste bad for what it is, but it is in no way authentic Indian food IMHO.

[tigerbeer]

They seem to spend a lot of money on ingredients and it doesn't taste bad for what it is, but it is in no way authentic Indian food IMHO.

why do you say that UG? did they (whole earth) mention something about it? I would have imagined that the ingredients would have been pretty standard across the board especially since they only do vegetarian food.

[Ulysses G.]

No, I'm just guessing, but when I have been there, I thought that it tasted good in the way that Mexican food tastes good at Salsa Kitchen - like someone is really working at making it enjoyable, but has no idea as to what the real stuff tastes like.

My guess is that because you have a much better idea than most of us of what it should taste like, you are more likely to dismiss it than those of us who are much less expert.

I would be interested in what other farangs say who don't know a lot about real Indian food.

[tigerbeer]

No, I'm just guessing, but when I have been there, I thought that it tasted good in the way that Mexican food tastes good at Salsa Kitchen - like someone is really working at making it enjoyable, but has no idea as to what the real stuff tastes like.

My guess is that because you have a much better idea than most of us of what it should taste like, you are more likely to dismiss it than those of us who are much less expert.

I would be interested in what other farangs say who don't know a lot about real Indian food.

Nah i was really wondering whether their ingredients were prepared in a special way or premium ingredients were used since you mentioned it. Since you move around town quite a bit and have tried a lot of the food at different establishments.

They do have a nice setting there though. The first restaurant i ever went to in THailand was one of the branches of Whole Earth in Bangkok and we went there more for their Thai food rather than anything else.

[Ulysses G.]

Many people love Le Spice and when I tried it, I thought that they took a lot of care with the cooking and used better ingredients than most places, but I much prefer Royal India for some reason. I did not enjoy the curries I had at Le Spice at all.

[FarangCravings]

Ok here i go again

last 2 weeks after being on patrol we had a ruby murray at royal india and I and my associate agreed this was the best ruby murray we had, had. The nans were excellent as were the papadoms so my vote now goes to royal india for the best ruby murray in chiang mai

PS. I was not pissed

PPS I also had a fantastic Lamb curry from my favorite sausage supplier but cant mention him as I get banned if I do

[jazzed]

IDli, Dosas, Banana leaf rice. Biryani, Appam, PuttuMayam, Murtabak. Some real curry stuff. Chicken/Mutton varuval. Fried Spanich Mackerel Fish, Sambar Dall. Sodi.

Now you're talking. Although I do enjoy north indian fare I prefer the more pungent south indian curries, specially keralan curries. I like to start with pooli curry & sambar, rasam when the initial hunger pangs are eased, mooru to finish. and we still have the meat dishes to come. I'm ethnically Chinese but sometimes think I should have been born Indian. I even worship Ganesha as one of my spiritual guides

In the end it's a case of "to each his own". Many of my British friends grew up with northern indian food as cooked in UK. So for many of them chicken tikka masala is a staple & they don't realise this is hardly cooked nor found in India. Their fave Indian joints here in Beijing do the usual: rogan josh, etc. but in my view the food is bland and skimps on some spices. My own favourite place is heavily-patronised by expatriate Indians who consider the food more authentic.

Yet these very same Indian expatriates are the ones who pronounce Chinese food in Malaysia/Singapore too bland. In India the so-called Chinese cooking is unrecognisable to anyone who knows Chinese food -- full of hot spices and colouring, nothing steamed, no clear soups. So some restaurants have opened in Sinagapore catering to the many Indian expats who work in IT, banking etc. They do a roaring business but no local Singaporean -- Indian or otherwise -- would eat there.

The customer's always right I reckon. TigerBeer when i get to Chiangmai let's get together for makan. And if and when I move to CM I'll cook my humble version of south indian for those of us who like it hot!

[narcisus]

You might want to also try ASMA in the Anusarn Market off Night Bazaar. They offer more of a Pakistani taste which is closer to North Indian cuisine - the Chicken biryani is very authentic (being a good biryani cook myself, I can certainly vouch for it). Their nan bread is delicious and so are all the curries. Quite a few vegie items on the menu too. They do not serve or allow alcoholic beverages so those of you who must have alcohol with your meals should take this into consideration.

[el jefe]

Now you're talking. Although I do enjoy north indian fare I prefer the more pungent south indian curries, specially keralan curries. I like to start with pooli curry & sambar, rasam when the initial hunger pangs are eased, mooru to finish.

The customer's always right I reckon. TigerBeer when i get to Chiangmai let's get together for makan. And if and when I move to CM I'll cook my humble version of south indian for those of us who like it hot!

Jazzed, count me in too. I love Keralan food but it's almost impossible to find outside of Kerala. The cuisine from the rest of South India isn't bad either. Too bad that most of the "Indian" food you get outside of India is northern Indian / Pakistani. And usually it's no good.

Is there any place in Bangkok that specializes in Keralan cuisine?

[Loaded]

News Flash!

Hinlay Curry is closed and a handwritten sign on the gate states closed until November 2008 for renovations. Often 'closed for renovations' is a Thai-style way of closing a business without losing face. It's a shame as I liked their vindaloo very much but whenever I passed few customers were sat eating. Hopefully, they will open again.

End of News Flash.

[tigerbeer]

Now you're talking. Although I do enjoy north indian fare I prefer the more pungent south indian curries, specially keralan curries. I like to start with pooli curry & sambar, rasam when the initial hunger pangs are eased, mooru to finish. and we still have the meat dishes to come. I'm ethnically Chinese but sometimes think I should have been born Indian. I even worship Ganesha as one of my spiritual guides

In the end it's a case of "to each his own". Many of my British friends grew up with northern indian food as cooked in UK. So for many of them chicken tikka masala is a staple & they don't realise this is hardly cooked nor found in India. Their fave Indian joints here in Beijing do the usual: rogan josh, etc. but in my view the food is bland and skimps on some spices. My own favourite place is heavily-patronised by expatriate Indians who consider the food more authentic.

Yet these very same Indian expatriates are the ones who pronounce Chinese food in Malaysia/Singapore too bland. In India the so-called Chinese cooking is unrecognisable to anyone who knows Chinese food -- full of hot spices and colouring, nothing steamed, no clear soups. So some restaurants have opened in Sinagapore catering to the many Indian expats who work in IT, banking etc. They do a roaring business but no local Singaporean -- Indian or otherwise -- would eat there.

The customer's always right I reckon. TigerBeer when i get to Chiangmai let's get together for makan. And if and when I move to CM I'll cook my humble version of south indian for those of us who like it hot!

Jazzed, you are so right. I have tried chinese food in india and I still don't get whats so chinese about it. I have not tried chinese food within china itself but the Malaysian/Singaporean chinese fare is amazing. Oh how I love Malaysian cuisine, all chinese, indian, nyonya, mamak and malay dishes. yummy yummy.

Coming back to Indian food, the excessive use of Garam Masala is just not something I could have often. Like you said, the British are more used to the Northern indian style of cooking done back home. I seriously would like to open an establishment that serves them southern indian curries. hmm someday ! I already have a curry leave plant at home here in CM. Have attached a picture of it. Looks healthy and very strong aroma.

Yes do send a PM when you do come around CM and we can go makan makan

TB..

Edited July 3, 2008 by tigerbeer

[Flapman]

Not Chiang Mai, I know, but I went to the Maharaja in C-Rai t'other day. Expensive - Thb120 for some veg dishes! Some karai dishes too tomato-ey, and not authentic by any stretch e.g. mattar paneer. Really good naan breads. Tandoori chicken + a nut n youghurt sauce was quite OK. The place was empty, apart from us. I wonder if it'll survive.