Good Indian Curry

[jazzed]

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

Sorry Tigerbeer I wouldn't know. When I go to Thailand, I fill up on Thai food! Having said that, I believe that most of the Indian makan in Bangkok would be northern style because of the large number of Punjabi's, Gujerati's, Pakistani's doing business there.

In Singapore we have a huge range of Indian cuisine -- from Goan (they do seafood remarkably well) to Bangla (lots of fish dishes too, eaten with heaps of lime and raw green chillis) to Sri Lankan (their dry crab curries are to die for) to all the rest....aiyo I can't wait to get back home!

But I'm familiar with Malaysian mamak (my mum is from Malaysia) hey maybe we should get together and open a pondok-style eatery. Do you know what a pondok is? A simple structure with no walls, thatched roof, dirt floor. In the Malaysian kampongs or villages, you would ride your bicycle to such a pondok, order a sweet ginger tea and roti chanai which is served with fish curry or mutton dal. Maybe make space for rojak (crunchy salad with sauce) or mee goreng (friend noodles). Yum!! Or maybe we can have Malaysian makan evenings once a month, with rendang, laksa etc.

Oh boy there goes my diet.

[iainiain101]

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.

Was also there last week, empty, good flavour to dishes, but no hotness to any of the dishes I tried including the vindaloo. Vry expensive too.

[lotus eater]

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.

Was also there last week, empty, good flavour to dishes, but no hotness to any of the dishes I tried including the vindaloo. Vry expensive too.

Regardless of price the food there is just about the most inauthentic and, in my opinion, just about the worst, I've eaten in a supposedly indian restaurant. They can only be aiming to build their business based upon the lack of another indian restaurant in Chiang Rai, their central location, and a clientele which has no conception of indian food.

[joe beets]

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

Sorry Tigerbeer I wouldn't know. When I go to Thailand, I fill up on Thai food! Having said that, I believe that most of the Indian makan in Bangkok would be northern style because of the large number of Punjabi's, Gujerati's, Pakistani's doing business there.

Maybe so around Pahurat, but the stretch of Silom around Wat Kaek has 3 southern places I can think of off the top of my head. Not Keralan, but from the other side: one called Tamil Nadu, another New Madras, and then there's (my favorite) Chennai Kitchen just up Thanon Pan a few doors from the temple. (BTS Surasak is closest.) I seem to remember another southern place on Charoen Krung just north of Silom - Woodlands I think. Getting way OT, so let us now return to Chiang Mai. Namaste.

[FarangCravings]

I have now eaten at Royal India several times since my last post and I think its the best curry in chaing mai so far I took the wife and a friend there on 2 seperate occasions and while the food was excellent my wife almost puked when we sat down she immediately said the place stunk like Rat piss took my mate there too and he wanted to leave immediately cause of the stench but i said the food was worth trying and he agreed it was excellent.

I took it upon myself last night to call the boss over and discretely let him know his food was excellent but he has gotta do something about the rancid smell, I advised for him to wash the tablecloths or get rid of them as it looked like thay had not been washed ince 1999 also to completely bleach the floor to try and have more of a pleaant smell when eating.

I was sure not to let him lose face just a friendly word form a satified customer. (food wise)

[chiangmaibruce]

The Mrs and I finally visited Hinlay Restaurant - the one beside Floral Condo. After visits to two dud Indian restaurants in CNX, we were quite happy with this one and will certainly go again. Nice setting, pleasant manager, very reasonable prices. Quite a good choice of curries - we tried four and all were good. All had separate fresh and distinctive tastes (i.e. not the same basic sauce with minor changes to justify a different name). It opens in the evenings at 6pm (only closed Sunday I think)

Negatives? No naan bread, no side dishes (e.g. chutneys, etc) & no deserts (providing excuse to go to the White House afterwards to try their apple and blackberry crumble, so no hardship there!).

[ASHTONITE]

Hi..... anyone know of a good LEBONESE restaurant in Chiang Mai... or perhaps... Middle Eastern or Dubai. I like the food... easy to find in BKK... but not in CM.

[YagerTool]

You're making me hungry. Apart from restaurants, does anyone know any good recipes?

[Ulysses G.]

I'm pretty sure that there was a review for a new Lebanese restaurant in a hotel in the last Chiang Mai Mail.

[ricklev]

It always amuses me that the Royal India sign lists hygiene one of their main selling points......

[ASHTONITE]

OK... i will look in the Chiang Mai Mail... thanks for the heads-up.

RE: Hygiene

Well... I guess they know something we don't :-))

[samuibeachcomber]

was in chang mai a couple of years ago and found a really good indian cafe in the square where the night market is located,next to where they do all the foot massages.really enjoyed it.

[sabaijai]

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

Sorry Tigerbeer I wouldn't know. When I go to Thailand, I fill up on Thai food! Having said that, I believe that most of the Indian makan in Bangkok would be northern style because of the large number of Punjabi's, Gujerati's, Pakistani's doing business there.

Maybe so around Pahurat, but the stretch of Silom around Wat Kaek has 3 southern places I can think of off the top of my head. Not Keralan, but from the other side: one called Tamil Nadu, another New Madras, and then there's (my favorite) Chennai Kitchen just up Thanon Pan a few doors from the temple. (BTS Surasak is closest.) I seem to remember another southern place on Charoen Krung just north of Silom - Woodlands I think. Getting way OT, so let us now return to Chiang Mai. Namaste.

I've never come across Keralan cuisine anywhere in BKK, including Silom and Phahurat. The city has plenty of South Indian places serving the kind of dishes common to Tamil Nadu or Andra Pradesh however.

Last night I enjoyed a nice S Indian thali at Sri Ganesh, Soi 20/1, Sukhumvit Rd. Sri Ganesh serves a wide selection of idli, dosa, vada, sambar and so on, served with tasty sambar, the appropriate chatnis and, with the thali, pungent achar. The clientele is 100% Indian (till I walk in, that is) Prices are reasonable. Another S Indian spot, Komalas, which was further down Soi 20, closed recently by the way. There's a new sign out front reading 'Taj', which suggests yet another N Indian spot.

Dosa King on Soi 11/1, Suk, is also quite good for S Indian.

Woodlands on Charoen Krung offers more northern than southern Indian dishes and thus bears little resemblance to the once-famous Woodlands chain in India.

[T_Dog]

was in chang mai a couple of years ago and found a really good indian cafe in the square where the night market is located,next to where they do all the foot massages.really enjoyed it.

I think you are referring to a place that was on the second floor of that area. If so, that place has unfortunately closed. You are right, it was very good. Not sure what happened to the owner.

[buzzer101]

Hi..... anyone know of a good LEBONESE restaurant in Chiang Mai... or perhaps... Middle Eastern or Dubai. I like the food... easy to find in BKK... but not in CM.

One called the Garden Restaurant located at the Lotus Hotel 2/25 Viangbua Road Chang Phuak. You can see the menu online at www.mealsonwheels4u.com

[Mahseer]

I revisited Hinlay last night and good to see the menu now includes a total of 13 curries (beef/chicken/pork/mutton/vegetarian). New additions included butter chicken which I selected along with rogan josh and a pumpkin curry and all very good indeed. The one thing I like about this place is each curry is completely different from others and none of that similarity experienced elsewhere in town. Also the mutton dishes are boneless which again is a plus. Bill was 435baht which included a couple of orders of rice and roti and 2 beers which is pretty reasonable in my books.

Very highly recommended.

Confirm they do close on Sundays and at 21:00 each night.

[WaiWai]

I don't think Meals on Wheels includes Hinlay, does it ?

Might be an idea ... .