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Spice

Printed From: Chalfont St Peter
Category: Chalfont St Peter
Forum Name: Out & About
Forum Description: Eating Out & What's On in Chalfont
URL: https://www.chalfontstpeter.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6607
Printed Date: 29 March 2024 at 10:05am
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Topic: Spice
Posted By: Malc London
Subject: Spice
Date Posted: 20 November 2011 at 1:16pm

Friday night and Spice was full to the rafters with people waiting. A sign of a good takeaway to come? No.

Since when has Chicken Tikka been hotter than a Madras? and since when did a Madras come in a bright yellow sauce?

The Madras was a medium/hot curry, but was not a Madras.

The menu might have well read

1) Mild Chicken Curry
2) Medium Chicken Curry
3) Hot Chicken Curry.

Take the menu to anywhere out of Chafont and you will get what you expect, if I ordered a Chicken Madras in South Harrow, Eastcote or Uxbridge, I would get roughly the same thing.  Order it at Spice and you get their version.

Still, the restaurant was full and so again I am not in line with the taste buds of Chalfontonians, but I'll revert to GX for my currys from now on.

(Lemon Grass was empty btw, perhaps I should have gone there).






Replies:
Posted By: oldchris
Date Posted: 20 November 2011 at 4:46pm
lemon grass is always empty when i go past.

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stop HS2.


Posted By: Bucks Fizz
Date Posted: 20 November 2011 at 4:59pm
Speaking of 'spices;, in its broader sense, I went to the food fair at the GX community centre yesterday. It was very good - lots of Fishers' suppliers of mainly local foods (sausages, yoghourt, ice cream cheeses, biscuits etc), with free tastings. They had 2 suppliers of curry sauces and all their products were excellent so I bought some. You might try making your own Madras, Malc? I'll certainly be looking in at Fishers for Christmas. I tasted some excellent ice cream from a dairy herd at Lane End too.


Posted By: oldchris
Date Posted: 20 November 2011 at 5:01pm
i make my own all the time now, it's cheaper and for me, better, the only downside is time and the washing up.

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stop HS2.


Posted By: Malc London
Date Posted: 20 November 2011 at 5:11pm
I do make my own but cannot get that authentic Indian taste. Mine taste more like what you get at Tripti. Nearest I got involved using a lot of oil which I didn't want to do again.

Bit like my Chalfontucky baked chicken, uses a lot of salt but pretty close to KFC. But then I don't like using a lot of salt.



Posted By: Walrus
Date Posted: 21 November 2011 at 2:03am
Spice is Bangladesh not Indian.

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Is back in the game! :)


Posted By: oldchris
Date Posted: 21 November 2011 at 9:15am
Originally posted by Walrus Walrus wrote:

Spice is Bangladesh not Indian.

you will hard pressed to get real Indian food in a UK restaurant .Confused


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stop HS2.


Posted By: Bucks Fizz
Date Posted: 21 November 2011 at 11:57am
Most Indians are vegetarian, as I found when I lived out there. What most of our restaurants here serve is northern Indian tandoori meats, but cooked and served by Bangladeshis. Bangladeshi cuisine is rather different, so who's to say what's authentic? Better to have lots of veggie oil, Malc, than ghee (clarified butter) which they use in the restaurants and which will stop your heart eventually. If you dry fry whole spices then grind them, just before cooking, you should get a really 'authentic' taste. Balti recipes are best done this way. The tastiest (and healthiest) 'Indian' food I ever ate was cooked in big pots over wood fires by the roadside in Gilgit, northern Pakistan, and the best Balti was served up to me in Baltistan in 1979(it was not, contrary to popular rumour, invented in Birmingham). Malc, maybe you should visit India and try it for yourself? Out there, chicken tikka is served dry, without sauce, but is none the worse for that. Butter chicken (murgh Mahkani) is a saucy speciality of Delhi - you'd love it. And the Peshawari naans are as big as tennis rackets. Incidentally, the English way of asking for 'naann bread' sounds ludicrous to Indians - it's like asking for 'bread breads'. Naan and roti both mean 'bread'. At this time of year, I like to pop over to Southall to stock up on spices etc. I buy lots of fresh red chillies, cinamon sticks etc to decorate the house for Christmas, and you can buy great value stainless steel kitchen itenms, and silk fabrics too. Oh dear Malc, you've got me on 2 of my faourite subjects - India and food!


Posted By: brewski
Date Posted: 21 November 2011 at 12:32pm
Had a curry in Maliks GX the other evening, wasn't over impressed with their food, shame, used to be good there too.

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Too many laws...
Too few examples...


Posted By: Malc London
Date Posted: 21 November 2011 at 1:15pm
Originally posted by Walrus Walrus wrote:

Spice is Bangladesh not Indian.
 
The term "Indian" when refering to a style of cusine, refers to the Indian Subcontinent, not just India.
 
 
 


Posted By: Malc London
Date Posted: 21 November 2011 at 1:24pm
Originally posted by Bucks Fizz Bucks Fizz wrote:

Incidentally, the English way of asking for 'naann bread' sounds ludicrous to Indians - it's like asking for 'bread breads'. Naan and roti both mean 'bread'. 
 
Thanks for the input Bicks Fizz. (Thankfully, I always ask for a Plain Naan).
 
I was aware that Curry is different over in India, in fact "Curry" is a western word. Chicken Tikka is also dry over here, just that it's supposed to be like Tandori and not excessively spicey.
 
I would like to try the food in India, but wonder if this is what we are actually getting in Chalfont when I am more used to traditional Indian food as served in restaurants up and down the country. As I said, my Curries are tasty, just not "Restaurant Curry".
 
I might try the hint about frying the spices whole.
 
 
 
 
 
 


Posted By: oldchris
Date Posted: 21 November 2011 at 1:47pm
indian is one thing, Thai is another
the best place i've been is the white horse pub, 50 Middle Road,
 harrow on the hill, fantastic food.
NOW GONE!Angry


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Posted By: phisch21
Date Posted: 21 November 2011 at 1:52pm
Chickem Tikka is dry - it's the Massala sauce in Chicken Tikka massala that makes it saucy.

If you want a taste of Indian food, try the Masala Zone - there's a few about in London now.


Posted By: pierre
Date Posted: 21 November 2011 at 3:40pm
yum!
 
http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=tesco+value+tinned+chicken+curry&hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4ACAW_enGB320GB320&biw=1088&bih=486&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=Sjwk_fBadI3rFM:&imgrefurl=http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-price-comparison/Tinned_Meat_And_Poultry/Sainsburys_Basics_Chicken_Curry_392g.html%3FShowSwitchSMBar%3D3&docid=PH2-BTp6U8bqxM&itg=1&imgurl=http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Images/ExternalImages/ProductsDetailed/65/024165.jpg%253Fts%253D633851753184&w=192&h=300&ei=wnDKTvC5G8qk8QO3zeCRAQ&zoom=1 - http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=tesco+value+tinned+chicken+curry&hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&qscrl=1&nord=1&rlz=1T4ACAW_enGB320GB320&biw=1088&bih=486&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=Sjwk_fBadI3rFM:&imgrefurl=http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/tesco-price-comparison/Tinned_Meat_And_Poultry/Sainsburys_Basics_Chicken_Curry_392g.html%3FShowSwitchSMBar%3D3&docid=PH2-BTp6U8bqxM&itg=1&imgurl=http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/Images/ExternalImages/ProductsDetailed/65/024165.jpg%253Fts%253D633851753184&w=192&h=300&ei=wnDKTvC5G8qk8QO3zeCRAQ&zoom=1


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Perveyor of crap knob jokes since 2007.


Posted By: oldchris
Date Posted: 21 November 2011 at 5:24pm
dog food.

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stop HS2.


Posted By: pierre
Date Posted: 21 November 2011 at 11:02pm
My dog Muttley loves it!

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Perveyor of crap knob jokes since 2007.


Posted By: Bucks Fizz
Date Posted: 22 November 2011 at 7:19am
You're all correct. Chicken tikka should be served dry. Smothering it in sauce and calling it chicken tikka massala originated in England and you won't find it in India, unless some enterprising hotelier exports the idea to India. As Malc says, he's used to 'local' Indian dishes here. Recipes always get adapted to local tastes as they cross borders. Anyone remember the early English 'curries' we used to make, using chicken or mince, with diced apple, sultanas and Lea & Perrin's curry sauce? It wasn't in the least bit 'authentic' but was delicious nonetheless. L&P no longer make that curry sauce, sadly. Nowadays everyone wants specifically a jalfrezi, dopiaza or madras etc. Lea & Perrins was based on 'Anglo Indian' cuisine, as adapted by the Eurasian communities in India. They gave us mulligatawny soup and Kedgeree (rice & fish) etc. As I said earlier, who's to say what is 'authentic'. It's what you like that counts.    


Posted By: Walrus
Date Posted: 22 November 2011 at 8:52am
That's like saying fish and chips is European. You cannot say food is the same if it comes from about 1/4 of the world.

Spice is Bangladeshi, to cater for more markets it's offering Indian dishes like madras, jalfrezi etc.

I wouldn't go to Spain and expect really good fish and chips or Sunday roast!

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Is back in the game! :)


Posted By: Malc London
Date Posted: 22 November 2011 at 12:23pm
You do not hear people saying "I'm going for a Bangladeshi".  The style of food is known as Curry or Indian, even if the chef is English.
 
Why would you not expect good fish and chips or Sunday roast in Spain?
 


Posted By: Bucks Fizz
Date Posted: 23 November 2011 at 7:23am
I must say that the best 'English' style roast beef, roast tatties and yorkshire pud I ever ate were served up by a friend's Indian lady cook in Delhi in 1976. It was so good that I remember it to this day. I'd been in India a few months and was greatly missing home and home cooking, and I could not get the local meat to cook nicely in my dreadful little oven. The lady cook had been taught to cook English dishes by a former employer, a Yorkshire woman. I have never tasted roast potatoes so good.

I also think the best fish & chips I've had in many a year are from Andrew's Plaice in GX. Theyr'e also nice people in there. They used to run a butchery business in Farnham Common and, when business fell off, they tried to turn their shop into a chippy, but the local council wouldn't grant them permission, as it would lower the tone of the place. FC have now got a Tesco Express selling plastic wrapped meat instead! Farmham Common's loss is our gain.   


Posted By: nicnac
Date Posted: 05 January 2012 at 6:02pm
I really like the food in spice. I like the tikka quite spicy also.
 
I lived in India for a while also, and I come from an Asian mixed background.
 
To be honest, I found the food in GX indian restaurants very bland......especially in maliks.
 
I know that the food in spice is different from other restaurants as they create there own style recipe. But thats what makes them unique.
 
there a hard working bunch though.


Posted By: oldchris
Date Posted: 05 January 2012 at 7:51pm
i like em to, best in the CSP?

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stop HS2.


Posted By: Bucks Fizz
Date Posted: 06 January 2012 at 7:27am
Anyone tried the new place yet?


Posted By: spandangled
Date Posted: 08 January 2012 at 10:24pm
The new place - Dehli Spice - hasnt opened yet, but i believe it opens tomorrow!!
I did however visit Tripti this evening with friends for the first time in a while and was pleasantly surprised in the quality of service and flavour of the food.


Posted By: Malc London
Date Posted: 10 January 2012 at 12:40pm
If you like Tripti, you probably wouldn't like Dehli Spice.
 
I'm counting on Delhi being an improvement on the last two attempts.
 
 


Posted By: Walrus
Date Posted: 10 January 2012 at 2:13pm
Cant beat the Balichera from Spice.

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Is back in the game! :)


Posted By: nicnac
Date Posted: 10 January 2012 at 2:32pm
the lamb balichera is my favourite!
 
I could eat that everyday!


Posted By: oldchris
Date Posted: 10 January 2012 at 4:09pm
Originally posted by nicnac nicnac wrote:

the lamb balichera is my favourite!
 
I could eat that everyday!


they sell it here as well,
anyone tried this place,

http://www.sathichorleywood.com/menu.html - http://www.sathichorleywood.com/menu.html





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stop HS2.


Posted By: watsy
Date Posted: 10 January 2012 at 4:39pm
Tripti has improved back to where it was a few years back -the last couple of times I've eaten there. Just wish they'd deliver as I'm too lazy to drive to them so always end up ordering from Spice.


Posted By: Bucks Fizz
Date Posted: 10 January 2012 at 6:13pm
Originally posted by oldchris oldchris wrote:


Originally posted by nicnac nicnac wrote:

the lamb balichera is my favourite!

 

I could eat that everyday!
they sell it here as well,anyone tried this place, http://www.sathichorleywood.com/menu.html - http://www.sathichorleywood.com/menu.html


Aren't Spice & the Chorleywood restaurant owned by the same person? I'm sure I heard that.


Posted By: oldchris
Date Posted: 10 January 2012 at 7:32pm
looks like it as this dish is a in house special, i think.

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Posted By: Henry
Date Posted: 11 January 2012 at 1:29pm
Both owned by the same person.

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Keep the green belt green


Posted By: nicnac
Date Posted: 03 February 2012 at 1:21pm
yeah they are both owned by Zia, the owner. Ive been to Sathi, Its a lovely place. Very friendly atmosphere


Posted By: fitzy
Date Posted: 12 March 2013 at 7:07pm
has anyone else noticed over the last couple of months the curries are no way as hot as they used to be. i have had 6 take aways or meals in recently and found tbem qjite bland. shame i think i will have to vote with my feet.


Posted By: brewski
Date Posted: 13 March 2013 at 5:02am
Originally posted by fitzy fitzy wrote:

has anyone else noticed over the last couple of months the curries are no way as hot as they used to be. i have had 6 take aways or meals in recently and found tbem qjite bland. shame i think i will have to vote with my feet.


Yes, Spice has definately cut down on their quality & portions.

Shame.

Delhi spice is ok, with Tripti the empty restaurant most nights speaks volumes!

We now use Maliks or Barwarchi in GX for our curries.

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Too many laws...
Too few examples...


Posted By: PeaBee
Date Posted: 13 March 2013 at 2:47pm
Spice................and their prices seem to have risen shed-loads


Posted By: fitzy
Date Posted: 13 March 2013 at 8:21pm
Originally posted by brewski brewski wrote:

Originally posted by fitzy fitzy wrote:

has anyone else noticed over the last couple of months the curries are no way as hot as they used to be. i have had 6 take aways or meals in recently and found tbem qjite bland. shame i think i will have to vote with my feet.


Yes, Spice has definately cut down on their quality & portions.

Shame.

Delhi spice is ok, with Tripti the empty restaurant most nights speaks volumes!

We now use Maliks or Barwarchi in GX for our curries.


i think i will give tripti another go (also find delhi spice very bland) before i go further afield. i will look into maliks and barwarchi. thanks for the tip.


Posted By: oldchris
Date Posted: 13 March 2013 at 8:29pm
i make my own now, don't bother with these places now, it all tastes the same to me, very poor, it's not real Indian food anyhow.

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stop HS2.


Posted By: fitzy
Date Posted: 13 March 2013 at 8:49pm
Originally posted by oldchris oldchris wrote:


i make my own now, don't bother with these places now, it all tastes the same to me, very poor, it's not real Indian food anyhow.



So do I. I only get a take away or dine out about once month. My jalfrazi is not bad for a talentless amature.


Posted By: nicnac
Date Posted: 15 March 2013 at 10:11pm
Hey

That's a shame to hear that you have not enjoyed the food. I dine In most weekends and absolutely love the food, it's amazing! I'm my opinion and most of those whom I know in the village agree that the quality has got better and better. Maybe speak to the owner if you have been disappointed previously, he's very accommodating and does welcome any comments.


Posted By: fitzy
Date Posted: 18 March 2013 at 5:57pm
Originally posted by nicnac nicnac wrote:

Hey

That's a shame to hear that you have not enjoyed the food. I dine In most weekends and absolutely love the food, it's amazing! I'm my opinion and most of those whom I know in the village agree that the quality has got better and better. Maybe speak to the owner if you have been disappointed previously, he's very accommodating and does welcome any comments.

i did on two occasions, those meals were better but not back the best and then the folowing meals were back to bland. my guess is the chef has changed.


Posted By: Chillies
Date Posted: 20 March 2013 at 2:47pm
Originally posted by fitzy fitzy wrote:

has anyone else noticed over the last couple of months the curries are no way as hot as they used to be. i have had 6 take aways or meals in recently and found tbem qjite bland. shame i think i will have to vote with my feet.
Fitzy if you are stuck we can happily help you with a choice of Hot Sauces and even have one with 30% Naga in if you need a nice hit


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www.chalfontchillies.co.uk Twitter: @chalfontchillie Facebook: chalfontchillies

Often to be seen walking his Staffie Cross and two Chihuahuas so please say hello


Posted By: Malc London
Date Posted: 22 March 2013 at 9:50am
Originally posted by brewski brewski wrote:



We now use Maliks or Barwarchi in GX for our curries.


They are the best two Indian Restaurants around. Can't fault Barwarchi.

And Mr Poons is a very good Chinese.


Posted By: oldchris
Date Posted: 22 March 2013 at 12:31pm
mr poons is good, apart from the singer..lol

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Posted By: phisch21
Date Posted: 22 March 2013 at 2:48pm
isn't that Chinese?


Posted By: Malc London
Date Posted: 22 March 2013 at 2:56pm
Yes, went off topic, but talking about good restaurants made me include mr Poons along with Bawarchi and Maliks as the three best local restaurants.


Posted By: phisch21
Date Posted: 22 March 2013 at 3:42pm
very sad how little choice we have


Posted By: EmmaO
Date Posted: 22 March 2013 at 6:48pm
I'm obviously alone in really liking Tripti then! I think their food is really tasty and plentiful. Everytime we have food from there we end up leaving tons as we are stuffed and always say next time we'll order less but never seem to! I've only eaten at Mr Poons once and that was enough, 8 of us ate and none of us particularly enjoyed it. Maybe we had a duff visit and should try it again.


Posted By: Malc London
Date Posted: 22 March 2013 at 8:53pm
If you like Tripti, you probably wouldn't like any curry house outside of Chalfont.

I've never had a good meal there and have tried a lot of times. Spice is close, but its better to go to GX.


Posted By: brewski
Date Posted: 30 March 2013 at 7:44am
Had a pleasant enough meal in Spice on Thursday.

The portions seemed more generous than in previous occasions.

Still not as good as the GX curry restaurants IMO.

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Too many laws...
Too few examples...


Posted By: fitzy
Date Posted: 13 April 2013 at 7:10pm
i gave tripti one last go last week and have to say it was average at best. tried barwarchi last night and it was pretty good say 8 out of 10. will try maliks next to see who becomes my new favorite huant.

quite sad that with three curry houses (and very little else) that you have to drive to gx for a good curry.



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