PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIAThe decor shows signs of Royal Tandoori’s 20-year history. Multi-coloured upholstered chairs, mushroom-hued carpet and potted fake ivy suspended from the ceiling panels may bemuse some – or make the place charming for others. Strands of fairy lights and mini lanterns add to the kitsch. Tables are dressed in white linen and would look smarter if kept that way; however, they are over-laid with those omnipresent Claret-coloured cloths that never faded out with the 1980s. Wine glasses are filled with paper serviettes before your chosen drop of vino. The laminated beverage list has also remained amusingly untouched over the years, where inside, around eight reds and whites a-piece will not leave you agonising over which to pick. Beer speaks the international language of Indian cuisine, so grab an imported Tiger or Kingfisher and hit the menu. This is where the Royal Tandoori family shines.
Chef Surinder Kumar is a delightful man with four decades of professional cooking under his stylish belt. He learnt his craft from the age of 11, with his grandfather and father at their New Delhi restaurant. He has passed on his culinary skills to son Sunny, whose cheeky grin will make you feel as happy as his cheese naan does! It is the first thing customers ask for and understandably so. Pillowed with lava-like oozes of cheese and pungent nuances of onion, it is the perfect entree into royal chilli chicken, lamb shanks or garlic prawns. The tandoori oven impresses with a sizzling platter of chicken tikka, fish, prawns, beef and sheekh kabab. Choose biryani, rice made with hot spice, fried onion and garam masala to accompany your dish, and finish with milk ball dumplings soaked in sweet syrup.
Roz Taylor