Amy Gallivan heads to Curry India in Framlingham for a Saturday night feast.
Food
When my partner and I moved to Framlingham earlier in the year, we discovered two Indian restaurants/takeaways within almost a stone’s throw of our home, giving us plenty of excuses to ditch a night of cooking and instead head out for dinner.
Last week we invited Andrew’s parents to dine - his dad just loves a really spicy jalfrezi.
Being careful not to overindulge, as it’s so easy to do with this type of cuisine, we shared six poppadoms with five dips which comprised mixed pickles, mango chutney, cucumber raita and another tomato-based lime pickle to start. The poppadoms were crisp making them the perfect base to layer a mix of the sauces and dips.
Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait long for our mains to arrive and wisely, we’d made sure to save room by not having starters, as the bowls were piled high.
On the side, there were two lots of pilau rice to share between four and two large plain naans that were piping hot and beautifully cooked – mmmm.
I don’t mind spice, so I made a punt for the chicken dhansak, whereas Andrew fell for the tandoori balti chicken bhuna. His dad, on the other hand, chose the chicken jalfrezi (no surprises there) and his mum the chicken tikka kushboo.
My dhansak was a little spicier than I have tasted in the past but nevertheless, it was still really flavoursome with the lentil mix tasting rich and creamy.
On the other side of the spice spectrum, Andrew felt his bhuna was far less spicy than he had experienced before but felt because of this, he was really able to pick out the flavours of the fresh spices, onion, green pepper and coriander.
Andrew’s dad said he enjoyed his jalfrezi even though it was far less spicy than he’d eaten in the past too.
Whereas my partner’s mum, said the kushboo, which was a speciality on the menu, tasted really creamy, thanks to the mixture of fried spices and yoghurt sauce.
The pilau rice was perfectly cooked and we didn’t need a lot to accompany our mains. The naan bread was also a sheer delight to eat and each of us had no trouble with finishing our share.
We couldn’t manage a pud but were offered a complimentary liqueur if we fancied and chocolate on the go.
We just might go back here.
Ambiance
For a Saturday night, the restaurant was pretty quiet. However, the takeaway side of the business was heaving. Numerous people were popping in to pick up a meal as well as those making orders over the phone.
Thankfully, there was gentle music playing in the background and the waiting staff never forgot about us despite the trade at the counter.
Location
Curry India is on Station Road in the centre of the town. It’s easy to find but the restaurant is quite small inside, so be sure to book just in case there happens to be a rush on.
Drink
You can expect to find bottled beers, Magners cider, Cobra on draft, Carlsberg lager, as well a selection of red, white, rose and even sparkling wine on offer.
There’s a French Champagne by the bottle if you’re feeling fancy plus, a selection of liqueurs, soft drinks and bottled water.
Service
The service was quick and we were never waiting too long for anything. The only minor point was the fact we received two glasses of extra tap water when we’d asked for a jug for four.
Parking
I don’t think there’s any parking but there is a car park opposite and other paid for parking nearby.
Price
We shared a few things between four but for two main dishes, two bowls of rice, two naan, five double pickles/chutneys/raita and six poppadoms, it came to almost £35 with two alcoholic drinks on top.
Highlight
The plain naan. It was freshly cooked, huge and extremely tasty! I think we could have greedily eaten another between us if I’m honest.
Summary
With Curry India obviously doing a roaring trade on the takeaway side of things, after visiting, and with it being so close to home, I’d be keener to order in next time. It’s not that we didn’t enjoy dining in the restaurant; it just lacked a certain ambiance and the food could have easily been enjoyed on the sofa. But saying that, the meal did make for an enjoyable feast, perhaps it was just one of the more quieter nights in terms of sit down diners? You can’t really grumble at the prices for what you’re getting either. All in all, I’d say, if you fancy a cheeky Saturday night curry, then go for it.
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