Tuesday 7 October 2014

FRODSHAM, INDIA GARDEN - More Slurry than Curry




You’d be forgiven for thinking that, with three curry houses in proximity to one another, each would strive to outdo the next in terms of providing an exemplary Indian dining experience. Sadly, that isn’t the case. India Garden, a stalwart of Frodsham high street, can best be described as the worst of a fairly mediocre bunch – although, granted, the next door Naga has improved dramatically of late – so I really do not understand why it is far and away the most popular. 

LIME AFTER TIME


We arrived on a busy Friday and were swiftly furnished with wine, spicy poppadoms and extraordinarily chunky lime pickle – so far, so pleasing. The arrival of the starters, however, swiftly augured disappointment of the highest order. My mixed starter comprised the most flaccid sheek kebab imaginable. It was like a mouthful of ashes, disintegrating unbidden like a petrified limb.

ASHES TO ASHES


The chicken tikka was as dry as bone, obviously cooked well in advance and microwaved with such vigour as to drain every last ounce of moisture. Even the bhaji was nothing to write home about. It takes some doing to mess up an onion bhaji to the point of divesting it entirely of its crunch. The Mrs’s lamb tikka was marginally better, but again had a precooked-and-reheated element about it.

MIXED KE-BAD


Things improved a little upon the advent of the main courses. A house special of lamb kulchi – which didn’t have any kind of description on the menu – was quite nice. There was a fair amount of lamb and, in fairness, what was there was decent. But it was the sundries that let it down. The garlic naan was fresh off the shelf of the Morrison’s opposite or, at least, that’s how it tasted; a more piss poor example of the breadstuff you’d struggle to find – burnt in places with the consistency of cardboard.

KULCHI SHOCK

I have had some shit naans in my day but this one took the unleavened cake. The fact that our bill, when it arrived, was so woefully incorrect that I could make neither head nor tail of it (one of those illegibly-scrawled ones) said it all really.

IN THE MAIN

I hadn’t been to the India Garden in ages, due to having had the exact same experience as described above, on a previous visit. At least it’s consistent – I have to give it that. But the people of Frodsham clearly like it, and that almost makes me wonder if it’s actually me who’s at fault here. So, if you live in or around Frodsham, and the worst mixed kebabs in the world float your boat, by all means give this place a try.

Food: 
Service: ✓✓✓
Ambiance: ✓✓✓
Value: ✓✓
Website: Doesn't have one
Phone: 01928 730041