Verandah Talk Review - September 2010

 

Met at the North Western Hotel pub along Stratford road which was a new one for me. Clearly recently done up (you could still smell the paint) and quite smart, although the barmaid had more tattoos and piercings than Amy Winehouse.

 

Anyway onto the restaurant, the Verandah Talk at Wolverton, opposite Tescos along the Stratford Rd. A new one for us and therefore something to look forward to. We checked out the website and it looked very promising. Also a couple of very glowing reviews on Tripadvisor, possibly too good I did think at the time, hmmm.

Firstly it always worries me when a restaurant uses the word "fusion" in their advertising. I can't recall a positive experience leading on from this. It's like they've had a go at one thing, can't do that well and they try something else. Anyway, just my opinion now on to my thoughts.

Overall we were very disappointed on a number of fronts:

- Starters poor all round. No flavour and the feeling was most items had been pre-prepared and frozen. Also zero points for presentation, one slice of cucumber, tomato and pile of lettuce

- Mains better although a lot of grumbling about lack of flavour. Meat was generally good and well cooked though

- Breads poor - made and cooked fresh (we could see them going into the tandoor) but for some reason they came out very flat and dense, not light and fluffy as you would expect

- Sides - ok but nothing stunning

- As for good value as noted by previous reviews I think you are joking! We track costs at all the restaurants we visit and this one is right up in the upper quartile. Perhaps not quite as much as the Jaipur but... Eg bottled Cobras £4.45 whereas elsewhere always around the £3.95 mark

- Loud music! Turn it down please!! I know we had a belly dancer in the middle of the evening (bizarre in an Indian) but like others we come out for a chat, not a dance

So overall a shame. The venue is nice and the staff all very friendly and attentive.

So Verandah, my question to you; are you Indian or Lebanese? Make your mind up and do one of them well!

 

Summary - The food is of a good standard, albeit lacking ‘kick’ in some dishes, but is recommended for a decent meal out.

 

Common Curry - High average, bordering on expensive price.

No certificate awarded.

Web site - http://www.verandahtalk.co.uk/

Other Comments

Positive:

• Good first impression with nice interior
• Very pleasant owner and waiters
• Onion bhaji was ok but not special
• Aloo Tikka starter looked like Nachos but was very tasty and a good portion
• Achari gosht, tender lamb but too much vinegar
• Jalfrazi had plenty of kick
• Karahi Chicken was very tasty
• Tandoori grill was a very large portion
• Keema rice, and rice in general, was good

 

Negative:

• No strength of dishes on menu
• Limited menu from a curry purist point of view
• Expensive beer
• Only plain pops arrived and dips were poor
• Service was slow - not the waiters, as they were looking for work
• Warm plates came out but were cold by the time the main course arrived
• Onion Bhaji not great
• Small Chicken Pakora starter portion
• Paneer Pakora starter tasteless
• Several main courses should have been much 'hotter'
• Mushroom bhaji - vinegar taste
• Wafer thin and dry naan
• Music too loud - along with the 'belly' dancer

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