on saturday night me the missus and a friend went for a curry. as we live in walkley we were aware that a new curry house had opened so decided to go there. this curry house is directly opposite netto, a bad sign before we start!

and so to the 'royal spice' what can i say? well if you like curry, i mean really like curry, if you appreciate asian food at all in any way don't go there for a meal. i can honestly say it was the worst curry i've ever had, this place is so bad it makes balti king look professional and organised. its so terrible i can't think of anything to redeem it and make it worth going back.

firstly poppadums aren't free like at most places, but they don't actually tell you that, oh no they offer them and bring them without ever mentioning that you have to pay for them. unlike lots of the other curry houses round sheffield.

the service was inept and unprofessional, the food was terrible, none of our curries had any spiciness, flavour or heat. none of us were sweating when we'd finished. the naan bread was prepackaged, we didn't get all the side orders together...

...i could go on and on and on but i won't. suffice to say we had a terrible meal. sheffield does have some good curry houses this isn't one of them.

Are they just taking time to get settled in to a new place?

Originally posted by discodown
none of us were sweating when we'd finished
Should you have to be? Maybe you should try some proper curry if you think that.

Yeah of course you should - if you go out for a traditional British curry ;) then you should be wet through and begging for a pint of milk by the end of it :D

oh man that sounds a real shame...I was gonna try there too....may wait to hear from some other peoples first

On the subject of Walkley and curry....does anybody know if anyone's taking over Tajaks?

"closed for refurbishment" the sign says....that's been up months tho'

I went there a couple of weeks ago and me and my mate were pretty impressed with the food. We're both pretty passionate on the subject of curry so I think we've got a reasonable taste for it and we both enjoyed it.

The service was OK, particularly because they also had to deal with a couple of tables of complete meat head while we were there, they asked us if we wanted popadoms, we didn't expect to get them for free, my nan was really nice, certainly not pre packed and my jalfrezi (I think) was pretty warm.

Maybe you went on a bad night, maybe there have a different chef some nights?

looks like I'll have to just go and check it out for myslef

Originally posted by Tony
Are they just taking time to get settled in to a new place?


Should you have to be? Maybe you should try some proper curry if you think that.

i'm not saying you should be pouring in sweat and in agony, but you should have a light dab going on. thats the point of spicy food.

i've tried proper curry i'm a curry diva! that place was awful, we'll never go back. as soon as tajak's reopens we shall be there instead. they are superb

VJ's in town have an offer on a Tuesday night it's 1/2 price if you get a starter and a main course and it's really nice food there!

Originally posted by discodown
i'm not saying you should be pouring in sweat and in agony, but you should have a light dab going on. thats the point of spicy food. Ummm... I don't think it is.

Originally posted by Tony
Ummm... I don't think it is.

when you eat spicy food you should be aware that the thing you've eaten had some form of heat in it. this usually results in a light sweat. we didn't get that, we had no idea we'd eaten curry, there was no heat in it at all. its not like we ordered vindaloo i'm not an animal! i ordered a chicken tikka karai and there was no heat to it not much flavour either.

if you're saying that curry should have no heat, no spiciness and no flavour than i can only conclude you know nothing about curry

Curry has nothing to do with heat - I'm afraid that's the "stoopeed eenglish" version they get students hooked on.

Traditional curry yeah but we're talking British curry here :)

Originally posted by fnkysknky
Traditional curry yeah but we're talking British curry here :) ;)

I've seen how many chillies that Madhur Jaffrey puts in her food - you telling me that ain't hot!!

on the topic of curries I decided to cook me girlie one last night as we've had 2 jars of curry sauce sat in the cupboard for an age and also had rice in

She's also veggie so all I bought from Somerfield's was peppers,mushrooms,onions,potatoes,2 naans,poppadoms and a pickle tray

£11.27!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If I'd have bough meat and sauce and rice I may as well have ordered out

Somerfield's is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too expensive!

Originally posted by Tony
Curry has nothing to do with heat - I'm afraid that's the "stoopeed eenglish" version they get students hooked on.

so all the recipes with chillis in them are just a conspiracy are they? its a big indian joke on the empire, is that what you're telling me?

Well without wanting to get into a flame war (;)) Chilli isn't the essential ingredient in curry. Currying is just the method of cooking - like roasting or frying.

AND!... most of the restaurants in Sheffield are run by Pakistanis , not Indians.

But more generally... yes, the sort of curries that you're talking about are a big joke perpetrated on the English pallette that often wouldn't know a good curry if it dribbled down their chin after 10 pints. ;)

We used to go to the Anglo-Indian do's at the City Hall years ago and I don't ever remember sweating unless I was dancing. :thumbsup: But then. all the food was cooked by Indians for Indians. I miss those do's - they were the one of the best of the year.

Originally posted by Tony
Well without wanting to get into a flame war (;)) Chilli isn't the essential ingredient in curry. Currying is just the method of cooking - like roasting or frying.

But more generally... yes, the sort of curries that you're talking about are a big joke perpetrated on the English pallette that often wouldn't know a good curry if it dribbled down their chin after 10 pints. ;)
would you agree that one of the defining features of asian food is the fact that it contains spices and herbs that make the food taste hotter than the majority of western european food? and although the heat isn't the main reason to eat the food it is a happy and most welcome bonus?

following that train of thought would you also agree that one of the main reasons to eat this food is to partake of the spiciness of the food and the heat which it brings?

in addition to this would you conclude that if you went out and paid for this food expecting to receive a spicy, flavourfilled dish with this bonus of heat and it wasn't there you would be disappointed?

also can i just say i love curry and have eaten loads of it from all over the country and my own curry recipe was acclaimed by a first generation 79 year old indian woman, who claimed that i cooked in a style very similar to how she cooked when she didn't have the use of proper ovens.

i don't want to get snotty but i feel you have judged me, patronised me and regarded meas the sort of person who drinks 15 pints of stella and orders a phaal. i'm not, i'm a genuine curry lover and this meal was dismally poor.

Apologies if you feel like that. I just happen to disagree with you about curries having make you sweat!

Originally posted by Tony
Apologies if you feel like that. I just happen to disagree with you about curries having make you sweat!
never meant they "had" to make me sweat, meant they usually make me sweat

On a lighter note away from all this bickering.....I passed Tajaks this morning and noticed it is no longer Tajaks....now has a sign up saying "Maharaj"

Hopefully be open again soon then :)

superb! book me a table!

oh for f*cks sake, is this thread all about arguing over who knows the most about curry? NO so shut the hell up, this forum does get so tedious sometimes.

I've been to The Royal Spice twice and on both occasions I was impressed with the food and the staff.

The food was subtly flavoured without any of that sweat inducing fake chilli powder beloved of our 'English' curry houses. It was spicy without being overblown and the naan was fresh and large.

We were regaled by the waiter with his exotic story of how he arrived and his ambitions. The owner too had a fascinating tale.

All in all a pleasant experience.

I went to this place with Gillie about a week after it opened (before Xmas) and it was fine, no probs. Have to say have not gone back, know other people that have had take aways from it and not been impressed. Beginning to wonder if it is the night you pick. Think we went on a Thursday.

Anyone know the number fort his place please??

I've tried looking for it on Yell and i can't find it.

Thanks Fuzzy

We've Been To The Royal Spice A Couple Of Times In The Last Few Weeks & Both Times I've Enjoyed My Meal.
Both Times We've Had Free Popadums & On The First Time A Free Bottle Of Lager (Small One Though):(.

The Phone Number For The Royal Spice Is 0114 2349966.I'm Sure You'll Enjoy Your Meal Fuzzy.:thumbsup:

Everyone is talking about curry as if it should be an Indian. What are people's thoughts on Chinese/Thai curry? Personally I find Indian curries too gloppy, Chinese curries are much nicer.

Hi,

Has anyone been here recently? We are thinking of heading over this week and had heard on the grapevine that they had a bring your own licence. Does anyone know if this is true?

Traditional curry yeah but we're talking British curry here :)

But don't you go to an Indian restaurant to eat traditional Indian curry ?

But don't you go to an Indian restaurant to eat traditional Indian curry ?

Either way, I just want it to taste good, and certainly don't want to be sweating after! Also would love it if I could bring my own booze, we're on a bit of a budget!

But don't you go to an Indian restaurant to eat traditional Indian curry ?

Each region of the Indian subcontinent has it's own specialities, madras from Madras etc, (Is it Goa where they have hundreds of different types of biriani? place and dish may be wrong but you get the idea).

Although restaurants like the Red Fort have been around since the 19th century, the explosion in numbers happened in the seventies as mainly Bangladeshis and Pakistanis opened up places and menus where adapted to suit the British palate.

So what you get when you go for an indian, is a very loose interpretation by people who have no more idea how to make traditional Indian dishes than you or me.

So what you get when you go for an indian, is a very loose interpretation by people who have no more idea how to make traditional Indian dishes than you or me.

I know how to make a traditional curry, I've got a Madhur Jaffray cookbook. :)

But can I take my own wine to the Royal Spice? Somebody? Anybody?

I know how to make a traditional curry, I've got a Madhur Jaffray cookbook. :)

Is it any good? We've got The Curry Secret at home - turns out lovely curry-house type dishes but it's a real faff.

Is it any good? We've got The Curry Secret at home - turns out lovely curry-house type dishes but it's a real faff.

Yeah, it's the book of the TV series she did, where she goes to different areas and does a few recipes from that area. They are all pretty simple, though they can involve a bit of (worthwhile) faffing about, and once you've got all the ingredients (buy in bulk on London Road) the results are pretty good. Some of the vegetarian dishes are fantastic.

Yeah, it's the book of the TV series she did, where she goes to different areas and does a few recipes from that area. They are all pretty simple, though they can involve a bit of (worthwhile) faffing about, and once you've got all the ingredients (buy in bulk on London Road) the results are pretty good. Some of the vegetarian dishes are fantastic.

Cheers, I'll give her a try. We've been getting Lloyd Grossman sauces recently and I can't take the guilt anymore.

Cheers, I'll give her a try. We've been getting Lloyd Grossman sauces recently and I can't take the guilt anymore.

I'll eat my own feet before I put money in that mans pocket.

I'll eat my own feet before I put money in that mans pocket.

In a rich massala sauce with a sag aloo sidedish and a pint of kingfisher?

I had liver and spinach curry when in India. Bet you won't find many take-aways or restaurants over here doing that

In a rich massala sauce with a sag aloo sidedish and a pint of kingfisher?

That allmost sounds nice, but thats what curry was invented for, to make horrible meat look and taste nice.

on saturday night me the missus and a friend went for a curry. as we live in walkley we were aware that a new curry house had opened so decided to go there. this curry house is directly opposite netto, a bad sign before we start!

and so to the 'royal spice' what can i say? well if you like curry, i mean really like curry, if you appreciate asian food at all in any way don't go there for a meal. i can honestly say it was the worst curry i've ever had, this place is so bad it makes balti king look professional and organised. its so terrible i can't think of anything to redeem it and make it worth going back.

firstly poppadums aren't free like at most places, but they don't actually tell you that, oh no they offer them and bring them without ever mentioning that you have to pay for them. unlike lots of the other curry houses round sheffield.

the service was inept and unprofessional, the food was terrible, none of our curries had any spiciness, flavour or heat. none of us were sweating when we'd finished. the naan bread was prepackaged, we didn't get all the side orders together...

...i could go on and on and on but i won't. suffice to say we had a terrible meal. sheffield does have some good curry houses this isn't one of them.

god i remember that - our mate ordered a cheesey garlic naan, the one they brought out looked plain so he queried it with the staff, they said that the cheese was in the middle and told him to rip into it which he did, lo and behold no cheese, they apologised, picked up a naan off a different table and told him to try that one, and put the one our mate had torn into back on the other table! - now that was gross......

I went there last Christmas time with a couple of mates and we all thought it was extremely good and hope to go back soon. :love:

We had consumed 12 pints mind.

Sorry to resurect an old post but I had to write about this restaurant.

We went there on Friday night, after a walk round Walkley. We tried this place about 3 years ago, and the food was poor.
Not to hold a grudge we decided to try it again. Unfortunately it was worse than I seemed to recall. My partner asked for a Chicken Vindaloo. When it arrived, about 1 hour later, he tucked in to ...potatoes! Now I'm not an expert on Chicken Vindaloo, but I know it doesn't contain potato.
I had lamb passanda, and it was like eating tapioca. The sauce was thick and gluey, with a skin on the top, and didn't taste of anything.
When the bill arrived, I took it to the counter, and had a word with the guy who was stood there. I told him that I wasn't happy with the food, and perhaps they ought to inform customers about the potato in the Chicken Vindaloo. He then told me rather rudely that I ought to ask what was in a dish, before I ordered!
We paid the bill and left, vowing not to go back. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone. The food was bad, the customer service was even worse.
Jayne

Oh dear, was planning on visiting again for a friend's birthday next month. Would be sad if it had gone downhill. :|

Well without wanting to get into a flame war (;)) Chilli isn't the essential ingredient in curry. Currying is just the method of cooking - like roasting or frying.

AND!... most of the restaurants in Sheffield are run by Pakistanis , not Indians.

But more generally... yes, the sort of curries that you're talking about are a big joke perpetrated on the English pallette that often wouldn't know a good curry if it dribbled down their chin after 10 pints. ;)

We used to go to the Anglo-Indian do's at the City Hall years ago and I don't ever remember sweating unless I was dancing. :thumbsup: But then. all the food was cooked by Indians for Indians. I miss those do's - they were the one of the best of the year.

Slight correction there mate.
Most of them are run by Bangladeshis not pakistanis. Pakistanis tend to have more takeaways than actual restaurants but the real upmarket restaurants especially are run by Bangladeshis.
Just for the record my dad used to own the curry centre back in the 60's till 1986 when he sold it.

I had liver and spinach curry when in India. Bet you won't find many take-aways or restaurants over here doing that

My mums house does dishes like that :D

The Curry Centre was my vist ever visit to a Curry house. My ma and pa used to go every saturday night and always looked forward to the doggy bag when they got in!

If I remember right, the owner I recall was a tall old man that went by the name of " Hi" or something

Sorry to resurect an old post but I had to write about this restaurant.

We went there on Friday night, after a walk round Walkley. We tried this place about 3 years ago, and the food was poor.
Not to hold a grudge we decided to try it again. Unfortunately it was worse than I seemed to recall. My partner asked for a Chicken Vindaloo. When it arrived, about 1 hour later, he tucked in to ...potatoes! Now I'm not an expert on Chicken Vindaloo, but I know it doesn't contain potato.
I had lamb passanda, and it was like eating tapioca. The sauce was thick and gluey, with a skin on the top, and didn't taste of anything.
When the bill arrived, I took it to the counter, and had a word with the guy who was stood there. I told him that I wasn't happy with the food, and perhaps they ought to inform customers about the potato in the Chicken Vindaloo. He then told me rather rudely that I ought to ask what was in a dish, before I ordered!
We paid the bill and left, vowing not to go back. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone. The food was bad, the customer service was even worse.
Jayne


To be fair, the Pork Vindaloo recipe I use has potato in it and it's really nice and from an authentic cook book. Different places cook things differently, The Vindaloo my friend was addicted to in Goa also had potato in.

I can't coment on the service but maybe you upset them with your knowlegde of indian food!

The Curry Centre was my vist ever visit to a Curry house. My ma and pa used to go every saturday night and always looked forward to the doggy bag when they got in!

If I remember right, the owner I recall was a tall old man that went by the name of " Hi" or something

Abdul Hai bought the restaurant from my dad in 1986.
My dad was a short guy.