Takeaway Time - Lucky Tandoori

Lucky Tandoori, Dereham Road, Norwich

Cuisine - Indian

Options - Takeaway & Delivery

Speed - 8/10 - My indian excursions have brought me to the conclusion that normally I'd expect to wait twenty minutes maximum for my meal and this place was spot on. After entering, browsing and telling the cashier our curry favourites, he quickly whisked our order away to the kitchen where we then proceeded to wait. In the shop they have a TV to watch whilst you wait and also some local leaflets, meaning you shouldn't get bored; for a Saturday night the takeaway was quite empty it has to be said. As the clocked swept by it was a mere, under average, fourteen minutes before our food crawled out which was impressively swift for a tandoori house. 

Taste - 7/10 - Saturday night and I was feeling rather spicy (hence the reason for opting for a cheeky indian treat), so I opted for my usual chicken tikka chilli masala, pilau rice and finally a plain poppadum. Hot, hot, hot, my goodness, the chilli masala boasted brutality as though it had been taken fresh from the rivers of hell, it was by far the spiciest of it's kind I've ever encountered; this being said, I felt it fair as the menu did state extremely hot with a huge four chilli rating. The sauce from the curry was a deep, rich brown and was very runny upon comparison to other takeaway joints however the wateriness didn't ruin the dish as I felt it helped to spread the heat capsicum and engulf all the naked strands of rice with extra flavour. From the first folk full my lips began tingling, my eyes drew heavy and my nose resemble a dripping broken tap; I fear for the toilet tomorrow and anyone who has to be around me. My chicken was well charred, tender and plump but it there was only several pieces which I felt wasn't generous enough. The crispy poppadum help me to mop up the excess sauce and the rice was mainly ideal, it had the classic white colour that you get from balsamti and the fragrance was greatly decadent. Sauce ratio compared to every on the plate drowned the dish; you can see from the picture the rice gasping for air around the plate edge. Another strange thing was the inclusion of a piece of tomato in the sauce which you don't often find in a chilli tikka but it didn't take away from the great kicking, prominent, green chillies throughout. Overall an honourable curry which was slightly too hot with a lick too much sauce but it was certainly tasty and authentic. 

Price - 7.5/10 - The trend with other curry houses continues at Lucky Tandoori because on intial comparison with other takeaways it was of a similar price. For starters, my extremely hot chilli tikka was tagged at £5.80 and my rice only a measly £2.00, touting up to a final £7.80. After browsing the menu, researching into the delicacies, I noticed they do offer a large variety of quite unique dishes but you do have to part with your pounds for them; I noted down a Bengal style fish fillet which costs £7.95 and also a beautiful, tandoori king prawn curry that would dent your wallet £11.95. This being said the curries do tend to have a set average on the menu where chicken tikka's are around £6.00 and the lamb tikka's around £6.40. The rice and sundries peaked at £2.40 and obviously start at a low price of £0.60 for a poppadom. On the back of the menu they have a few set meals for singles and groups which boast offers and selective items for a feast as well as the Thursday night meal offers which are £5.95 or £6.95 a piece.

Overall - 7.5/10 - If you love your hot curry like me and you want to discover somewhere what might seriously slap your tastebuds then give Lucky Tandoori a whirl. Even by my spicy standards I struggled to plow through the dish but by at no means did this mean I disliked it. They are obviously talented enough in the kitchen to spruce up a tummy satisfying curry with worthy flavour and by the speed of the service you can't go much wrong. Averagely priced tandoori takes up seventy percent of the menu but it has to be said, they do have some rather expensive dishes too if you fancied something unique, not forgetting to mention the set menus on the back. An area I was severly shut down by was the lack of rices because normally Indians poster a huge variety but the menus here seemed to lack so many, for example they didn't even have the famous and delicious onion rice on offer. To sum up my visit to Lucky Tandoori I'd say that it was a mediocre Indian takeaway that wasn't bad but it wasn't nothing extraordinary either, just somewhere you can silence your rumblings for a decent tasting curry.

www.luckytandoori.co.uk

Tel: 01603 762555

    : 01603 762700

Takeaway Time - Good Food Tandoori

Good Food Tandoori, St.Stephens, Norwich

Cuisine - Indian

Options - Takeaway & Delivery

Speed - 9/10 - Curry in a hurry. The GFT was super swift when it came down to taking my order, whipping up my grub and pushing it through the swinging door in the big takeout bag. After penciling down what I wanted to chow down on, the cashier gave me a rather confident estimation of around a fifteen minute wait so I proceeded to sit and ponder the menu; within a rapid ten minutes my food was handed to me. This time gave the place great promise as it's enough time for them to toss up some fresh ingredients and not only that I didn't have to wait too long, often on a Friday night in an indian you'd be expecting a solid twenty minute wait at best. If they do tell you a longer time for the tandoori, fear not as the establishment has a television and magazines to keep you entertained whilst you wait. 

Taste - 8.5/10 - Peeling back the silver tins with excitement and pure hunger, I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw and smelt. My rice hosted an authentic aroma that you often get from a traditionally cooked pilau and the flavour didn't fail me either; you could taste the flavoursome ghee that had been worked into the fluffy curry bed and the portion size was absolutely untaxable. Continuing with the side dish the colour just popped in your eye with a sunshine brightness and the few spice pods just dropped in that traditional feel. I opted, as always, for a hotter chilli tikka chicken masala and I can comfortably say it's up there in the top indian takeaway curries I've eaten. Unusually the sauce was a sliver runnier than I am used to, however I found this much better than the thicker, lesser sauces in the past; as it was more slick I could combine it with the rice easier with pleanty left over for scooping up with a crispy poppadum. The heat pushed the pin in perfection with a the fiesty kick you look for in a chilli tikka but it wasn't over the top that it left my throat closing up and my tummy turning; the long green chillies in the dish are what really seperates a mild mans masala toa spicy tongue dance and overall I thought it matched the description to a decimal. Meat wise I couldn't really fault it as the chicken was plump, succulent, soft and moist however a few more pieces could have really set the bar above the rest. Rounding up the meal I felt it was all in proportion and the flavours were nailed, there's no doubt this place boosts authenticity. 

Price - 8/10 - For an indian takeaway the Good Food Tandoori is a tad bit cheaper than many of it rivals but what really pushes it out above the rest is the day to day meal deals they offer. On the front of the menu they poster a selection of special offers which are basically meal deals where you get select curries, rice and sundries for a cheap price; these start at £4.85 for the vegetable option and peak at £6.20 for the most. If these offers don't tickle your pickle then don't hesitate too much because the main menu isn't dear either; my meal of a chicken tikka chilli masala and pilau rice came to penny pinching £7.55. Various sundries cost different prices as you'd expect as poppadums are a measly 50 pence and naans start at £1.50. The priciest curries are £8.15 each and they are the king prawn cuisines but if you're looking for a chicken dish expect to part around the £5 mark. It has to be said that they also threw in a free bag of onion salad to munch on with my meal.You have to bare in mind curries are never going to be cheap as a takeaway because of the complexity of the food but GFT is healthier for the bank balance that most tandoori houses. 

Overall - 8.5/10 - When it comes down to selecting an authentic curry house or indian we often don't try various place as we love to stick to what we know but I've learned that change is mostly for the better. After hearing rave reviews from friends about the GFT I decided to give it a whirl and my goodness I am impressed. To start off with it's one of the speediest spice serve ups I've had from indian takeaways and the service was completely unassailable. The flavours for the price are second to none and as I mentioned the authenticity and traditionalism of the food are fantastically real. On comparison to the few indian takeaways I've had before this place is well up there in the top of the charts and I'll certainly be returning to curb my curry cravings; don't knock it on the head over your favourite tandoori because these guys know indian. Be warned if you want to park for pick up it's a bit hard to find a space as it's directly next to Quasar in the city centre but don't be put off as there are pleanty of spots within walking distance that you could creep into. Love curry at a cheaper price then you'll love the Good Food Tandoori, check it out for a satisfying spicy experience.

Tel: 01603 765119

    : 01603 765218

Takeaway Time - Lim's Fish & Chips

Lim's Fish & Chips, Unthank Road, Norwich

Cuisine - Fish & Chips 

Options - Takeaway Only

Speed - 10/10 - A little bit of advice on if you want fantastic tasting fish and chips as fast as possible... Visit Lim's. The second you step in the door the two guys are literally edging to take your order with the fry cook buzzing acrossed if you want anything cooked to order. With no queue to wait in, I was seen to straight away having my order of cod, chips and mushy pea's being noted. By the time I took the money from my wallet the gentle scooped my chips and wrapped my meal quicker than a Christmas elf then had it waiting in a bag for me to take home. If you want something cooked to order take into consideration the obvious frying time but more times than not they have everything ready and hot. 

Taste - 8.5/10 - Patriotic passions are running high in the country seeing as it the World Cup and I couldn't get the craving of the traditional fish and chips out of my brain; to say my hunger was suppressed is an understatement. My chips curessed the classic taste and texture of the "Chippie" spreading an even amount of crispy pieces with plumped full potato sticks on my plate; the outer skin wasn't overly greasy, remained with a crustiness and was fluffy in the centre. With the cod their were a few areas for improvement as I prefer the thickness to be more on the depth rather than length however this being said it was ideal for flavouring. The flakes held together well and the fish itself was a lot more fleshy and tender towards the fatter end; one thing I loved is the fact that it was boneless and moist meaning you wouldn't have to worry about choking on a sharp bone. Batter can be easily ruined but Lim's seem to have nailed this crucial point; the golden coating on the fish was beautifully crisp with a slight seasoning which was peeled off of the whole fish with ease. The density of the covering was the same throughout but a couple of areas were a tad soggy but this didn't overly ruin the taste. Finally my portion of peas for one were mouthwatering by the way they were piping hot, plump but properly mushed and tasted the exact way you would expect from authentic chip shop peas. At the end of munching on my plate my lips did feel slighlty greasy but this is something you'd expect from a fried meal, at no point during eating did it taste overly oily. 

Price - 9/10 - The takeaway in total for a piece of cod, chips and a portion of mushy peas set me back an acute £5.30 with the peas being only fifty pence for the pot. To breakdown the whole plate for value this is a phenomenal bargain and by far one of the cheaper chip shops around. Portion wise my chips would have been easily capable to serve two people as the pyramid stack of potatoes was fit for a king, I really did struggle to plough through them all and my appetite was eating away at my stomach before I started the meal. Again the slab of cod was long and plump yet it was still cheaply priced up as elsewhere you get similar priced fish with a smaller scale size; more often than not you see a stubby flat piece thrown in your paper wrap for these prices tags. For one person my pot of peas was perfect because it wasn't too many that it slathered over the plate and it wasn't too little so you didn't get a taste; the fact that they offer more if you want is superb but for one person they hit the spot. 

Overall - 9/10 - What more can I say than Lim's is a fish and chip shaped diamond set in the middle of Norwich's golden triangle. Fish and chips are served up faster than you can say 'fast food Friday' here and the two guys who slave away in the shop possess such an energetic persona that even the quick charm keeps the customer coming back. The competitive, cheap prices twinned with the flavoursome, fresh food keeps Lim's in fighting contention to be one of the cities finest chip outlets as prices around town will mostly be more or equally good for the quality of grub you get here. With food cooked to order you will never leave disappointed so don't hesitate to drop by for a speedy takeaway if your tastebuds are tingling for some tradition. If you do drop by portions are hearty meaning you should go hungry and save yourself for some great quality chips. 

Takeaway Time - Flaming Galah Review

Flaming Galah, Ber Street, Norwich

Cuisine - Pie & Mash

Options - Takeaway or Order for Collection via Social Network or Telephone

Speed - 10/10 - Absolutely nailed all the aspects people look for when going to a takeaway joint, fast food, in your hands within the time it takes to exchange your English pounds with the cashier. My meal was ready within an instant, serving as a real treat for my rumbling stomach. It possibly took me longer to read the menu than it did for the gentleman to take my order and whip up my meal, the cue was non exsistent also. Be warned that not all pies are available upon entry, so to curb that ring in advance and pre-order your pie craving; I was advised that any pie on the menu can be made to order and takes roughly twenty minutes. 

Taste - 9/10 - With my classic pie taste buds tingling all week, I opted for the traditional mince beef and onion pie bonza deal which tops the pastry off with a dollop of mash, scoop of mushy peas and a slosh of gravy. No words can describe how my hunger was suppressed from the first bite with a beautiful fork full of flavour. First of all you get the peas which were flavoursome and didn't come across earthy as sometimes peas can do; the gravy was at a perfect consistency and possesed an ideal temperature that didn't burn the pallet; my mash was some of the best I've tasted with it's beautiful, smooth creaminess and subtle seasoning. One thing I would say is that the whole dish would benefit from a touch more gravy and peas as they were so morish, leaving me scraping for seconds. Moving onto the main event, the pie; the lid was deliciously crisp and made a good crunch when I pierced my fork through it, the taste was buttery, crisp and had the flaky texture a pastry should have. The whole pastry casing was cooked to precision as all of the crust packed full flavour, wasn't soggy and for filled the true heartiness of the dish. Overall the casing was rather deep with the filling bursting through the brim after breaking through; my mince beef and onion filling kept a piping hot heat, warming my stomach and the flavour was meaty, rich and moist to the bite. Overall the meal filled my empty stomach to the brim but left me craving more scrumptious pie.

Price - 9/10 - The menu within Flaming Galah posts up three main options depending on how hungry you are. First up you can opt for any pie on its own which sets the wallet back £3.95; this price is totally fair because the pies are large and the variety of fillings would cost tons more elsewhere, for example, some of the exotic meats. The second choice is for what they call a bonza deal, being any pie, a large ice cream sized scoop of mash, a slathering of peas and finally a ladle of gravy, this setting back the consumer only £4.95; for an extra pound this seems like an ultimate steal and the flavour is certainly worth the upgrade. The final meal option is as above but with a choice of hot or cold drink, only being another pound on top at £5.95. 

Overall - 9/10 - For a long time I've really been looking forward to reviewing Flaming Galah because of it's fame on trip advisor and ever growing custom, and I think it's fair to say I definitely wasn't disappointed. As far as I know this is the only pie and mash outlet within Norwich and I can guarantee it's the only Australian pie and mash shop within east anglia, so straight away it has a great glowing unique persona within the city. Not only this but the establishment often boasts exotic specials on a weekly basis, giving foodies from all round the chance to tease their taste buds with something new, as they have offered up boar, kangaroo and various other combinations all in a pastry pie. With restaurant standard flavours at street food prices, Flaming Galah is an unsung hero for food in Norfolk and it's unlikely they will fail to satisfy customers as it's a cheap, hearty meal. The speed is instant, the price is fair and the taste is divine so make no excuse for not visiting this place, they offer pleanty of variety, from meat lovers to veggies pies and are happy to take pre-orders over social network and telephone. My final point would be to say if you want something other than the classic pies, then you be best to order in advance as they seem to fly off the shelf, don't hesitate to call or contact as the customer service is second to none. Flaming Galah is worthy of its great reputation and trip advisor rank; make no question about it; if you love pie go there, if you don't, this place will turn you into a true pie boy/girl.

Tel: 07837915375

Takeaway Time - China Garden Review

China Garden, Colman Road, Norwich 

Cuisine - Chinese

Options - Takeaway & Phone Order for Collection 

Speed - 9/10 - Upon arrival outside China Garden I was somewhat sceptical seeing as there was a few people inside and it being seven o'clock on at Saturday evening but I was wrong to be. After a brief look over the wide varietied menu, we placed our order of two curries, one Cantonese style prawn dish, three rices and one portion of chips, then deciding to stay in the shop and wait for the arrival of our food. Within a short wait of fourteen minutes our takeaway was ready to go, in this time the girl had served another six people showing how flowful the Chinese gets, the business is non-stop so if you want to avoid a ten minute wait it's best to order for pick up. It's worth a mention that the shop has benches to sit whilst waiting as well things to read and a television to watch. 

Taste - 8.5/10 - Chinese is always a tough choice for me as I'm quite indecisive with my food, so I opted for something different in the form of a sweet and sour king prawn Cantonese style with a portion of the essential that is egg fried rice. First of all the prawns were certainly worthy of the 'king' title as they were large and meaty, not to mention I had around eight or nine of them which I felt was a generous amount. The sauce was flavoursome and had a syrup like texture with a nice tang to it; I thouroughly enjoyed the balance of sweet and sour in the dish because of the juicy pineapple chunks along side the crunchy vegetables. Variety of the vegetables was a pleanty with the savoury bite of the peppers and the slices of onion, however I wasn't too keen on the fresh tomato as I feel it didn't really have much of a place in the dish. With the prawns they had a thin batter which was properly seasoned and possessed a crisp crust, making for tasty combustion in your mouth with the sauce. My rice portion was filling and wasn't dry like you sometimes find with the fried dish, the freshness made it fluffy and it also had a lot of chunky egg pieces within it. If I was to pick out one negative it would be the sauce should be of a larger quantity as it was that delicious I was left craving more with my uncovered rice. 

Price - 8/10 - Independant takeaways like Chinese and Indian seem to be getting ever more expensive nowadays as more pop up, providing tough competition for each other. My meal came to a total of £7.30 which you'll find is cheaper than your average indian meal, the king prawn Cantonese was £5.00 on it's own then £2.30 for the egg rice. The menu for China Garden does have a massive variety of dishes and sides which are obviously all at different prices depending on the contents, for example chicken balls are £4.10 and set meals start around £7.00. If you really fancy a Chinese takeaway treat they offer up a whole duck for just over £20. When it comes to average prices China Garden is on par with other Chinese's and showcases a wide varied menu. A key point I will point out is that prawns are expensive to buy in the current times so actually £5.00 for around eight battered king prawns is about right. 

Overall - 9/10 - As far as Chinese's go in Norwich, China Garden is well up there in being one of the greatest, better still, one of the best takeaways in the City. For as many years as I can remember the establishment has been positioned where it is, with a solid reputation that keeps customers coming back for more, even more so since Chinese became Britain's most popular takeaway. It's success is evident, serving busy weekends Friday to Sunday, for the past decade. The taste of  China Gardens food fulfils every Chinese craving, leaving the treat of the unique tastes tantalising your taste buds. As well as the speedy service and tasteful food, the shop gives off fair pricing and variety making for a really well rounded eatery. If you live in the area, fancy a great quality Chinese meal or are just treating yourself to takeaway make sure you visit China Garden as you'll struggle to find a better food den in Norwich. A certain must try for all food lovers and hungry people around town. 

Tel: 01603507798

Takeaway Time - Rice & Spice Review

Rice & Spice, Earlham House, Earlham Road, Norwich

Cuisine - Indian & Bangladeshi

Options - Takeaway & Delivery

Speed - 8/10 - Upon arrival I was very suprised to find the place empty on an evening on a Saturday, that being said more people did start to enter as we awaited. We placed our order of two curries, two portions of rice and also a naan after a brief look over the menu, then proceeded to wait. After a short while and what was heard to be people working hard in the kitchen within 18 minutes our food was ready. The fact that it was a short wait gave me the impression that it was made from scratch and fresh which I didn't mind too much, also that it wasn't a really long wait satisfied me, I felt that it was a justified time overall. 

Taste - 7/10 - The curry I opted for was a chicken tikka chilli masala with a portion of onion fried rice. After a read through the menu this one seemed to appeal to me most as I love my hot food. To start off with the chicken was well cooked as it was succulent, tender and juicy which fell apart easily. The rice was also pleasant as it was fluffy, moist and sustained a fragrant onion flavour, which can be easily lost when cooking; I liked the fact that there was small strands of onion within the rice. Finally the area where the curry fell slightly was the sauce, it did maintain a good, thick consistency and nailed the description of being a 'very hot' curry but lacked the real flavour impact a curry has the potential to have. It was an average flavour that could be repeated in most other indian takeaways but didn't have the real wow factor to be a must eat. Also their could have been more sauce as it was lacking slightly. One thing I did like was the spice and the fact that the long chillies had been left in the curry for a heat impact. 

Price - 7/10 - Indian takeaways' tend to be the high priced, one off takeaways' that you treat yourself to every so often as meals for two tend to hit £20 and upward. My meal itself without any additional sundries such as naan breads & poppadums came to a total of £8.70, with the curry being £5.75 and the portion of rice being £2.95. I feel this was fairly priced as other indian takeaways offer similar priced menus and liked I mentioned previously it's rare you do find a cheaper option. They also validated the price with the portion sizes as the rice was big, the chicken pieces were sizable and of a high quantity. 

Overall - 7/10 - Generally this was an okay visit to an indian takeaway. Not one of the best tasting meals I have ever eaten but it did satisfy the curry craving that tormented my tummy. The speed was impressive and the fact that the food is cooked from fresh by hard working chefs is fantastic, not to mention the fact they offer a free delivery offer of orders over £10 within a five mile radius. The food however is slighlty average as the mothership of the curry (the sauce) is lacking a tad, with the rice and well cooked chicken bringing it up a standard notch. With the price, your can't really argue much as for these guys to compete and make a profit on the Indian takeaway market they have to charge like the opposition. To sum up my visit I'd say this would be an indian you would visit If you live near by as you can just pop in and be out within twenty minutes but just don't expect nothing special compared to your average local indian. 

www.rice-and-spice.co.uk

Tel: 01603 503080 

      01603 504020

Takeaway Time - The Chip Shop Review

The Chip Shop, Stafford Street, Norwich

Cuisine - Fish & Chips 

Options - Takeaway Only

Speed - 8/10 - This place is renouned for it's big queue as it's reputation is at a great high. If you head here in the tea time period expect a wait but don't be put off by this as once you reach the till you're served and sent on your way within minutes. With the place only being small, the queue always looks disheartening but take my word for it, it's certainly worth it. 

Taste - 9/10 - As far as fish and chip shop go this one is hitting all the right notes. My meal was a delicious small cod and chips, by which I was somewhat impressed. First of all my fish was boneless, consisted of a pure white, flaky flesh and full of flavour. Not only that but it was moist but not too sloppy and also melted in my mouth, from this you could tell the freshness. The batter was golden and perfectly crisp on the outside with a smooth buttery underside which attached it to the fish, I always state that this is the best in the city. With the chips they could have been slightly less soft on the outside as I think a crisper skin would have worked better, that being said they were still beautifully fluffy and golden. A side note I'd like to state is that none of the meal had a greasy texture or hinted at any unappetising moisture throughout which some fish and chip outlets often suffer from. 

Price - 8.5/10 - With cod becoming more and more of a rarity by the years, I feel that chip shops are suffering terribly as the price of fish erupts, meaning increasing selling prices to gain a profit. A small cod and chips at £5.20 seems a fair price from The Chip Shop because of the sheer quality. Other chip shops may offer up a cheaper price, but for the standard of the food you recieve at Stafford Street you can't grumble; for example the use of genuine, fresh cod, where as other places may substitute it for white fish. Another key point is that the portion size is immense, leaving you happily full and treated without waddling with regret.

Overall - 8.5/10 - One of Norwich's most prestigious fish and chip shops, The Chip Shop never fails to disappoint and feels like a true takeaway treat everytime I use it. With the freshly fried fish and the constant cycle of chips pumping through the customer demand, you can guarantee that the food here is going to taste great. It's queues are a thing to look out for but once you've gone through that initial wait, grasped your food and left for home, you'll have a smile from ear to ear. A slight negative is the fact they don't accept card but that's no real issue as there is a cash point just minutes away. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a good fish and chip shop in the city as I believe it's by far one of the best.