Royal India

SETTING

An authentic hole-in-the-wall restaurant which makes some diners feel they are slumming in an anonymous pit-stop in India. A handful of tables, a TV set and not much else keeps the focus on food, which thankfully makes up for the lack in ambience.

FOOD

Some heavenly choices, with some overly fried options. Murgh malai chicken offers extremely plump chunks of grilled, mild and very moist boneless meat in a marination of yoghurt, ginger-garlic paste and cream, all perfectly prepared in a charcoal clay oven. Vegetable seekh kebab appears like a soft spring roll or potato latke, and is spiced so the mixed vegetables, which have been boiled and ground, blend well with the chickpea flour after baking. Kerala is a bitter gourd and though this side dish is very tart, and very heavily fried, it is very interesting and worth sampling. Kabuli chana is a very good alternative to the usual lentil dhal because this dish laces big chickpeas with flavourful spices. Plenty of vegetarian and other chicken, mutton, fish meals demand attention on this broad menu.

WINES

Do not expect a wine list, but a pair of reds may be available. Penfold’s Koonunga Hill cabernet merlot 2001 is adequate.

SERVICE

The one-room restaurant is tiny, so staff is within asking distance. They may appear confused and perplexed, but they do everything they can to please.

PRICE

All this down-market ambience means that two people can splurge on a stomach-heavy feast, without wine, for less than 1,000 baht.

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