Yasmin Tandoori, Locks Bottom

Wednesday 20th February 2013

The new curry season got under way this week at Yasmin in Locks Bottom.  First impressions were that it is a proper curry house.  It actually had flock wallpaper.  A rare nod to the original British curry houses and definitely worth some bonus points!

I was running a bit late and as I was ushered into the small restaurant to the table where the other connoisseurs were seated, it felt like I was being invited into someones front room such is the cosy atmosphere of the place.

 

Poppadoms were served with standard accompaniments and dips but it was pointed out that the poppadoms were ‘particularly crispy’.  To start I had malai chicken, which I’d never tried before.  Well spiced, melt in your mouth kebabs.  A definite thumbs up from me.  The rest of the group also seemed happy with their choices  -  although devout carnivore Richie does warn that the lamb chops were ‘lacking in meatiness’.

The other gripe was that the main courses lacked a bit of chilli kick.  There is apparently quite a vast difference between ‘madras hot’ and ‘vindaloo hot’ here.  Also they were a bit tight with the prawns in the king prawn mirchi!  Having said that, the dishes generally went down well and everyone agreed that the food tasted fresh and the portions were certainly large!

Malai Chicken

MENU	Yasmin Tandoori
MAIN:	Traditional.  Fresh, tasty and big portions.  Well executed Old-school curry house fare	17/20
STARTERS/     SIDES:	Malai chicken is a curry house classic	8/10
VARIETY:	Classic curry house menu but with a number of unfamiliar dishes	8/10
HEAT:	Vindaloo is definitely lively but apparently other dishes lacked the kick!	4/5
DRINKS:	Cobra draft and bottled but only small bottles of cobra and limited choice of soft drinks	2/5
VENUE
ATMOS:	Really welcoming and relaxed old-school restaurant	18/20
SERVICE:	Very friendly although not the most attentive at times	7/10
VALUE:	Seemed a tad steep, especially for mid-week but everyone enjoyed themselves, so no complaints	6/10
LOCATION:	Within easy reach of several bus routes. Good parking but no pubs nearby.	2/5
BONUS:	Complimentary drink. Bonus points for having flock wall paper!	5/5
	FINAL SCORE	77%

Booking Name: Hamish McBeast
Highlight: The style. A proper welcoming, old-school curry house.
Lowlight: Staff were possibly a bit slow off the mark and disorganised at times.
Verdict: Really enjoyed the evening and this is just my sort of place. With a few slight improvements, it could be up there with the best of them.

Yasmin Tandoori
149 Hastings Rd
Bromley
BR2 8NQ http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/52/571817/restaurant/London/Yasmin-Tandoori-Bromley