19th June 2008
Promising Indian Grub
Up until this evening, despite having been resident in Streatham for almost three years, I’d never visited Spice Cottage. And I know exactly why. These guys keep their Venetian blinds firmly shut at almost all hours, which when coupled with the low lighting typical of a traditional curry house, makes the place appear very unwelcoming - especially given the vibrant curry competition in the area.
I have eaten at almost all of the curry houses on this stretch of the high road and they all offer something slightly different - Spice Cottage is no exception from the rule. The first thing that struck me when I walked in was that the dining room, split in to two sections, was equally as full as any Indian Restaurant in SW16 will have been on a Tuesday evening like this one; not thriving, but definitely doing a trade (if the blinds had been up I wouldn’t have had to walk in to witness this though!)
Secondly, and impressively I was greeted well. From time-to-time (almost every other night, in truth) I get a powerful urge to eat curry, and if no one is around to join in, that doesn’t phase me. So tonight I dined alone, which to be honest can be dealt with badly by staff quite easily. E.G. “table for one please“. “Just one, sir?”, with a meaningful stare. Yes, just me, the lone ranger.
But not at Spice Cottage - I was seated swiftly, given menus, magazines and wine within minutes, and no qualms about my solo-dining. Next up: time to order. It never takes long at a new Indian Restaurant since I make a point of going for something very basic to test the waters - if the Madras is wrong, then its probably not worth coming back for the Mughlai Chicken Tikka Lababdar next time. My chicken Madras with Pilau rice came in good time, just after the large group in the corner had been served, and it was fully enjoyable. Not only enjoyable but quite different - I could taste definite traces of coconut, unusual in a Madras dish, and I found various whole-spices in the sauce such as cloves and peppercorns. This isn’t to everyone’s liking but I love for the whole spices to remain. Similarly, the Pilau rice was laden with unground cumin seeds.
When the bill came, it was not heavy on the wallet - two large glasses of house wine and a satisfying portion of curry for around £12.00 (though no doubt more would have been spent on sides, starters and double the booze had I been in company). Spice Cottage didn’t quite topple my favourite Streatham Indian eatery, which I will be sure to reveal in a review soon, but I will definitely be making it back to try some more interesting dishes and enjoy the efficient, friendly service.
A good, solid curry house, and the chef clearly has an slightly experimental streak - I look forward to trying some of their specials. If you are looking for an alternative to your usual curry house tonight, give it a try.
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