Put very simply, if the food in any restaurant does not stand up they are out of business. Melbourne is very big on BYO (Bring your Own Drinks) restaurants as well as licensed and the quality is superb. BYO you can get a great entrée, main course and dessert for under $30 (less than 15 quid) and bring your own cans of beer that you can buy at the grocery store for as low as $1.00 (45P).
Used to get some great curries in the Pacific Islands, especially Fiji which has a 45% Indian population.
That is why it is better to go to eatries before the pubs come out as the standard of food goes down because the drunks would not notice it! That was the advice given to me by a friend of my brother Peter, who used to own five indian restruants in Glasgow before selling them off and going into petrol stations!
Very funny! He now runs several petrol stations in the Glasgow area, including one near me! He recently sold one of his stations for over one million pounds! Mind you, he did spend a afternoon telling both Peter and myself, how to make a punjabi curry and fresh pakora! It was delight to eat!
I'm in the minority here! I had a very bad experience with curry in the mid sixties and just the smell nauseates me even still! Make mine Italian or something subtle, Thai or Szechuan (had to find a take-away menu to spell that - not easy when no-one delivers this far away from anywhere). CTNana
Oh dear CTNana - and to think I was going to suggest everyone bring a dish to the Chat get together (err, did I forgetto tell people about the get together? Oh dear, looks like it's just me this w/e) I like Italian too - but only like fresh Chinese food. I find take aways add too much MSG.
Damnit I thought you said NEXT weekend! So is that off too now? Mmmmm Carbonara is my favourite, but I do a mean Spaghetti Bolognaise. Our family are a nightmare to cater for because there are an assortment of allergies to be considered. Good news is that when we are known our food is always absolutely fresh and only cooked with acceptable ingredients (i.e. no MSG and a whole variety of other stuff). Strangely enough I do make curries from scratch for my family and friends but have yet to isolate what it is that upsets me. Perhaps it is just psychological, like a drink that has made you poorly! CTNana
If it was an experience from the 60s, CTNana, then it could have been any of the ingredients. The spices and herbs were of a very poor quality then, and my dad used t say that one had to be really desperate to use them. Things are much improved nowadays, and the ground spices are cleaner, fresher and not likely adulterated with dirt, sand, colourings or other cr*p that used to be used to bulk it out.
Never had a proper curry. The 2 balti houses in our town have reputations for food poisoning and added extras in the food such as the chefs hair....
Sounds like a normal weekend... Thai is currently my fave as we have a bloody excellent one around the corner. Does masaman curry that is slightly addictive. Haven't had any other main course from there in well over a year. Stuck in a rut but it's a heavenly one!