Who knew the residential roads behind the Gate cinema host more than just dainty, unaffordable white homes? I live nearby, and had no idea there was another Uxbridge Road aside from the one in She' Bush (yes, I know, this is Uxbridge Street - poetic licence, ok?). One of the people I was with, a former estate agent, used to show flats around there, and had never noticed the array of restaurants and pubs in the area. The other colleague I was with knew about them, though; a lucky accident, as he first found Malabar on Google Maps, where he was randomly looking up Notting Hill restaurants after an evening at the pub. These things usually don't end this well.
It takes guts for me to walk into an Indian restaurant I know absolutely nothing about. I've been burnt before, and have little patience for greasy starters, tasteless curries and unkempt, dingy interiors - all of which I've seen more than once, in places I'll most likely never visit again. I have to give it to my colleague: Malabar was a nice find. It takes all the sad neighbourhood Indian restaurant motifs, and makes them better. It's not very big, but tables are larger than in many places I've visited before, and much less cramped too. They have two bright, well-lit dining rooms on two separate floors, and while the downstairs one was packed when we walked in, the upstairs space was pleasantly uncrowded, lively without being too noisy.
The menu can be slightly confusing (starters and tandoor dishes are in the same section, raising questions about the size of portions), but offers a wide enough range of choices, from grilled meats to lamb, chicken and fish curries. One of my colleagues had the murg makhni (barbecued chicken cooked with butter, cream and almonds), and was slightly disappointed, as he'd expected a spicier dish. I ordered it too, and did find it rather mild, but couldn't complain, as a mild curry was exactly what I wanted. I was hoping it would be creamier, and thought the portion was rather small for £9.40; still, I would gladly order it again if I went back to Malabar (although I'm also curious to try their korma). The naan bread, too, could do with a bit more seasoning; it is, however, plump to the touch and soft to the bite, and you should never settle for less. My other colleague had the dal gosht (lamb cooked with lentils and spices), and thought it had a nice spicy kick, more fiery than our chicken mains; her portion also looked larger than our chicken curries.
The restaurant was busy when we visited, and service felt scatty. We didn't mind the long wait, as it was Friday night, and we were completely on the loose; the most awkward moment was when they brought naan bread (which we had ordered) to our table, together with plates for our curries, and then delivered a chicken liver main we hadn't asked for. Once they realised it was meant for another table, they took everything away from ours; that is, all three plates, and even the bread. Good for them we hadn't started nibbling...
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