Mem Saab Revisited
Ahem... The last time I visited Mem Saab, I complained that our meal was disturbed by a group of "raucously drunken international cricketers" at an adjacent table. It has been brought to my attention that this was in fact the England Cricket Team, fresh from a stunning victory over Australia at Trent Bridge. I am further informed that said cricket team have won something called "The Ashes" and are therfore peerless sporting heroes of the realm and definitely not "pissed-up, lager-quaffing yobs" as I may have mistakenly described them.
Inexplicably, Mem Saab managed to bounce back from this scathing review and they were packed to the doors (and even out onto the street at one point) when we arrived on Saturday night. The greeter, perhaps the manager himself for he was a distinguished-looking Asian man with a grey goatee, informed us that things were "running a little slow tonight" and that people had been "staying at their tables longer than they are supposed to." Of course another way of putting this might be to say, "sorry, we got greedy and overbooked the place" but who can blame them and the backlog cleared pretty quickly.
The food excelled once again, one of our party (who lives in London) declaring it the best curry he had ever eaten. The highlights were the dark and succulent Lamb Haryali, Goan Fish Curry in a spicy coconut sauce and an Okra Bhaji side-dish that was really superb. The place had a buzzing, civilised atmosphere with even a few Asian families amongst the diners - something which I've always assumed must be a definite seal of approval for the cooking.
After comments to this blog from "Chris" regarding "The Vegetarian Pot" on Alfreton Road, I had intended to go there instead but there was no answer when I called to reserve. Chris is right in saying that "real" Indian restaurants are always vegetarian - most of what we think of as Indian Restaurants are actually Bangladeshi and of course nobody on the sub-continent has heard of "Chicken Tikka Masala" anyway. I don't know the heritage of the Mem Saab people but they have an excellent product.
Inexplicably, Mem Saab managed to bounce back from this scathing review and they were packed to the doors (and even out onto the street at one point) when we arrived on Saturday night. The greeter, perhaps the manager himself for he was a distinguished-looking Asian man with a grey goatee, informed us that things were "running a little slow tonight" and that people had been "staying at their tables longer than they are supposed to." Of course another way of putting this might be to say, "sorry, we got greedy and overbooked the place" but who can blame them and the backlog cleared pretty quickly.
The food excelled once again, one of our party (who lives in London) declaring it the best curry he had ever eaten. The highlights were the dark and succulent Lamb Haryali, Goan Fish Curry in a spicy coconut sauce and an Okra Bhaji side-dish that was really superb. The place had a buzzing, civilised atmosphere with even a few Asian families amongst the diners - something which I've always assumed must be a definite seal of approval for the cooking.
After comments to this blog from "Chris" regarding "The Vegetarian Pot" on Alfreton Road, I had intended to go there instead but there was no answer when I called to reserve. Chris is right in saying that "real" Indian restaurants are always vegetarian - most of what we think of as Indian Restaurants are actually Bangladeshi and of course nobody on the sub-continent has heard of "Chicken Tikka Masala" anyway. I don't know the heritage of the Mem Saab people but they have an excellent product.
6 Comments:
I'm now an expat - but I really miss eating at The Saagar on Mansfield Road in Sherwood.
Still one of my all time top 10 Indian Restuarants.
Saagar is shocking.
It's the only place I've ever been so disgusted that I've left halfway through a meal.
The food is dreadful and the staff are rude and bigoted.
Don't go.
PS
if you go to Mem Saab don't go to the vegetarian pot "instead" it's a completely different style of place and a totally different dining experience.
You can book but I've never found it necessary. One caution, they normally shut around 9pm.
I haven't been to the Sagaar for years though it used to be my local Indian. I always thought that the food was great. However, the staff were indeed incredibly rude, to the point of Basil Fawltyesque farce.
The Saagar used to be my local as well, and I agree: consistently excellent food, but service so rude that it bordered on the hilarious.
The Vegetarian Pot is indeed a great place - real "family" cooking, love their mixed thalis.
But my favourite Indian restaurant in town has always been, and will always be, The Laguna, just round the corner from Mem Saab, and almost next to the diabolical 4550 Miles From Delhi. The Laguna just gets it right, every time - and there's no friendlier a welcome in Nottingham.
MEM SAAB FOODS CHANGING I THINK THE CHEF IS CHANGED THE FOOD IS GETTING TOO OILY AND BLAND
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