RESTAURANT REVIEW: The Gurkha Cottage, 17 Westow Street, Crystal Palace ***** (From News Shopper)
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RESTAURANT REVIEW: The Gurkha Cottage, 17 Westow Street, Crystal Palace *****
4:20pm Monday 24th January 2011
EATING squid in a Nepalese restaurant is not something I would have ever considered.
However, after sampling The Gurkha Cottage's culinary delights I was forced to think again.
I was welcomed warmly into the restaurant in the heart of Crystal Palace with a glass of port before taking pride of place at a table next to the window.
Then came the most popular starter of the restaurant, Piro squid, which, albeit a little dubious at first, wetted our appetite beautifully.
The squid was cooked in a tandoori oven with lemon grass and peppers and was the perfect accompaniment to Piro Piro Paneer and Lamb Momo, which were both quite spicy and rich.
Full creative reign was then given to Sanjay, the owner, who put together a fantastic main course menu for us that did not disappoint.
He took great joy in sharing with us the origins behind each dish, which were a sumptuously cooked Nilgiri Chicken, Masu Bhutuwa and Chicken Dhansak, a festive dish frequently served to huge parties in Nepal.
The Nilgiri Chicken was cooked in a delicious coriander sauce with coconut, garlic and ginger and made a colourful counterpart to our platter of food.
This was topped off with a lovely bottle of Rose, which was kept in fresh supply on our table.
The Gurkha Cottage was a joy to eat in.
Not only were the staff attentive, they were keen we experience true Nepalese cuisine and were obviously enthusiastic about showing us something of their culture.
They allowed us to wile away our evening without feeling rushed and ensured we left with full stomachs, even packing the remainder of our meal up for us ready to take home.
A two course meal with set you back around £12, not including drinks.
To book a table, call 020 8771 7372.
Piro piro paneer: Stir fried cottage cheese with onions, green peppers and soy sauce. £3.80
Piro squid: Squid cooked in a clay oven with coriander, lemon grass and peppers
Lamb momo: Steam cooked lamb dumplings with chutney. £4.20
Nilgiri chicken: Chicken cooked with coriander sauce, coconut, garlic, ginger and green peppers. £6.80
Masu bhutuwa: lamb cooked in Nepalese spices, coriander and spring onions. £7.10
Chicken dhansak: Chicken cooked with lentils in a sweet and sour sauce. £7.20
The Gurka Cottage, 17 Westow Street, Crystal Palace
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