New Tandoor Review
From Moscowiki
| New Tandoor |
Cuisine: Indian
Address: Tverskaya ul., 31 (inside the lobby of the Tchaikovsky Concert Hall)
Metro: Mayakovskaya
Tel: 699-8062 / 8962
Web: www.tandoor.ru
Open from 12:00 until 24:00.
All major credit cards are accepted.
By Neil McGowan
Visiting the New Tandoor is a bit like meeting an old friend after losing touch for a while - “ the essential good stuff is still the same, but there's a lot that's new, and the old friend has come up a little in the world since then. Let's not mince words - “this is a place you come primarily for the food itself, and New Tandoor don't stint on quality. The restaurant organises its own special deliveries of ingredients from India, to ensure the complete authenticity of everything you're served. The chef himself is Indian, and chooses the ingredients personally.
This is the same management team who previously brought you the 'old Tandoor', formerly on the other side of Tverskaya and a block away - the move was because of planned redevelopment work at their old address, so the restaurant got out early when the opportunity of unusual and original premises came available. You've probably seen New Tandoor without knowing it was there - if you've ever had coffee at DeliFrance at Mayakovskaya, you might remember the large round room with tables. That odd structure in the middle of room is the ceiling of New Tandoor - it's downstairs and below.
If the decor of the old establishment tended a little towards upmarket curry-house, New Tandoor is more regal - you dine in a columned hall in elegantly muted grandeur. The interior is cheerfully 'undersigned' -instead of pictures in regulation-sized frames, different prints in different sizes and frames are arranged around the circular hall, giving the place a warm and 'lived-in' feel. There's only really one minus about the premises, which is the toilets - shared with the Concert Hall patrons, since there is nowhere else to put them. Just try not to coincide with the intermission when there's anything long-winded on the programme.
I took another semi-vegetarian with me, to see how New Tandoor would meet the challenge of two veggies. More than equally, as we found, and a delicious Kebab Platter (650 Rbs) was soon in front of us, re-tailored for veggies who also eat a bit of fish. Prawns, paneer cheese, mushrooms and other succulent marinaded items jostled for our attention - this generous platter serves two easily, and would make a nice lite-bite lunch item on its own. Of course, the pride of any North Indian restaurant is its tandoor - the huge clay-pot oven from which tandoori chicken, naan bread and a stream of other classic Indian standards issue forth. So proud are they at Tandoor of theirs (specially imported for the purpose) that they named the restaurant after it, so we pitched into a Lemon Fish Tikka (460 Rbs) from the oven, and it melted in the mouth. Tandoori food is dry-cooked in the heat of the oven, so it's very healthy, with little oil or fat, just top-quality fresh ingredients, and the fish (sturgeon, in this case) was all of that and more. We stayed with a maritime theme with a portion of Prawn Masala (600 Rbs) that would have fed an army - huge, juicy prawns, in a spicy sauce. New Tandoor have a policy of 'not toning down the spices' - whereas some others do. Of course, if you don't like it hot, there are lots of medium or mild dishes on the menu too, and the extremely helpful English-speaking staff will make sure you get the meal you really want. There are, of course, several cliches about the service in Indian restaurants, and true to form they really do come back to your table five minutes after serving you, to ask 'if everything is all right'?. But the service is charming and marvellously hospitable without being in the slightest pompous or overbearing. The hot towels are genuinely hot, and genuinely towels - not the soggy napkin in a plastic bag from the microwave seen so often elsewhere. The finger-bowl with lemon slices -these are all nice touches from a restaurant of real enthusiasts for what they do. Alyona enjoyed the Pullao Rice (180 Rbs), and said the naan bread was also delicious - but I was passing on the carbs, in the vain hope that Spring (and my spring wardrobe, one size smaller than the winter one) was on the way soon. This didn't stop me tucking into the Palak Paneer (Spinach with Curd-Cheese, 350 Rbs) that came on the side.
Of course, in many restaurants in India itself, no booze is served at all - nor is it served down most of Southall High Street or Acton Lane if you head for London's curry nirvana. And there are gourmets who will tell you that the spice-blends in Indian food make it hard to pair a wine with it. If you want to try, a bottle of Friuli Chardonnay goes for 1200 Rbs, or there's a range of beers too. The more traditional accompaniment would be a nice salted lassi (iced yoghurt drink), or if you prefer it, sweet or mango lassi.
If you enjoy a relaxed meal with charming service, and you enjoy authentic Indian food (because there is almost nothing else on the menu), New Tandoor fits the bill nicely. It defies the conventions of Indian restaurants (no flock wallpaper, no goldfish) whilst giving you everything you really enjoy about them. Non-vegetarians will find some stupendous chicken and lamb dishes here, and there are lots of more traditional curries, breads, and all the extras like raita and poppadoms too. Come for the food, stay for the service.
23.02.05.
