Curry Garden

Curry Houses and Takeways are ten-​a-​penny in Brum, so each must offer something different in order to gain a foothold in what is a crowded and discerning market. What Curry Garden have done to set themselves apart is to disguise themselves as a Chinese Takeaway.
This is a rather clever ploy, if you think about it, because as you walk past the place one part of your brain will subconsciously scope out the lonely counter on the inside of the shop and tell you «It’s a Chinese Takeaway, mate», but at the same time another part of your brain will subconsciously read the word «Curry» in the sign above the window, and at which point your brain will temporarily malfunction. You will then be forced to stop in your tracks and look to see what it really is. Before you know it, you’re inside and ordering a Balti Chicken Saagwala. Pretty clever, eh?
Anyway, Jedi mind tricks aside, the food here is pretty good and reasonably priced. As it’s a takeaway only, rather than a restaurant that also does takeaway, takeaway punters have the undivided attention of the chef, which means that you aren’t hanging around too long for your food (just about enough time for a pint in the Hare and Hounds, I’ve discovered). Get it home and you’ll discover that it’s fresh and tasty and that it was the curry house you were looking for.

Out of all the times that I’ve eaten curry, most times I’ve cooked it, most of the rest I’ve been waited on, I’ve ordered two in to home, and I’ve once picked one up and walked it home. That one was here. ‘Curry Garden’. It conjures up images of naan trees bowing under the weight of their flatbread leaves, and of streams of lassi and pools of korma sauce and pakora statues. It is in fact an uninspiring take away just down from two resteraunts
It’s as standard a menu as you can get, really. With so much choice nearby where you can sit in and eat at a fraction more of the cost of getting a take-​away from here, I suppose Curry Garden are catering for the lone eater who has peaked too soon with his alcohol intake, (it was a lot of Malbec at a wedding if you must know), and just wants to stuff his face and get to the land of nod. And in that capacity, Curry Garden excelled themselves.

You may have gathered by now that I do like a curry. And a quickly served curry is all the more desirable when I’m ravenous. However I’m slightly sceptical of places that only have a counter, I don’t know why, I just am.
Anyway, sticking to an old favourite of mine, I ordered a chicken korma, tikka masala, pilau rice and a naan bread. It took about 15 — 20 mins of sitting around pondering before the food was ready. I paid up around 10 pounds which I thought was fairly good value, and wandered back home in the rain.
Well, I was pleasantly surprised by the food. My dish was a tasty and the rice was cooked, so no major flaws there. Apparently the tikka masala was again, a standard, tasty version when contrasted to past pinnacles of tikka masala consumption.
Another Curry merchant to make you’re contemplation of where to go for a curry even more difficult. O, life’s monumental dilemmas.