Where Chefs Eat – South Asia Time

Where Chefs Eat

 July 9, 2020  

By Binod Baral

Here’s my rolling list of all the eatery that are present in my mind so far. I will update it periodically as I discover new things. It is by no means exhaustive, these are places I have been in the past, and a few of…

Bay leaf, it’s hidden treasure of Guildford —  too good to miss.

How come Michelin inspectors missed this destination eatery.

I have eaten in many Indian restaurants and this is one of the best I have tried in taste and varieties.

I  booked  3 days in advance. The menu contains a good number of house specialities which are a cut above the normal menu offerings. I tried one of these and it was delicious. The restuarant was clean  and rest room was spotless.

Hygiene rating on the door – 5 star

Trip advisor rating – Certificate of Excellence

 Any award – British Curry award 2015, 2018 shortlisted. 2016 and 2017 finalist best in South East

Online present address found through google

Booking system — must have but I looked online and did booking over telephone  01428 608030.

Greetings/ Service — A person with mask and full PPE came to me and asked my name and  telephone no.

Ambience /Atmosphere – Really good with lots of Nepali sculpture and art.

Food Presentation – Excellent, could be better. Portion size is little big, I love smaller portions but again thank you offering to pack for home.

Taste – Really good

 Texture – Perfect

Aroma – Nice

Cooking technique and plating technique – Average, could be better.

 Atmosphere, excellent bit empty but must be because of the Covid-19 but seems like collection and delivery doing well.

Staff knowledge/ Order taker — Seems to know most of the menu and very suggestive also stopped me to suggest not to order so much.

Attentiveness – Seems like too excited to see a customer after Post Covid, total table allocated for that day were 3.

Average spend – £45 per person, but I spent £90.00

Suggestion – Most of the vegetarian dishes easily can be vegan so I would suggest to work for it, follow the trend and allergens are not denoted in the menu.

General impression of the restaurant  –  I am wondering why Michelin sticker is not there.

Recommended dishes at the restaurant — Momo, Chicken Gralic Chilli Masala, Chilli Chicken, Tarka Daal and lamb Birayani. Bread selection was fantastic and lovely.

Final thoughts – Wow, best momo in the planet, feels like Kathmandu is here. And Momo Chutney was nicely done and with very good balance of chilli and roasted sesame. It’s far better than what is described in the menu.

(A passionate foodie and restaurant entrepreneur, Binod is a Research and Development chef working for the  Gourmet Entertainment Group, DO & CO.  He will share his experience and ideas regularly as a  food critique for South Asia Time)