Tuesday 3 May 2011

totally tayyab's

Tayyab's. A Whitechapel curry house institution, opened in 1974 and still going strong with a loyal and dedicated fan base. In my quest for a decent Indian in London, and buoyed by nothing but rave reviews for this place, it was only fitting that The Grub Club decided on Tayyab's as the spot for our second meeting! Arriving around 7pm on a Wednesday night we beat the infamous queues and were immediately seated. Decor was simple but pleasant, kitchen table not upmarket restaurant. We were immediately given a plate of fresh salad and dips, with fresh poppadums (Charly said they were the best she'd ever tasted!), including an amazing homemade mango chutney. Stainless steel water jugs were on the tables along with those classic Seventies water glasses - we immediately commented on how our mothers both had the same versions at home! The menu was perfect, with a decent amount of starters, meat and veggie dishes and extremely reasonably priced to boot.

We opted for a selection of starters including tasty meat and veg samosas, gorgeous and super spicy lamb seekh and shami kebabs and paneer. We then went for chicken karahi and a baby aubergine dahl, both very fresh and not swimming in sauce. The chicken had a lovely sweet, almost honeyed edge to it and the dahl wasn't sloppy, with good sized pieces of lentil and veg. Pilau rice and an obscene amount of Indian breads completed the dinner. I always get a bit overexcited at the prospect of decent naans, rotis or parathas. That puffy, soft, buttery goodness brings out the fat kid in me and I want it all, all I tell you! Needless to say bread stuffs you and it's a crime to the deliciousness of the food to do so. To be honest if you're having bread, I would recommend getting a single dish of rice for 3/4 people. We left our second one untouched, along with two of the breads (it kills me to say). Go for one bread item per person - they are large and unlike the thin, flimsy style rotis or chapatis in most Indian restaurants or takeaways, they are very thick and puffy, almost like naan breads.

dahl

chicken

bread
Needless to say, we were absolutely overstuffed at the end of the meal (Charly went up a bra size and I nearly fell over twice on the way home). Couldn't even fit in a kulfi or gulab, tempting as they did look. There is also a big Indian sweets counter in Tayyab's, stocking brightly coloured barfi and my alltime favourite, those sticky syrupy sweet jalebi. Packed full of condensed milk, sugar syrup, ghee and all sorts of highly calorific business, there's still no denying their deliciousness enjoyed alongside a nice cup of tea. They also keep for ages so you can slowly work your way through a box of goodies and make yourself feel slightly less guilty! The bill for everything was a steal at £38.95 for three people, a real rarity in these tough times to get such a good quality, fast and cheap meal in London.

Overall TGC had a highly enjoyable Tayyab's experience with a vote of a very solid 8.75/10. Marks were deducted for slightly too much grease left in the bottom of our dishes, although there was no telltale oil slick on the tops of the dishes when they arrived (as you see in many curry houses) which was a good sign. The poppadums are also on the bill, although served as if free, which is also a pet hate of mine. However these are all minor tings in the scheme of it all and come on, we have to give them some room for improvement...!

It's BYOB so don't forget the booze, and try it out on a weekday evening to avoid the queues. On the way home, we saw the Gherkin rising up into the sky on our left as an old Indian guy played jaunty music on his flute on our right - and were reminded of the melting pot that London really is...

4 comments:

  1. Haha excellent! Blimey...depsite the suffering me and my ever-expanding bosom went through, reading your review makes me want to go again NOW!

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  2. I can absolutely vouch for the fact that those poppadums were quite authentic - it's been ages since I've tasted ones quite that good.

    Also, the chicken karahi didn't have that 'out-of-a-tin-can' taste, which made it feel all the more homely. I'm definitely going back there again!

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  3. Been here once before and it was pretty good! I am going to the night market yes! Maybe see you there after 7pm sometime? What do you look like?! I'm busy busy but if I get a message from you before I go will look out for you! xxx

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  4. Hey! Well I'm blonde, shoulder length and will probably be wearing a dress of sorts though not sure what yet! We'll see! I'll be accompanied by a blonde/sandy haired guy about the same height as me. Will keep an eye out! xxx

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