Bangalore Express
Above: Bangalore Express
Fans of Wagamama, The Painted Heron and Buona Sera at The Jam (the King’s Road Italian where waiters serve bunk-style tables with the help of ladders) will feel right at home at Bangalore Express. Much like the popular Japanese noodle chain, it serves fresh, healthy food in fast-paced yet relaxed surrounds, albeit with Indian menus (the Painted Heron connection) and cosy, two-tiered booths supplementing its long, communal tables.
The straightforward menu is topped by tapas and tandoori, which at £4 per surprisingly generous plate are excellent value, but there is also a range of more substantial dishes.
A tenner will buy a complete thali meal with a curry, side salad, cucumber raita, naan bread and rice, while main courses are all priced at £8 each. The latter are split between Big Plates such as Indian fish and chips with chilli fries and spiced mushy peas and a DIY curry section, where diners choose to have tiger prawns, chicken, duck or lamb cooked as a mild korma, medium masala, hot madras or fiery jalfrezi with a choice of vegetable and rice on the side. Post-pub visitors will no doubt love the soak-up qualities of the Indian Calzone (curry-filled folded pizzas served with onion and tomato salad) but there is also the option of Low-Fat Plates, which see chicken breast, white fish or vegetables cooked in oil-free curry sauce and served with brown basmati rice and yogurt dressing.
The highlights of our meal were the super-tender lamb cutlets and lime pickle-marinated king prawns, which were both cooked to tender perfection in the tandoor oven. Swift, smiley service is another plus-point, making this an ideal pit-stop en route to Waterloo Station or the local theatres (The Southbank Centre and Old Vic are both just around the corner).
by Annica Wainwright, an editor at Square Meal
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