Chutneys

Now I could rant on about the tasty poppadoms, crunchy naan or creamy chicken korma that left me with a satisfied but ‘inability to extricate myself from the chair’ feeling a full hour after eating. I could moan about the paint stripper wine scratching its way down my oily oesophagus, wondering how an acidic dry white wine goes with curry (am no expert in this field) but instead an anecdote about a rather over-​amorous waiter, Ali.
Petite, smiley and thoroughly hirsute, it was aforementioned Ali who cornered my mother and I on one of my first jaunts down Brick Lane back in the dark days of 2005, when I abandoned my North West London roots for something altogether edgier and rather more spicy.
So yes it’s true, as a naïve newbie he sold us on the free starters and bottle of plonk, offered us the ‘best’ table (we moved three times), and gave us that time-​honoured compliment ‘you look more like sisters’. I scowled intently.
The food arrived sharpish, peppered with an onslaught of compliments ranging from ‘you look nice tonight’ to the rather more subtle ‘can I have your phone number’ to the delicate ‘would you like to meet my family’. It was at this point that I decided that the only rational action would be to give him ‘my’ number, ‘my’ number being a much hated adversary who had bullied me in my youth. Word on the street (that means email pre-​Facebook) sung the happy tune that the much loathed foe had been plagued with calls from devoted Ali and had to change to her number.
Feeling smug, I left Chutneys fulfilled, never to return again but capturing just one more wistful look from dearest Ali who threw me a house branded minty chocolate as I walked off, gingerly.

The atmosphere is great in this modern restaurant on Londons famous Brick Lane.
The reps outside will usually cut your bill and offer free drinks with the meal.
5 of us ate like Kings for £35, i dont think i could feed myself for that much!
Chicken Saag is amazing, the paratha and daal are also really good.
The Indian MTV in the background is great to watch for a visual feast too.