Torquay – Biryani House
This was one of the highest on-line rated Indian (I’ve defined this as Indian, but I accept that they also describe themselves as a Bangladeshi restaurant) restaurants in Torquay, located in the Torre area of the town. We were welcomed warmly when arriving and although there’s limited seating inside, we were offered a larger table between the two of us, which I always think is a nice gesture. Although, other than the two diners already there when we arrived, there were no-one else dining inside for the rest of the evening and I had thought it might be a little busier, even on a drizzly Wednesday evening in February. In recent years, this has gone through all manner of name changes and it’s been Lucky Choice Chinese, the Hong Kong Express, the Thai Kitchen, Kim’s Kitchen, Thai Chef and then from early 2024, Biryani House.
The menu.
The poppadoms which met my expectations, I very much like pickles in the little selection of dips, exciting options such as lime pickle are missing from this line-up too often. So, as I’m easily distracted, I asked Google what dips and chutneys should be served in an Indian restaurant and it came back with:
“Mango Chutney: This sweet and tangy chutney is a classic pairing with poppadoms. Its fruity flavour balances the crispiness of the poppadoms.
Mint Raita (or Mint Sauce): A cooling and refreshing dip made with yogurt, mint, and sometimes coriander. It provides a nice contrast to spicy dishes.
Onion Chutney: This often features finely chopped red onions, and it can vary from sweet and tangy to spicy. It adds a sharp and flavourful element.
Lime Pickle: This is a very strong and spicy pickle, that adds a very powerful sour and hot flavour to the poppadoms.”
This is effectively what this restaurant offered, hence my satisfaction.
It’s always handy to have vinegar to hand in an Indian restaurant. I fully understand their practical benefits, but I didn’t much like the plastic covering over the tablecloth. I had thought that this traditional look was because they’d been here for years, but this is all newly set out as they only relatively recently took over.
There was some Bollywood entertainment going on. The Tiger beer tasted as expected, it always feels more acceptable when having south Asian food.
I went for the chicken jalfrezi, coconut rice and plain naan. The portion size of the curry was generous, with plenty of tender pieces of chicken breast. There was some spice in it, although for my own taste I would have liked more, and it had a depth of flavour, a very serviceable curry. The rice was fluffy and coconuty, but the naan bread was a bit moist and seemed more microwaved than cooked in a traditional Tandoor oven. Not that I’m expecting a small restaurant in a Torquay suburb to have a large Tandoor oven going, but it should have perhaps been a bit firmer.
The interior of the restaurant and it’s fair to say that they haven’t aimed to be on-trend here. Although we hardly stretched the kitchen with our order, they did get a couple of delivery orders through when we were there.
There was a free Sambuca shot at the end, which I of course accepted, and I was surprised that Ross did as well rather willingly. The couple at the table next to us had struggled through theirs and I heard them comment privately it tasted cheap, but I thought it was quite smooth.
Anyway, I thought this was a competent restaurant and I very much liked the welcome which I thought was authentic and warm. Ross was less impressed when the owner tried to help him put his coat on, but I know other people who would have liked that very much. One other positive is that they open during lunchtimes, something that seems to be quite rare at Indian restaurants in the UK. Anyway, all rather lovely and I hope that they do well.
