King Cobra, Southsea
Indian restaurateurs have long cottoned on to our love affair with their type of food and spicing.
Most British cities have a healthy number of curry houses and Portsmouth is no exception.
The species, however, could be in danger thanks to Indian and other south east Asian chefs not being able to be recruited because of immigration rules.
This could explain the lack of new Indian or Bangladeshi restaurants opening, with British chefs reluctant to take on the challenge to fill that gap.
At King Cobra, opposite the Kings Theatre, they cook simple Indian food from scratch and to order by using typical Asian ingredients.
No shortcuts or modernising dishes here. What you get is cooking from the heart and without pretence.
There's no fancy dcor here either, with a simple combo of orange and white tablecloths, a few pictures of flowers and a steady stream of classy, soulful Indian music. You'll also find charming 'we can't do enough for you' service.
The menu doesn't hold any surprises, with the usual suspects found throughout the UK on King Cobra's large menu. Start with a paneer shashlik; prawn pure; mushroom chat; lamb tikka – you know the menu off by heart I suspect.
And, yes, there is a smattering of tandoori dishes plus biriani; kurma; dupiaza; rogan and freshwater fish dishes as well as Chef's Recommendations, a whole slew of them.
There's Goan chicken; butter chicken; chicken Malaya; chicken lemon chana, garlic chilli chicken, plus lamb, king prawns, freshwater fish but no beef. Apart, that is, from one sirloin steak to fulfil the needs of those who don't take to the spice path.
My choice, Darjeeling lamb, was preceded by two fat, moreish spicy onion bhajis, prices uber low here, this starter a mere 2.50. Mains are around the 5 – 7 mark.
The bhaji winged its way from the kitchen pretty smartish and could have done with a tad more heat.
The Darjeeling dish, with lamb marinated in cinnamon, methi and coriander took half-an-hour to emerge.
Was it worth the wait? You betcha. And I'd return for more of the same. This chef doesn't cut corners or use lacklustre curry powders, with cinnamon bark and star anise found in the dish.
The methi, or fenugreek, added a jaunty, tangy curry scent to the tomato-based sauce. Nothing short of a fabulously executed Moghlai creamy, onion spinach came with this, plus excellent boiled rice.
If you want the real taste of India, then King Cobra delivers – but slowly. My bill came to 16.40 and included an ice cold Cobra – what else?
Carol is a chef, former restaurateur and editor of Savour, the Guild of Food Writers magazine.
King Cobra, 17 Albert Road, Southsea PO5 2SE
(023) 9273 0067
Open: Sun-Thur 5.30pm–1am and Fri-Sat 5.30pm–2am
Food: ****
Service: ****
Atmosphere: ****
Disabled access: Yes
How to get there: King Cobra is opposite the Kings Theatre at the Victoria Road South end of Albert Road. On-street parking.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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