Gettin' sweaty at Vintage India

 3 June 2024

 

VINTAGE INDIA

Corner of Hiddingh Avenue and Mill Street, Gardens, Cape Town  

 

Despite the cold, wet evening I was sweating profusely, with large globules of salty liquid pearling on the forehead, top of the head and running down the back of my neck. I used half a rain forest’s worth of paper serviettes to mop up the sweat; the wife handed me wet wipes too. 

 

Now, that’s what I call a curry with an amusing little kick.

 

The wife had craved a lamb rogan josh but by the time of day she told me this, it was rather late to do the necessary shopping and to cook the curry at home. Our options were to call Vintage India to place an order, so that I could stroll around to collect, in the rain, or to go there. By car, of course, even though it’s close by.

 

The wife knows I prefer eating at a restaurant rather than getting take out from them, so she graciously said we could go, even in the prevailing wet conditions, provided we went early, say, by 18h30 so we could be back early too. 

 

When we arrived the restaurant wasn’t very busy but more patrons slowly trickled in and by 19h15 a tour group arrived for the buffet supper that must be part of their itinerary.

 

We’ve often been at Vintage India when such groups come in and from our perspective it’s a hit, git and split kind of deal for them; they’re in and out in about 30 to 40 minutes.

 

We didn’t plan on making an evening of it but even so, we were leisurely diners compared to the tourists.

 

The wife started with a glass of red wine and then asked for a diet soda with her curry and I drank a beer.

 

We started with a platter of 7 onion bhajias (R80) and another with two chicken spring rolls (R100). The bhajias were crisp and soft, the pastry on the spring rolls was crisp and flaky and the chicken inside was generous in quantity and delicious.

 

We’d ordered starters and main courses at the same time and when we’d finished the former our simultaneous bingo! moment was that we’d over ordered yet again. Somehow we never learn. One starter would’ve been sufficient; the portions were that generous.

 

The wife had the lamb rogan josh with paratha and my choice was bhuna lamb (R180 each and R40 for the paratha). We received a double portion of rice too.

 

The two lamb curries were absolutely delicious, each with its own unique sauce and considerable chilli heat, hence the sweaty head. The wife was taken aback, as she’s used to the milder rogan josh I cook. I know she’s not a fan of fiery chilli heat.  We should’ve had a raita to cool down the palate; that’s why she asked for the soda. 

 

The bhuna sauce (onions, garlic, ginger and spices) is more substantial and less liquid than the rogan josh sauce (tomato based) and, paradoxically, the latter would’ve been better with rice and the former with the paratha, but there you are. We love paratha but I didn’t want to waste the rice.

 

There’s less meat with the rogan josh than one would like and you end up with a bucket load of sauce, which, as I’ve said, could’ve been absorbed in the rice though it wouldn’t have been very satisfactory even so whereas the bhuna sauce worked quite well with the rice.  Somehow, I also had the feeling that my dish had more meat but I suppose that might just be a perception. There’s no reason why the portions should be different.

 

We declined dessert because we’d had ever so slightly more than an elegant sufficiency of really good food.

 

The bill came to R710,00.

 

We like Vintage India a lot and feel at home because we eat there so often (it’s nice when the staff recognise and welcome you back), the food is of a high standard and always excellent and the setting and atmosphere always a pleasure to experience. That it’s an easy stroll from our humble abode, is a bonus.