Visits 2002 - Dec

 

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December - Junction 21 , leicester

294 Melton Rd, Leicester

0116 266 6099

M1CurryClub Chili rating     

 

M1CurryClub Reviews 

Review

The Grand Durbar Leicester

Pre Prelude -2 weeks after booking this meeting, we realised that we had been to The Grand Durban before, about 4 years ago by my reckoning.

Prelude – Mick V picked up the southern faction in the new 7 seater bus, which was lucky as we numbered 6. We arrived at the Owl and Pussycat pub at about 9pm and met the other four (a full house). As the table had been also been booked for 9pm we had to rush in for just one drink. As the northern faction had arrived in good time they were well on the way to having a good time.

The Owl and Pussycat pub – Well this place had changed since we last visited. 4 years ago this place seemed like a nice quite estate pub, but now its the place were the Ali G fan club meet on Friday nights (reeespect to the Thurmaston Massive). I must say that I was glad we only spent 20 mins before moving on to the curry house.

The Grand Durbar – After the short walk across the road we arrived at the restaurant. We were led in to a new part of the building and sat down at a table for 10. The popadoms (and the other stuff in metal bowls) arrived at the table very quickly. As usual these were eaten very quickly and a second round was ordered. It was at this point that Simon received a little extra with his pickles. He had found a small pin shaped piece of metal. The manager was summoned for the first time, on arrival, he was very apologetic about the extra iron in the pickles, saying he was going to sort it out with his supplier and would see us alright when we paid the bill.

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After quite a long wait we were asked for our order, as usual we asked for the "Feed us for £15 option" this was agreed to with no problem. The manager even asked us if we would like some very hot dishes (do bears S*** in the woods?) or some mild one (all look around at Mike H at this point). The food was quite a long time coming to the table but in the interim was talked amongst ourselves and the table next door (more about them later).

The food arrived and from my point of view, very good. Not only was it very hot in taste but the temperature of the food very hot as well. I must say this first time in a lot of meeting that I thought that the food was at the correct temperature (well done GD). There was a good selection including King Prawns, Chicken, Lamb and Beef dishes including at least 3 different type of rice and nan’s.

The Next Table – When we first sat down, the table next to our started talking to us and continued throughout the night. I must say that they did provide to be good entertainment during the night, the main points being:

  • Eating prawn cocktail in a curry house (sorry but unforgivable)
  • Fall asleep backwards (instead of forwards in your curry - unforgivable)
  • Keep looking at us with a ‘I wish you lot would shut-up’ look (normal)
  • Being noisier than us! (unheard of before)

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We got the impression that this lot were in fact a pre-wedding party, with the man falling asleep being the groom and man kept looking at us, was the brides father who was not happy with grooms behaviour.

Back to the Grand Durbar – We ordered up seconds of the chicken dish served on the round frying pan (which was fantastic), We all finished with food to spare. At this point both Pete and myself started playing with an Indian dancing doll which was on the window seal.

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This all started well until Pete got carried away. In with the £15 pounds, we also got coffee, which must have taken about 20 min to serve. While we waited we called over the manger for the certificate ceremony, he seemed happy, but no drink! Just goes to show you can’t win them all, but as Meatloaf said in the song "3 out of 4 ain’t bad"

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But at the last minute the GD saved itself, on the way out, Simon was presented with 2 bottles of wine for the pin incident.

The Southern Faction said goodbye to the northern faction and the confirmed that the next meeting would be on the 14th March 2002 in a Chinese restaurant at Nottingham and we all got back on the bus. A trivial bit of excitement on the way home, when Mike V tried to race a VW Sirocco down the A46 and lost. The moral of this part of the story, don’t try and race small cars in a bus.

The Postscript – The next day the wind was blowing storm force 8 in an easterly direction and lasted 24 hours before subsiding on Sunday.

The Epilogue – This was a really great meal, let do it again in 4 years time, it will be my 50th birthday!

 

M1CurryClub detailed rating - 4.16

Ease of parking 4 - In the Owl and Pussycat pub

Ease to locating 5 - Very easy if your have been before

Extent of menu 5 - Very Extensive

Quality of food 5 -  Very Good

Taste ? - Very Good

Speed of service 3 - Bit on the slow side

Any special beers 5- yes lots including SA

Value for money  4 -   Very good valve for what we had (£15 food +£5 for the beer)

Environment   4looked like it had just been done up  

Waiters  4 - Good

Manager 2   2 bottles of wine good

Paul's closing comments - sorry about the review!

 

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The contents of this site was made-up down the pub one Friday night in Nov 2000 after a few drinks, so don't believe a word of it!
Last modified: December 10, 2002