Peterborough’s Curry King still going strong after 40 years on top

And on the evidence of our weekend visit they were absolutely spot on.

Now the place if you don’t know it (is there anyone?) is a Peterborough institution and the man behind it an absolute Peterborough legend – Rony Choudhury, the city’s uncrowned Curry King.

In June he celebrated an astonishing 40 years as a restaurateur in the city centre since opening Eastern Gardens in 1981.

It wasn’t until 1988 that he launched the original Bombay Brasserie on Broadway, before moving across the road to the newly-built restaurant he still occupies in 2004.

And on meeting him, for the first time in a couple of years, it is clear that he still loves doing what he has always done – meeting and greeting virtually every customer through the door and sending them home happy. And there is no sign of him handing over the reins to someone new just yet.

Lockdown clearly affected him – he has always been the face of the restaurant which was forced to closed for some time during the pandemic – but out of it came the recent twist on his long-running and popular Sunday Buffet.

Opening restrictions meant he had to drop the help yourself routine which had served him well for many years and adopt a new way of working– serving the buffet at the table.

It went down so well he has kept it going. And I don’t mind saying it make the whole experience so much more pleasurable – food cooked pretty much there and then for each table rather than scooped from huge serving pots.

So after a quick explanation and a drink order the food started to arrive: A large plate of papadoms – nice flavour and crisp – and some pickles including the: “best mango chutney ever” (to quote my eight-year-old daughter).

We had plenty of time to much through those before the starters arrived – a plate of mixed pakora and crisp spring rolls and a sizzling mix of spicy lamb sheek kebabs, which had quite an afterburn, and beautiful soft tandoori chicken thighs.

The main courses had plenty to offer also – and again delivered to the table.

A lovely fluffy plate of pilau rice and some naan bread slices – a little crisp on the bottom how I like it – were followed by a selection of curries which covered all the bases for the family.

The two girls in particular enjoyed the mild and sweet chicken tikka masala and chicken korma, the latter being very rich and creamy.

Donna adored the spicy curried cauliflower, which came with quite a kick, and a super sizzling tandoori chicken dish with beautiful sweet caramelised onions.

The lamb and spinach dish came with a recommendation from the waiter and didn’t disappoint. This was the highlight of the meal for me as the lamb was tender and the rich sauce spicy but packing bags of flavour.

I also made the most of the chicken balti dish, another treat, along with the Bombay potatoes – nicely spiced and perfect in terms of texture.

All in all, an enjoyable family meal with excellent service and the concept change is a real winner.