Caitlin Moran, on her fourth cup of tea, discovers that the best Indian food near the Strand is not where you expect it
Strand Tandoori: The Bedford Street Curry House That Has Been Getting It Right for Years
I want to talk about the Strand Tandoori on Bedford Street, which is a restaurant that has been feeding the post-theatre and lunchtime crowds in this part of London for long enough to have earned the right to be taken seriously on its own terms. It is a curry house in the traditional sense of the phrase, with a menu that covers the Anglo-Indian canon comprehensively and with the depth that comes from a kitchen that has been making these dishes for long enough to have moved past the approximations that newer operations sometimes settle for.
The Indian restaurant in Britain is one of the most culturally significant institutions in the country’s food history. The Bangladeshi community in particular built an entire dining culture that became central to how British people experienced eating out, and the best examples of the tradition, the ones that have maintained standards across decades, deserve recognition rather than dismissal in favour of the newer, more photogenic alternatives. The Strand Tandoori is this kind of place: unfashionable in the best sense, consistent in the way that only establishments with real cooking rather than trend-chasing can be.
The Food
The tandoori mixed grill is the way to begin if you are eating with someone and want to share. The chicken tikka has the correct char from the tandoor, the smokiness that marks properly prepared chicken rather than oven-baked chicken described as tandoori. The lamb chops are tender and well-spiced. The seekh kebab has the texture and flavour of freshly minced and spiced meat rather than the dense, uniform product that comes from pre-prepared kebabs. This distinction matters and the Strand Tandoori is on the correct side of it.
The lamb rogan josh is the main course I return to most frequently. It is a dish that requires a long cooking time to develop properly, and the version here has clearly been given that time: the lamb is tender throughout, the sauce has depth from the slow reduction of spices and meat juices, the aromatic warmth builds as you eat rather than hitting immediately and fading. This is the correct character for a rogan josh and it is not universal even in restaurants that feature it prominently.
The chicken tikka masala, which some purists argue is not authentic Indian food at all, is here made with the care that the dish deserves regardless of its origins. The sauce is properly made from a tomato and cream base that has been reduced sufficiently to have body, seasoned with spices that are present rather than gestured at. The chicken has been marinated and cooked properly rather than added raw to the sauce and finished inadequately. The result is the best version of what it is, and what it is has fed Britain well for half a century.
The naan bread arrives hot and properly charred. The rice is long-grain and fluffy. The dhal is properly tempered and deeply flavoured. These are the things that support a meal and at the Strand Tandoori they are taken seriously as supporting elements rather than afterthoughts.
The Value
The prices are fair for the quality and the location. The portions are generous. The drinks list is adequate. The service is warm and efficient. This is a restaurant that has been doing this for long enough that all the above is simply how things are rather than a deliberate performance. Visit Strand Tandoori after a show and order the rogan josh. The London Prat covers London with love. Bohiney Magazine has the wider context.
SOURCE: https://strandtandoori.com/
