Station Road, Liphook

The nearby Railway Hotel in Station Road has now been converted into flats.

Phone:  01428 729355

We had a small (8) but enthusiastic turnout for the November Curry Club meeting on Wednesday 12th. Our usual scribe sent his apologies, so you have the benefit of my ramblings instead.

The Gurkha Chautari was as welcoming as ever, and as is our custom, we asked them to choose the menu for the evening - and not to forget the chicken livers (bhuteko kalejo). We weren't disappointed - excellent mixed starter with a double portion of chicken livers, plus momo (lamb dumplings), potato cakes, and choyla.

The main courses comprised a selection - Nepalese chicken, lamb in a spicy sauce, sizzling chicken tikka, hot battered chicken, jeera aloo, bamboo shoots in black bean suace, and a variety of rice, naans and other vegetables. Everyone enjoyed the choice - little was left over.

House wines were a Merlot and a Pinot Grigio - both very drinkable. We raised our glasses to two members who passed away recently: Tony Luff, former landlord of the Queen's Head at Sheet, and Rugby Club and Curry Club stalwart had suffered a long illness with amazing fortitude. Tony Stocks was a friend of several Curry Club members but due to work commitments had only been to one meeting. His sudden passing was a shock to us all.

(Will organised the meeting and did the write-up this month)

This was a late change of plan because Madhuban was undergoing refurbishment on this date.

Since the last curry club visit the owners of Grayshott's Gurkha Durbar have taken over the place. Waiters now dressed in the house waistcoat. The quality of the food was uniformly excellent too.

A starter platter included slippery meat dumplings (momo), moist potato cakes sweetened with carrot, delicious chicken livers (kalejo) and sinka prawn.

Served a profusion of main courses to sample. Among the best, battered strips of chicken in a tasty dish infused with sesame oil, strangely reminiscent of pancakes with brown sugar and lemon. Elsewhere on the table really tart and smoky clay oven chicken, plump prawns in a syrupy and sour orange sauce possessing a surprisingly petulant little chilli kick, a rich and savoury curry of stewy lamb and spinach as well as a lovely stir fry, fresh and vibrant with green chillies (piro kurkhura) were distinguished.

Standout sundries included a garlicky ochre dahl, ever so slightly burnt, Aloo Jeera, spicy rotund baby new potatoes and toothsome Gulio Rotis spread with almond flour.

We lingered a while to let the feast digest, sipping brandies and watched a couple of tight but loose females flop in and out, before being turned away from the Chinese takeaway across the road. I wonder if they remember.

After aperitifs outside at the Links in some rare sunshine, we enjoyed a great meal, with the menu chosen by the restaurant. 

They served mixed individual starters, comprising momo (lightly spiced pork dumplings), kalejo (fried chicken livers), poleko machha (marinated salmon, grilled) and aloo chops (potato cake). All were excellent.

Then the main courses were khursani kukhura (a spicy chicken curry), gurkha khasi (stir fried lamb in a sauce that seemed sweet and sour), crispy duck, and uneko kukhura (a sizzling chicken kebab).  Side dishes included kurilo (asparagus), bhanta (aubergine) and aloo tama bodi (bamboo shoots with black-eye beans and potatoes), pilau rice and naan.  

Everything was good but it's worth highlighting some of the dishes.  I really enjoyed the chicken curry which had the added kick of some fresh green chillies, the lamb was tender and very tasty, and the beans were very good.

For a Wednesday night, the restaurant was quite busy - rightly so, because the cooking is good.  And as last time, we enjoyed the music which included Shine on, you Crazy Diamond. A great evening.

Liphook at the Gurkha Chautari, Station Road. Drinks at the Links: very good food and turnout. I remember thinking as I left the restaurant that this was just about perfect - Pink Floyd on the sound system, a decent red wine, good company and fine food. It was a really great Curry Club evening.

January 2006:

We visited Gurkha Chautari in Liphook, with aperitifs at the Links Hotel.   Food was excellent - spicy chicken, crispy duck, lamb, prawn - just as good as we expected.  For a non-Indian night out, the Links -    otherwise known as Crab and Lobster (book on 01428 723773) looks very attractive.

Subtle flavours and beautifully-prepared food.  Nothing was overpowering, and the service was as good as ever. 

Trains to Liphook