The approach to the Castle Court from Harlech High Street, presents a great view down over the coastal plain with the mountains beyond… as the street begins to drop down, you find a neon ‘open’ sign and a door that looks like it will lead into some kind of secret casino, gentleman’s private club or an after hours drinking den… behind the door, you find yourself in a small atrium… and on opening the second door, you are met with a warm and relaxed welcome into the quirky interior that is the Harlech Tandoori. It is a small ‘basement’ room with a suitably stocked corner bar and bright orange décor that manages to be both in conflict with, and strangely harmonious with, the areas of exposed random granite stonework.
The place has its own style and character, and y’know, so does the menu. Whether you eat in and enjoy the pleasant, intimate and relaxed atmosphere, or take away with a discount, you will find an array of enjoyable dishes with some unusual ones amongst them that you do not find in every curry house… such as the Desi Delight, shown above: a beautifully balanced dish with sweetness and mild spicing, off-set with fantastically flavoured dried and roasted chillies that have a biscuit-like crunch and a toasty, moderate heat. The rich subtle sauce pulls all the textures and flavours together, the soft and sweet onions, the green pepper, chunks of tender chicken and a whole hard-boiled egg that has been fried to give it an extra surface texture – unusual and delightful, indeed.
The Chicken Shashlik is a subtle and lightly spiced version of this classic, with large tender chunks of mildly spiced, marinated chicken ‘barbequed’ with onion and peppers, served with a fresh green shredded salad. Consistently satisfying and the ‘fall-back’ order if you just cannot make up your mind. There is also a Tandoori Mix, if you want a bit of variety on one platter.
We have also enjoyed the Chicken Pakoras (above: generous chunks of chicken tikka coated in a light but very crunchy batter), Dhals, generous Thalis (both vegetable and meat) and always the fresh baked Nans (below: a Garlic Nan landscape).
The Harlech Tandoori's style of cooking takes most of its inspiration from Bangladeshi cuisine and you can expect well-balanced, yet full-flavoured dishes that are satisfing and ‘sit well’ after the event, with no feeling of heaviness or bloat. Check out their website for more info and a sample menu. To make a reservation or place a take-away order phone: 01766 781 306.
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