"Cafe Naz or Cafe Naf?"
A review of Cafe Naz by Chapman - Sunday 5th of December 2004
We wanted to go to the Mararajah (which I understand is quite good) but couldn't get in early on a busy Saturday night. Cafe Naz was busy but had a table available so we thought we'd give it a go. Well, what a waste of £30 or so (for two)!
Service was very slow and dis-organised. A rather 'spaced-out' and untidy looking waitress wandered around for ages with our drinks before eventualy homing in on our table. The papadoms were OK but the selection of chutneys poor (and an extra 75p each!). We waited nearly an hour for our starters. The sheek kebab was OK but very dry and no mint sauce was offered. A very greasy Aloo Chat was just about edible - but then things took a turn for the worse.
The curries were dreadful. My Chicken Jalfrezi was very salty, oily and not much like a Jalfrezi - only the two meague pieces of green pepper and a single small chilli gave the game away. The meat was 'hard' - a clear sign it had been overcooked and re-heated. My wife's Rogan Josh looked disgusting and tasted even worse. Again, it was very salty, oily and completely homogeneous - not a bit of tomato or any other sign that it was other than a nondescript curry gravy. The lamb was hard in parts and very chewy. Not a sign of any garnish or aromatic spice or herb on either dish. However, both dishes had quite a lot of meat.
We suspect that the sauces (more like gravies)had been prepared a long time in advance and then poured over the meat immediately prior to serving. At no time did any waiter ask whether the food was OK.
I have cooked and eaten curries for many years. I regularly cook for my Indian relatives and also taste their home cooking. I have eaten at The Mogal E Azam in Nottingham and the Chingford Tandoori, both of which serve really good contemporary and healthy curries. These are bursting with good quality ingredients such as onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger topped with aromatic spices and fresh coriander. They always seem freshly prepared and each curry has its own very distinctive flavour.
In comparison, the curries at the Cafe Naz seem a considerable health risk being full of fat and salt (and not much else). We couldn't finish either.
The further sting in the tail is that we were then overcharged. When I pointed out the mistake, there was no apology. The manager was quite rude and added £1.50 for chutneys.
To sum up - poor service and salty, oily gravy - hardly what you expect in a 'contemporary'(their description) restaurant.
Certainly Cafe Naf
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