Not exactly a Banyan Tree-t

The Oakham Curry Club (OCC) UK branch continued on the quest to discover the finest curry establishment the world has to offer with its most recent trip to The Banyan Tree (BT) in Werrington. The scores are as follows: Customer Care: 6.6 Service: 4.9 Value: 6.4 Quality: 7.3 Atmosphere: 6.8 Total Score: 6.4 Situated in the town of Werrington, famous for its deluxe fish and chips and traditional pubs. However, the OCC visit was focused on the normal agenda, a visit to taste the curry. It should be noted that arrival times were hindered due to the construction of the innovative Werrington railway which provides direct links to New York, opening in 2017 for £19.50 return. Inside the restaurant, the OCC were placed at the head of the restaurant (or was it at the back out of the way?). We were to be dining on a solid oak table while listening to authentic Indian music, it was a very cultural moment. The only authentic aspect missing was the fact that we knew dinner would be served on plates and we would all be ordering individual dishes. Moving onto the finer and more important details, the poppadoms. The poppadoms were served with an array of 4 different types of sauces. This was a satisfactory amount and were supplemented by crispy poppadoms. A good start, and as suggested before, good poppadoms generally lead to a happy environment within the OCC. The concept of ordering in the BT manner was somewhat out of the ordinary for the OCC. Orders weren't made by name of the dish you wanted but rather by the number they appeared on the number. This led to shenanigans when starters were brought out. It is important to remember that these shenanigans is not a reflection of the BT, however is a reflection of the memory capacity of OCC members. I think it's obvious where I'm going with this. Yes, you've guessed it, the starters were served and nobody could remember what they'd ordered. This caused panic among the members as the mains were coming up next. One highlight of the starters is that we were introduced to different sauces than we had with the poppadoms. This was a first for the OCC! Could it be that the OCC were receiving special treatment in the form of secret sauces? That's not a rhetorical question, the answer is yes, most definitely! Let's step away from the food element of this blog to discuss the reputation the OCC has built. Among the staff at BT it was noted that our waiter was affiliated with the management/ownership of the restaurant and he became our personal waiter attending to our every need. It was a great start, however the waiting time between starters and mains seemed longer than average. As a side note, the staff remained friendly, professional and attentive. In the midst of tucking away the starter and waiting for the main meal, I took a moment to just observe the surroundings and take in the atmosphere. The restaurant didn't appear to be in its peak mode which made it all the more disappointing about the length of time for food to arrive. Following the extended time to be served the main, the feedback from members presented mixed feelings, which is understandable when multiple dishes are ordered comprising different sauces and meats. We should take a moment to think about the ordeal a chef goes through to try to prepare these selections of dishes. Plus every chef has their speciality whether it's a certain sauce or meat to cook. Moment over... It's definitely worth mentioning the tribulation that came out of the meet - the Chairman had lost his sacred OCC badge! One of the most punishable crimes within the OCC. His punishment will be published in a future blog upon the judicial decision of OCC members. To conclude, the OCC experienced one of the most authentic restaurants we have visited in terms of musical atmosphere and furnishing. We were respected and treated to secret sauces, a touch that is very much appreciated within the OCC but even though the staff were friendly and attentive the overriding factor and memory is that the food took too long to serve even though the restaurant busy. As a couple, I believe this restaurant would be perfect to visit, however as a large group (6+), the points in this blog should be considered prior to visiting. We look forward to the next meet!