Apple sauce anyone?
The Oakham Curry Club (OCC) is one of the world's most respected reviewers of Indian cuisine. With multiple international franchises, we relentlessly scour the globe in pursuit of the crispiest poppadoms, the tastiest sauces and spiciest curries.
June saw the Oakham Curry Club once again venture into Central London - where the laid back peace and tranquility of the Palms of Goa was up for review as we laid our review upon theeeem.
‘Goa is more than swaying palms, white sands and sparkling waters, it's a state of mind. Nowhere else in India will you find the laid back languidness of a Goan lunchtime, siesta led afternoons, the easy charm of its people or the soothing serenity of a day on its beaches’.
Had we realised the laid back Goan attitude would quite literally transcend from their website to the service in the restaurant we may have thought twice - read on, there were some glimmers of sunshiiinneeee.
Scores
Customer Care - 6.25/10
Greeted with beaming smiles is THE best way to make customers feel welcome and you couldn’t fault the restaurant for the warm welcome they offered our group. Allowing the creative juices to flow when the group had a little sing-song is applauded by our group, albeit if a little off-putting for some other diners.
Service - 6.17/10
Not up to the high standards set by the OCC, something to consider if you’re interested in eating altogether or perhaps are in a rush. Even drinks orders were few and far between, which is bizarre given the size of the restaurant and 2-3 waiting staff - that Goan vibe again transcending!
Value - 6/10
Not too pricey given its location - although portion size was questioned, along with starters being cleared away before some diners had finished their meal. On reflection and given comments from the group you can’t help but wonder whether Palms of Goa rely on passing trade rather than returning customers.
Quality - 6.25
Comments such as ‘Jalfrezy was too spicy for a medium’, ‘chicken was too dry’ and ‘bang average’ just goes to show that a high score for quality was never going to be on the cards. The quality for pricier selections seems to be have been on point - unfortunately all others were very average. Also, apple sauce-esque ‘mango’ chutney - did they run out of Mango!??
Atmosphere - 7.38
Although a small venue, there was a constant buzz inside - partly due to a group on their way out breaking the monotone/serenity and due to our arrival! The acoustics in the restaurant make any sound (or song) echo through to eternity!
Total - 6.41
Overall the view of the OCC is that this curry house is very much bang average (totalling 6.41 I hear you say ;o). You can’t fault their intentions to entice people into their restaurant - a website put together by David Blaine to form the illusion of laid back vibes with a focus on quality - the OCC Officer should have seen through this veil of psychological marketing wizardry.
Albeit not a terrible score or venue - Palms of Goa have a decent base to build upon, here’s hoping they take time to read the review.
Check out www.oakhamcurryclub.com for more reviews from across the globe.