Just when I think i’ve tried every Indian restaurant in the Cambridge area, another one pops up!
Not that I am complaining! Keep em coming I say!
This afternoon, I had the pleasure of going to the quaint village of Great Eversden to try one of the newest Indian restaurants around, Cam Spice (The Hoops pub).
The restaurant is modern yet set in an old English backdrop. The wooden beams along the wall and ceiling are a charming touch.
There is a stunning bar at the entrance which is complimented by some water bubble glass across the room, reminiscent of Indians like the Rang Mohol & Curry Palace.
Everything is presented well and there is a lot of windows which let in a lot of light too.
The staff were great from the very start and warmly greeted us from the moment we entered. We were seated down promptly and shown the menu. Upon reading I noticed that the prices were very reasonable. Popular curry dishes were approximately £7 each and rice floated around £2.50-£3.50. A pint of beer was on the steep side, coming to a whopping £4.50 a pint, but at least they had two very good Indian beers on draft – King Fisher and Mongoose.
We decided to order some papadums while we thought about what we wanted for our mains. The staff brought out exactly the number we ordered (no freebies here). The papadums were equipped with four side sauces. Mango chutney, onion salad, red sauce and lime pickle.
I really enjoyed the sauces though they weren’t quite the usual standard ive come to expect. Perhaps they make it fresh or perhaps they use a different supplier, all I know is the sauces were incredibly sweet, some may not like this, some more prefer it.
Pilau rice
Garlic chicken Bhuna – phal style!
The Fish Jakanaka (salmon, pangash, sea bass and king prawn)
Once we ordered our mains the food came out in good time. Everything was presented excellently. The Fish Jakanaka was served on a sizzling plate with onions. It was absolutely out of this world and I couldn’t recommend it enough. The portions were generous and tasted sublime. I really want to go back and try this again real soon!
The garlic chicken bhuna was served phal style, extra hot, and was executed perfectly. My mouth was on fire but it didn’t take anything away from the taste and the thick creamy texture of the dish. The pilau rice was a decent size and came topped with a ton of herbs and spices, which made it very exciting to look at and gave it an extra depth of taste which isn’t usually found on most pilau rice. I cant help but think this is exactly how pilau rice is supposed to be!
Top marks all around!
After a very satisfying meal our table was cleared. The waiters were so chatty and friendly and made us feel right at home. They brought us out some hot towels presented in a wicker basket and some orange slices (which was welcome after a hot curry!). A nice touch!
We were also treated to some chocolates with the bill which came presented in a pot.
Considering what we had ordered we were very happy with the bill, it was noticeably cheaper than our trip to Prana the other day and to be honest the quality was just as good!
Conclusion.
I was very impressed with Cam Spice today. The restaurant is beautiful, the staff were lovely, there was a diverse selection of food and it was all executed perfectly. Most of all, the price was competitive (though the beer was still £4.50!). Not only did they get everything spot on but we also got lots of extras like orange slices and chocolates too.
If you don’t mind the trek to Great Eversden then I suggest you come say hello, you wont be disappointed here.
9/10
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