We are in an age of reinvention with Indian (Bangladeshi) restaurants. Everywhere I turn, Indians are adapting their menus to cater for the ever-evolving tastes of British consumers. Nothing is out of bounds, with restaurants now revising traditional Bangladeshi cuisine, embracing Indian street food, innovating with Bengal brunches, or experimenting with pan-Asian fusion.

It is an exciting time for foodies but does that mean the spicy Saturday night curry may eventually phase out?

One restaurant bucking this trend is the Curry Queen on Mill Road. It hasn’t changed in decades…and that’s no bad thing! Despite a lick of paint on the front this week, this restaurant still sports the same interior, great value menu, and list of spicy curries it did when I first visited back in the early 2000’s.

The Curry Queen is an institution in Cambridge, with it being the home to the first tandoori oven in the city – it has literally been open for decades. The restaurant is well known for its bustling atmosphere, with sizzling hot plates of tandoori mixed grill filling the air with smokey yet spicy aromas.

I haven’t visited since 2017, so I decided to pop back with the family and check in. Has it tried to innovate like the others or is it still flying the flag for British style Indian food?

Papadums

We started off with some papadums, which came served in two different types. We ordered two each but ended up being given a few extra at no cost. This was very welcome but the papadums were a little soft and lacked that crispiness you’d expect, almost like they have been left out a little too long. It wasn’t enough to ruin the papadums but it may bother others.

The papadums came with a selection of 5 sauces – mango chutney, lime pickle, yogurt, onion salad and a pot of their “red sauce”.

The lime pickle is that classic sharp and salty lime pickle. It really hit the spot with a lovely texture and bold taste. The mango chutney was a rather textbook example but it did the job. The onion salad was finely chopped with a good mix in the bowl, including herbs and cucumber. The yoghurt had a bright green colour but was a little watery.

The team at Curry Queen seemed to be particularly proud of their “red sauce”. I must admit, it was quite nice, with its smooth texture for easy spreading and sour taste. I think it will divide opinions but it was good just to get an extra sauce with my papadums.

Mango lassi

I grabbed myself a mango lassi to tame the up-and-coming curry I had ordered. I knew that I was going to go for a spicy one and there is no better drink to tame a fiery beast. The mango lassi is a yogurt based drink and is served as a full pint. It is cool, thick, and creamy but most importantly – delicious!

Note: I was disappointed to learn that they had neither Cobra or Kingfisher on draft but instead a fridge full of bottles.

Tandoori mixed grill

I was joined by my son, who loves a tandoori mixed grill. It came out sizzling and smokey (as you would expect). It wouldn’t be a Saturday night curry without this iconic dish adding to the noisy atmosphere. I didn’t try the dish myself but it looked great, with no complaints from my boy, who quickly devoured it without any trouble.

Lamb tikka vindaloo

I ordered the lamb tikka vindaloo, with mushroom rice and a saag aloo side (I told you that I was going spicy 😂). The curry had a lovely colour, with a generous amount of sauce that was accompanied by a fiery kick!

The lamb was really tough. So much so that my knife struggled to cut through. I noticed one of my guests had a lamb jalfrezi, with lamb so soft that he was cutting it with a spoon. The difference being that his wasn’t tikka’d and mine was. According to the manager, tikka’ing can dry out lamb, making it tough and well done. I have had lamb tikka in the past and have never noticed this, so I would love to know what people’s thoughts are in the Cambridge Curry Community?

The saag aloo was served as a very big side portion and arrived garnished with a large red chilli on top, for added colour. The spinach was very generous, turning it into an almost swamp-like bowl of spinach and potato. The potatoes were nice and fluffy and accompanied my curry perfectly.

Chicken tikka Masala

The chicken tikka masala was a healthy red colour, without looking like it had been tampered with by E-numbers. Cream was poured over the top of the sauce for that added swirl and extra flavour. Speaking of sauce, I sampled some myself and its sweetness really made it easy to chow down. The chicken was served in big tender chunks, the way I like it.

Lamb Jalfrezi

The lamb jalfrezi was highly celebrated by my guest and I am not surprised. I looked over in envy as he cut through the incredibly tender lamb. The curry had a spicy kick but not enough to spoil your meal, putting it in the milder range of medium spiced – as a jalfrezi should be. I didn’t get to taste it but it looked great.

Conclusion

The Curry Queen has managed to survive this long on a hyper competitive Mill Road because it gets the basics right – great value, great food, and a great atmosphere.

I was soaking in the noise from the sizzling hot plates of the tandoori mixed grill and loving the indistinctive chatter from people across the tables. This all came together to create an exciting lively atmosphere. It really takes me back to being a younger man about to go out on the town.

Places like this will never get old.

Thanks for reading…