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| Perhaps that's a good thing; there is certainly a lot more choice and quality around now than 25 years ago when the Everest Tandoori first opened its doors, Nevertheless It's refreshing to know that some of the more established eateries have not only withstood the test of time but are still setting high standards and winning over new generations of diners, It's never plain sailing in the restaurant business of course, and owner Nasir Raja well recalls the difficult period he endured when he bought the Everest as a going concern back in 1998. "It had been allowed to run down and business was not great." he said. "It took a lot of hard work and dedication to raise standards and persuade people to come in and give us a try." The fact that Nasir won that particular battle is documented by the impressive array of certificates and awards which adorn the walls of the Everest - and, most importantly, there is rarely such a thing as a quiet night. Our latest visit to the Everest was on the hottest Friday of the year, early in the evening; prime barbecue or beer garden time, or so you would think. Nevertheless a steady stream of family groups kept the staff, friendly and attentive to a man, on their toes. The decor and atmosphere remains old school, with scenes from Indian village life on the walls and traditional music in the background, and the menu contains all the classics, and some new dishes too. "You can't stand still." Nasir insists "I encourage my chefs to express themselves in the kitchen and we add new dishes to the menu every year."' All this may mean it takes a while to make your mind up, but with crisp, fresh papadums, a well-stocked pickle tray and chilled Cobra on draft, that is no hardship. For starters we settled on a beautifully spiced prawn puree and a satisfyingly meaty mixed kebab, and for mains the most tender tandoori chicken and delicately spiced lamb, Sundries are, of course. a key component of any Indian meal and the combination of sharp lemon and cashew rice with sweet peshwari nann proved to be the perfect accompaniment. Good for another 25 years? On current form, you wouldn't bet against it.. |