In a nutshell:

An Indian foodie’s perspective on – British food served in London compared to British food served in Continental Restaurants in India.

Restaurant details: Crown River

Short Description – In case u r in a hurry:

In this series I will mention the eateries outside India & how they compare to similar ones in India. Read on to know whether the original appeals more to the taste or the version available in India……

Between friends we ordered different dishes that were mentioned in ‘British Classics section & this is what we had – Some mouthwatering Lincolnshire Pork Sausages, Good fish & Chips , superb Salmon fillet Seasoned & served with Hollandaise sauce & some healthy & tasty Jacket potatoes with a side salad & tuna dressing. Overall – cool food but with some mixed reactions………

Detailed Description – In case u have the time to enjoy reading: 

Sausages & Mash – 3 award winning Lincolnshire Pork Sausages in a caramelized onion & ale gravy with peas….. is what the menu card read.  ‘award winning’ appealed & so did the idea of trying sausages coz in most places in Delhi & India getting good sausages is a pain. …….

…… and as the food was served, we figured out – Never had so good sausages in India – But had much better German Sausages in the US earlier. Unlike the flat taste sausages served in India, these sausages have a very strong taste & flavor – They have a specific character to them & u can make out the difference with closed eyes too. The gravy was good but the sausage was excellent on its own. The mash was too much quantity of plain mashed potato with no salt , leave apart trying to augment that with sauces/ cheese / cream …. as is done by 5 Star chefs in India. Same with peas – just boiled & served.

Fish & Chips – Wanted to try this even before hitting on the menu card coz this is a Britich Classic. It turned out to bea crispy fried Fillet of Cod with peas & tartare sauce. This is the City for Fish & Chips but I am not sure this was the best restaurant for Fish & Chips. The ‘beer batter’ versions available in select restaurants in India actually taste better – This was comparatively flat or my tastebuds r too used to ‘more dramatic’ tastes. However the one served here was a no frills good fish & chips. The fish was good but not juicy & ‘full of flavors’ that we get in some of the best places in Delhi & Mumbai. Chips were good & so was the sauce.

 

Salmon fillet Seasoned & served with Hollandaise sauce, jacket potato & a side green leaves & baby tomato salad. Being a hardcore carnivore, I loved it …………… The Salmon was served with the Fish Skin, the fish was much more dry than what is served in India & also has a stronger ‘fishy’ smell……For not so hardcore fish lovers / Chickenatarians this might be an issue. Jacket potato was also just a boiled potato & almost nothin else….. We Indians wud probably love the TGIF / Hardrock Cafe versions variety better.

Jacket potatoes with a side salad & tuna dressing – We swept off the tuna – it was excellent, ate all the tomatoes, a large part of the leafy stuff & left aside the tasteless & boring jacket potato…………

 

Naan bread & chicken tikka masala (now counted as a British Dish) looked good. I did not have the courage to try. My friends who had it said they were ‘good for eating it outside India but not comparable to ones available in India’.

The restaurant had a very interesting format – It had an algorithm printed on the menu card –  ‘Find a table & note its number. Place ur order at the bar & pay. Order will b served at table. Drinks take self delivery at bar.’

In Menu card I saw some new (for me it was new) classifications of dishes – GF – gluten free, N – contains nuts etc in addition to spicy, hot, vegetarian etc.

Overall – liked it,………have no clue how authentic it was……………… will visit again on the way back, to try other stuff.