'I had dinner at a proper curry house in Surbiton and it's a true gem'
I had walked and driven past Prithi Cuisine in Ewell Road, many times in recent years but I hadn't eaten there until recently - and I can confirm it won't be long before I'm returning.
I must admit, I was a little tentative at first due to the lack of customers in the restaurant but I was greeted and shown to my table by Raj, the owner of Prithi Cuisine and a true gentleman.
Raj quickly put my unease to rest as he explained Thursdays were typically his quietest days and Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays were "very busy".
Prithi Cuisine in Ewell Road (Image: Gianni Cirillo) My mum and I ordered our drinks and specially requested Raj to point us in the direction of his personal recommendations for starters and main courses.
He seemed delighted to recommend the chicken pakorani and green garlic king prawns for our starters.
Did I know what to expect? No.
Were the smells from the kitchen making me excited? Absolutely.
The poppadoms and dips (Image: Gianni Cirillo) As we waited for the starters to arrive, Raj brought out a tray of warm poppadoms and a tree-like structure holding six different dips and toppings.
Personally, poppadoms and dips are my favourite part of an Indian meal and Prithi's take on this classic appetiser absolutely hit the spot.
The poppadoms were perfectly crisp and the dips were a faultless selection - some sweet, some spicy, some tangy but all delicious and allowed for each bite to be customisable.
With our tastebuds well and truly primed and ready for starters, Raj brought out the chicken pakori and green garlic king prawns.
The starters (Image: Gianni Cirillo) Both dishes were served similarly - boldly spiced meat served with charred green peppers and onions and a fresh salad on the side.
Both the chicken and prawns were seasoned generously and served piping hot.
The chicken was tender and juicy and the prawns were meaty and unquestionably fresh.
The grilled vegetables held that trademark open-fire char and the side salad was crunchy, cool and an ideal way to reset the pallet before we got underway with our mains.
Raj (middle left) with regular customers Nick, Paul and Ramkumar (Image: Prithi Cuisine) During the short interval after the starters, we got speaking to Raj who exuberated not only a pride in serving great food, but having a great connection with the local community.
He knows his customers by name and works often with the local radio station and other businesses when he can - I'd known him all of 20 minutes but I could see, as clear as day, how much satisfying his customers means to him.
Again my mum and I put our trust in Raj, who brought out two curries - the methi chicken and the royal king prawn korai as well as a saag aloo, a garlic naan, a peshwari naan and a bowl of pilau rice.
Following the trend set by the appetisers and starters, the main courses packed punches of flavour although nothing was overly spicy (which can so often be the case in Indian restaurants).
The Main Courses (Image: Gianni Cirillo) The chicken and prawn curries again featured a wonderful concoction of spices and were served in a great liquid consistency - not too thick and not too runny.
This allowed me to tuck in to my curries via my preferred method - using the naan as a pocket to scoop up mouthfuls as opposed to a fork or spoon.
The naans were hot, fluffy and structurally integral and the rice was steamed to perfection.
The saag aloo is an Indian staple and more familiar to me than the two curries we'd been served, it was nothing revolutionary but it was certainly given the same culinary attention as the rest of the dishes and gave no room for criticism.
Royal king prawn korai curry (Image: Gianni Cirillo) Despite the hefty quantity of food we'd been given, we polished it off such was the quality.
Raj came round to ensure everything was to our liking and the smile on his face never faltered.
As intriguing as the dessert menu looked, I had physically run out of space for any more food.
I left Prithi with a stomach full of fantastic food and a heart filled with the infectious pride and joy that Raj holds in his restaurant.
I can confirm that when I next have that Friday evening hankering for an Indian, I know where I'll be heading.
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