No Curry in Tri-city area...damnit.

Yesterday the missus' and I decided to go for a curry. Within the Tri-city there are two restaurants. One newly established in Gdansk in a centrum and the second a long established place called the "Taj Mahal" Gdynia. Anyhow we phoned up the latter in the late afternoon and were informed they weren't busy, so instead of booking we hopped in the car and arrived at said place 35 minutes later. On arrival the restaurant with a capacity of at least 50 people had two tables of four. The enticing aroma of exotic spices had me salivating from the off. The young shavenhead waiter blocked our entrance and informed us it would be at least a half hour wait, before our order could be taken. The reason being they had just received a large take away order!!!!!!!!!!

Always ready to be amenable, the missus said we would happily wait, but would we be able to have some nibbles with drinks whilst we waited. No, this wouldn't be possible, at which point another waitress walked past castigated the other waiter and told us it would be at least an hour wait. And had we booked, since she had a table of 15 booked for later that evening!!!!!

Seriously I've never been more discouraged from eating anywhere in my life. Insane.
Its the inverse of "how to win friends and influence people", "how to **** people off and lose customers".

So having accepted defeat, we headed to a wonderful Italian in Gdynia, where the service was immpecable and the food delicious. And half the price of the Indian.

This juxtaposed service mentality is exactly the sort of thing in Poland that frustrates me.
However, we things are done well, like the Italian, they are done very well.

It's normal in Poland, but in Warsaw you should find curry.

and there was me with the idea i was missing something ... never having been to That Place. Have you tried the new one?
And tell me about the Wonderful Italian please...

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with Taj Mahal.

I have rented a holiday apartment directly above the restaurant and am glad now I wasn't tempted to dine there as well.

I remember eating at Taj Mahal a few years ago - the food and service were fantastic. Now I wonder if the management's changed since then, and if the food is as good as I remember it.

polish restaurants around the world are always hit or miss. haven't been to one that wasn't that way. even here in the US, there are times when half the food the manu is unavailable.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add cloves, fennel seed and cumin seed. After a few minutes, add a chopped onion, chopped chilli and crushed garlic. You can either seal the meat in a seperate pan or add it when the onion is soft. Chuck in a tin of plum tomatoes, chopped coriander, salt and a little chillii powder if you like it hot. Break up the tomato with a spoon (must be wooden or you'll die). Leave it cooking on the stove with a lid on until you're bored of waiting.

The names of these spices can be found on this page. You should be able to get all the ingredients in Poland with no problem at all. The only thing you might still miss would be the Indian music in the background and that wallpaper every Indian restaurant in the UK has.

I went there when it first openned in 90 something. The restaurant was owned then by a Dutch guy and an Indian fellow. Food and service fantastic back then. Last ate there at the end of last summer, the food was good but service had gone very much down hill. I can smell curry from where I am sitting now. Sometimes its good to be in England :)