shanemcdonald.org

Zaika is an Indian restaurant located on Kensington High Street in London, just opposite Hyde Park. I stopped off here last September when in London on business and was very impressed with the restaurant which offers Indian cuisine incorporating both traditional classic favourites as well as a few original recipes (I’m only now getting around to posting my restaurant review for Zaika nearly 6 months later).

Inside you are welcomed to a very highly decorated and sumptuous interior with carved high ceilings and double height windows.

The menu is vast, and even for a lunch menu it was quite varied. I chose a Butter Chicken dish for my main. While I was waiting I got a pre-starter which was very tasty. I also ordered a Corriander Naan, and although it was not on the menu, they made one up for me. The main course of Butter Chicken was not what I expected; I was expecting more of a korma style sauce, instead it was a fusion style tomato based sauce and was like an Indian style pasta sauce … Don’t get me wrong, it was still very enjoyable and was served with a light pilau rice. As expected, in a UK Indian Restaurant, the dishes are a bit spicier than in Ireland. The portions are of a decent size, not too large but enough to fill adequately (as you can see below).

The dinner experience here is apparently a very refined affair with low lighting, good music and a more extensive menu.

The one thing which was obvious was the service. At all times attentive and attention to detail and service is very personal – there was a French waiter the day I was there and he was chatty but not intrusive, leaving you to enjoy your meal.

I really enjoyed the food and the ambiance here, £20 for lunch and a drink is a bit much, but worth enjoying a great restaurant experience such as this. Definitely 5 stars for food and ambiance but 3 stars for value as I’m sure you can get an Indian Lunch menu for half the price but you may have to compromise on the end result.

Contact

No1 Kensington High Street, London W8 5NP, UK.
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7795 6533

http://www.zaika-restaurant.co.uk/

Pa Pa Thai, is located on the same spot as Tuk Tuk Thai which was excellent but got demoted in my eyes to a Take Away menu in the Sabai Restaurant, The Mall, Waterford. Pa Pa Thai has the same quality, the same decor, a similar menu and the same great food.

Pa Pa Thai is another of my regular restaurants in Waterford which includes, The Jade Palace, and Eastenders. Early bird menu is available and offers great value at about €20 per person.
Best options are the mixed starter followed by a weeping tiger steak, Thai beef salad, Massoman Curry or Thai green curry (I always ask for mixed curry).

It is rare for a restaurant to have so many ‘good’ options, it is often difficult to choose from the great menu choices.

Whatever you choose will be good. Enjoy!!

Address: Pa Pa Thai, 2 Canada st, Waterford, Waterford City

Indian Restaurant situated on the Quay in Waterford.

Eastenders Restaurant is one of my regular eateries – it is here for over 5 years as far as I can remember and always gives great food. I came here tonight with a group of 12, and wasn’t disappointed (again). Got a good plentiful serving of poppadums and toppings on arriving. Which I always enjoy!

The starters are very good, I went for Onion Bhaji, which was tasty and you get about 5 of them.
They have a good selection of mains, recommended main dishes are Chicken Korma, Lamb Tikka Masala and the Chicken Rizalla (which includes a boiled egg!!!).

I have never got anything other than good food and good service here, for take away or sit down. Take Away usually takes 15-20 mins and is always piping hot.

Another plus is the Indian Music playing in the background. It really irks me when I go to a Chinese or Indian Restaurant and Westlife are on in the background.

The only downside is that in a large group, waiting for the main can take a bit longer than usual – but that can be understood when catering for so many people.

Overall: 9/10

Eastenders Restaurant Waterford

Contact Details :
Eastenders, 7 The Quay Waterford, Waterford City – 051 859213