Tangy, Thali, Tandoori? Tremendous! (Tamatanga)

Member Name: shopaholicleo

Product:	Tamatanga
Date:	02/12/08 (213 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great food, huge portions, relaxed atmosphere

Disadvantages: Staff a bit hit and miss

I'm normally a bit sceptical about trying new Indian restaurants, and tend to rely on personal recommendation and reputation. However, when I was invited to this brand new Restaurant for a friend's birthday, I Googled the name to find out what it was all about, realised I'd get 20% off with the Cornerhouse loyalty card (this is the complex where it's situated) and thought that I had nothing to lose. I received a friendly welcome when I arrived before most of the guests, and the hostess explained to me that Tamatanga was a relaxed, canteen style eaterie, similar to Wagamamas where your food comes as soon as it's cooked (and you can also end up with randoms at your table). The decor was bright and predominantly orange, (with a hint of brown to lose all easyjet connotations), and most of the tables were square, which is perfect for chatting with a few friends. The staff are easily identifiable in their orange t-shirts and quite attentive, sometimes too much so.

Once my friends had arrived I decided to treat myself to the thali style dish, consisting of two curries, daal (lentil curry), poppadoms, salad, chutney, raita (a cooling dip) pilau rice, naan bread and two random vegetable dishes (why I couldn't quite identify, but they were still tasty nonetheless). It all comes in little pots on a silver tray, though the rice is just randomly in the middle with the naan bread and salad (the chutney is hiding underneath somewhere underneath the salad, so maybe the presentation could be improved a little bit). You get a small amount of each dish, which amounts to quite a lot in total, and it was good to get an idea of what was on offer on the menu. I'd definitely go for the rich prawn curry again, but probably not the lamb Jalfrezi, so at least I know what kind of dishes I like at this place. This dish costs £10.95, which with a 20% discount, wasn't a bad price for all this food. I ended up leaving a little bit, but I'm sure this could feed two people with smaller appetites than myself (i.e, most of the population). It's also easy to make this a vegetarian option, as you choose the two curries you want, so you could even go for an okra or paneer (Indian cheese which reminds me of tofu) version.

On my second visit, I came with my friend who's of Indian descent and knows her curry well, but I was confident that she'd like this place. We went for the tandoori chicken (I heard this was the healthiest kind of thing to order at an Indian restaurant) which seemed like a reasonable option, and I went for some naan bread on the side (as I always worry about small portion sizes). There was no need for me to worry, we were confronted with two huge pieces of chicken, lots of rice, daal, salad and a yoghurt and mint chutney, which was more than enough. My friend was definitely impressed, and happily polished off most of her plate, as did I. Everything was spot on, and the chicken was nice and tender and all of the flavours just complimented each other. It was a pleasure to eat, and only £8.45 (minus the 20% of course). There are plenty of dishes hovering around the £6-7 mark, and you can end up with quite a lot of food for your money, so you don't always have to splash out all the time.

My only slightly negative criticism of this restaurant is the staff. Of course they are attentive, but the problem is that it can be slightly too much at times. My friend sat down and immediately said 'I think I might go to the toilet', when this member of staff came out of nowhere and said 'It's over there,' which was quite amusing, so not really a problem. It was only when I was discussing something quite personal and embarrassing with my friend, someone came out of nowhere and asked us if we wanted any more drinks. I don't know if this was intentional, and I know it is their aim to get us to spend as much as possible, but surely they could've seen we were deep in conversation and waited until they disturbed us to avoid embarrassment? Also when we'd paid and were about to leave the restaurant, the lady by the door stopped us and asked us how our meal was, and gave us some vouchers for next time, but then she started asking us what we were doing that night (going to Rock City, if you're curious) and even sort of put her arm around us once we'd answered (we may appear younger than our twenty-one years, so are frequently called 'love' and 'duck' in shops, but this was on another level.) I know they are trained to be polite and make conversation, but this all seemed rather random when we were just about to leave the restaurant. However, with a bit more time this seemingly friendly member of staff may perhaps tone down her behaviour slightly. On my first visit I found the staff much better, and there was a guy who was very knowledgeable about all of the dishes who seems to be some kind of manager or supervisor. I think that because the restaurant is new, the staff are all fresh from their training so just need to settle into their roles, and work out how to behave with their customers, and at least we never felt totally ignored.

Overall, I was very happy with this restaurant and would recommend it to anyone visiting Nottingham. The prices are reasonable, and the atmosphere is modern and relaxed, so it's perfect for visiting with friends, family at any time of day. I wouldn't worry if you're not a fan of spicy food, as there are plenty of alternatives on the menu (though it's best to check with staff, as some accompaniments could be too much for the average palette) as well as numerous chicken, lamb and vegetarian options. As I mentioned, you get 20% off if you have a Cornerhouse loyalty card (only valid between Sunday and Thursday), and I believe you can also get this discount by registering on their website. I believe they will be starting a take-away service soon, (but hope this will stretch to home delivery, due to these cold winter nights). I will definitely come back again, and would quite like it if they'd open many more chains all over the country, Wagamamas style.

Summary: A great place to eat in Nottingham