@@@ Birthday Bhaji in Paris! @@@ (Cafe Taj (Paris))

Member Name: LawnmowerMan

Product:	Cafe Taj (Paris)
Date:	06/06/07 (202 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Nice Decor and Good Location

Disadvantages: Expensive, Nasty Food, Irritating Waiter

To say I am a lover of Indian cuisine would be an understatement, therefore I feel compelled to review a pleasant looking curry house the girlfriend and I visited on my recent birthday trip to Paris . The restaurant is named The Café Taj and the entire dining experience fell somewhat short of what we had hoped. To begin, on arriving at our idyllic Hotel the Yllen Eiffel very close to the business district of Montparnasse in the centre of Paris we were handed a leaflet listing the various recommended restaurants within close proximity of the Hotel. Whilst briefly flicking through my eyes became drawn to the advertisement of the Café Taj. It appeared authentic, looked cosy and as I’m addicted to curry was duly noted as a serious contender for the birthday dinner that was almost upon us.

Last summer we travelled Europe and while in Austria of all places enjoyed what is probably the finest curry both I and the girlfriend have ever tasted. The experience we were about to endure was to be honest worlds apart! Before leaving the Hotel we thought we’d best check with the concierge the exact location of the Café as we had not stumbled across it on our recent amblings around the local area. The gentleman wasn’t sure but kindly offered to contact them for us to find out. After what can only have been some serious communication problems we were given directions that would only involve a couple of stops on the Metro which although not exactly walking distance was a journey I was more than willing to take with the prospect of mouth watering chicken Tikka on the horizon.

As we stepped out into the pleasant Parisian night I remember wondering why had the guy on the other end of the phone seemed so bewildered that tourists had wanted directions to his restaurant? Upon arriving at the Café Taj the reason became evident. From the outside all seemed in order. It appeared traditional, clean, with nicely laid out tables but the main worry was that at half past nine in the evening it was deserted. It had probably shocked the waiter that someone had actually wanted to eat there! I realise the Europeans dine a bit later than us British but something was amiss.

After deliberating turning back at the door we were spotted by the waiter and he ran over to welcome us in. He seemed friendly enough although his strange sense of humour became tiresome. We were seated in the window probably in hope that unsuspecting passers by would see us and be lured into his Café for a unique culinary experience. We were then handed a menu and given about the time it took to read that it was in fact a menu before he asked “ Are you ready to order Mr Gordon Brown ” The girlfriend laughed. I on the other hand felt quite insulted not least because I find a comparison between myself and Gordon Brown to be quite unappealing in many respects. Not wanting to be rude I too laughed and ordered a couple of Kingfisher beers. I was subsequently informed that Cobra had bought Kingfisher out and they no longer produce them (I have since seen Kingfisher on sale in Waitrose). Cobra it was then.

Soon after a French family did enter and we dared think this may not be so bad…. After browsing the menu it seemed all the usual suspects were there Tikka, Samosas, Bhaji's, Naan bread. The waiter was obviously in a hurry and to try and avert his attentions for a while we decided not to keep him waiting and began to order. I began reeling through from memory what I pretty much always have only to find there were slight differences Pilau rice being referred to as Saffron rice to name one. Unfortunately there wasn’t a great deal of choice for the girlfriend as she’s vegetarian and unlike most curry houses meat dishes here didn’t seem to have a vegetable alternative. I ordered meat samosa to start but asked for this to be served with the main course as the girlfriend didn’t fancy a starter.

For the main, Chicken Jalfrezi, a strange variation of Sag Aloo for us to share along with Naan bread and of course Saffron rice. The girlfriend ordered a Vegetable Biryani as this was the only meat free option. She also asked for another side dish that the waiter said he could provide meat free. This however never materialised. An extremely short while later the Samosas turned up and although I had asked for them with the main meal I didn’t mind too much as I was starving and the girlfriend was happily enjoying the poppadums with their accompaniment of sauces. The Samosas looked good but once the edges had been consumed the centres were freezing! They did appear to be cooked though so I decided against making a fuss. The girlfriend said they had probably been reheated in hot oil and it seemed likely as they were a bit greasy.

The real shock horror was emerging from the kitchen, no not the waiter the main course! After pretending to steal my wallet the waiter lay the food out before us and all appeared to look fine but I wasn’t going to be deceived by looks alone this time. Sifting through the curry like substance before me I began to inspect the quality of the chicken. I wasn’t too concerned about the beef samosa as I’m quite partial to my steaks rare but chicken is very different. Lo and behold without the need for full forensic testing the red and pink fatty lumps of something looked far from edible. I guess it was chicken at one time as the menu had defined it so, but in honesty it could have been anything. It looked like the remains of a KFC bucket and would not have looked less appetising inside a tin of dog food.

Not so sure I would’ve fed this to my dog actually! The sauce was also tasteless without a chilli in sight, very disappointing to say the least. I hoped the girlfriend would fare better, she hadn’t ordered anything with meat. Alas the vegetable biryani was also an atrocity. We both decided it tasted exactly like Uncle Bens vegetable paella straight from a packet and into the microwave. We thought we had heard the bell timer go before we were served. The Saffron rice and naan bread however got away with the chefs culinary prowess relatively unscathed. The girlfriend speaks pretty well in French and heard the family behind saying that the Korma they were eating tasted nothing like any Korma they’d had before and even I understood the term “Orrible!”

At this point the chef emerged from the kitchen and I caught a glimpse of him wiping the backs of his sweaty hands across his nose then drying them on the kitchen cloth he was carrying, Sacre bleu! The waiter obviously prompted then asked us if we would like anything else as he was shutting down the microwave... I mean kitchen. We chuckled and pleasantly replied no thank you; we just sat there bewildered by the whole experience. At this moment another couple were looking at the menu outside. The girlfriend started looking at them through the window in a horrified manner whilst shaking her head slightly. It had worked, although the twenty something guests that had just come from the conference centre nearby were not so fortunate and began to sit down. The waiter asked the chef if they could accommodate this slice of good fortune and then duly began to take their drinks orders. He then completely ignored our requests for the bill to the point where even though I would consider myself law abiding felt the urge to just walk out! Eventually we did pay a handsome price for this appalling meal (40 Euros plus!) and duly left a fifty cent tip!!

Summary: Don't judge this restaurant by it's outward appearance!