Tale of Spice, Pewsey
3:31pm Thursday 14th July 2011 in Eating Out By Nigel Kerton
Tale of Spice proved an ideal introduction to Asian food
Tale of Spice, North Street, Pewsey, SN9 5ES.
(01672) 564266
As I was sitting down to write this review I had a call from a friend saying: “We went to the Tale of Spice for my 40th last night and the food was just gorgeous.
“We hadn’t mentioned it was my birthday but they must have heard us talking and when we asked for the bill they brought out this cake with four candles on.”
That just about sums up the service I have almost come to take for granted at Pewsey’s only Indian restaurant (Bangladeshi actually).
On the night I visited with Joy and friends Doreen and Roger (their first visit to an Asian restaurant) we were made to feel like old friends before being shown to our table.
Local families provided a pleasant burble of conversation as we started our meal with the almost obligatory poppadums with chutneys.
For starters I chose rashmi kebab (minced meat served inside an omelette) which was absolutely delicious as was Joy’s aloo chat (sweet and sour potatoes), Doreen’s chicken chat and Roger’s duck tikka.
Joy’s main course was her all-time favourite chicken passanda, succulent chunks of chicken in a creamy coconut sauce, while I had roshoni lamb Hawaii (lamb in a garlic and ginger sauce with pineapple); Doreen had ostrich Jaipuri which came in a medium spiced sauce with yoghurt, while Roger opted for lamb curry which he said he would have preferred a tad hotter.
None of us like overly strong or hot spices and we all said our food was perfect, including the shared side dishes of pilau and lemon rice, sag aloo (spinach with potato) and sag ponir (spinach with cheese).
We also had a chef’s special salad, tangy with coriander and pleasantly hot with chilli and a dish of chick peas in a special sauce.
We shared a Peshawari nan (filled with coconut and sultanas) and a balti nan.
Unable to finish our feast, the waiter happily offered to put the leftovers into take away containers so we could resume eating it the next day.
The bill for this repast with a few glasses of cola and a couple of beers came to £81.
Open evenings and lunchtimes
Adjacent to large car park
Most tables upstairs and not accessible for disabled although one table seats four on ground floor.
Staff happy to amend dishes (make them less or more hot!) on request
Our Eating Out is an independent review carried out by the Gazette without prior knowledge of the owners.
