Chef’s Tandoor, 492 Whitehorse Road, Surrey Hills

Reviews

• Autumn O'Connor

  30.11.2018
  ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
  Contrary to the front blackboard claim as "best indian food this side of India", Chef's Tandoor was a disappointment to say the least.
  
  Bland and overcooked are the two standards of this restaurant on Whitehorse Rd.
  
  The service was quite attentive, yet the staff were unable to explain the menu. One waiter could not identify basic Indian cuisine. After asking whether they sold "those deep fried onion balls; definitely not pakoras", the waiter confirmed I definitely wanted pakoras. No, those pakoras have additional ingredients-- not just onion. I wanted pakodas or bhaji... if the restaurant does not serve those items, admitting it shows awareness and empathy with the customer. Basic sales strategy leads from customer connection, not from telling them they want pakoras when it's clearly not the case.... Other negatives in service- though asking for everything to be served at once, food came out in drips n drabs. Also the staff seemed to be doing a whole lot of nothing in the kitchen.
  
  So the pakoras arrived first on a bed of lettuce with two slices of tomato. Lettuce and hot food is a bad mix generally.... The pakoras themselves were way too hot (microwaved?) to eat at first... and then when biting in, had a very bland taste, without subtlety or complexity in the flavours. And no sauce? Where's my sauce? Hmm.
  
  Pampadams also arrived but were hideously overcooked, dry, and burnt at the edges. Plus point- cumin seeds in pampadam (nice touch).
  
  Saffron rice overcooked, squishy and no saffron strands. Bland. Was saffron even used?
  
  Kashmiri naan undercooked, lacking complexity of flavour. Whole raisins, but not much else. Also no buttery flavours.
  
  Pumpkin masala (spiciness level: hot) was overcooked with paste-like pumpkin, lacking complexity of flavours... it was just overpowering chili peppers. Where was the sweetness?
  
  Black lentil daal (spiciness level: medium) was a nice consistency, however it again lacked complex flavours. A disappointment.
  
  No desire to be disappointed with the dessert menu so avoided that!!
  
  As for the bathrooms, colleague said male bathrooms were cleanish. Female bathrooms were at functional cleanliness, with 1ply toilet paper, kitchen towel to dry hands and a weird green soap which smelt like cheap disinfectant. The positive of the female bathroom was that it was extremely well lit so you can do makeup in there.
  
  The decor at Chef's Tandoor was functional and pleasant; the red feature wall made it comforting, but the music was a bit loud.
  
  Food- 1
  Cleanliness- 3
  Decor- 4
  Service- 3
  
  Overall, Chef's Tandoor was a disappointment. In Boorandara council there are much better Indian restaurants that serve fabulous Indian cuisine, without egotistical claims of being the "best this side of India".
  
  Chef's Tandoor rating- 2 stars.

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