Sizzling delights at The Pavillion

With a rival player in town, I decided to see what The Pavillion Indian Restaurant in Welwyn Garden City (Herts) was doing to stay at the top of the tree.

A family-run company for 18 years now in the Hertfordshire town, The Pavillion is managed by Sam Ahmed, and what was evident from the outset is that this is a man who cares about his customers, his staff and his products.

Some poppadoms and dips to start us off

After a friendly,  get-to-know-you chat with the bubbly and likeable boss we began to peruse the menu after ordering a couple of Kingfisher beers.

We decided to munch on some poppadoms and the sauce selections while we decided on our starters. I chose the Chicken Chat to begin, always my favourite opener, with my partner opting for the Mixed Starter.

The Mixed Starter

The Chicken Chat starter

Now what I find quite disappointing is when an Indian thinks it reasonable (as it is after all just a 'starter') to deliver the Chat with 3/4 to 1/4 ration of Chat Masala sauce to chicken. This was not the case here. The amount of chicken, tender and steaming hot, was generous, and rather than overloaded with the sauce, it was accompanied by it.

The Mixed Starter was varied and evidently cooked straight from fresh and not 'warmed'. Bonus points here. The lamb and onion bhaji were tender, and not overdone, the bhajis particularly impressive with a crispy, fluffy design matching a powerful taste.

Chicken Salee - the daily special, served with pilau rice

The Chicken Tikka, served with sizzling onion

Next, for the main course I was guided by Mr Ahmed to go for the special of the day, which was Chicken Salee -  a dish flavoured with cream, ginger, spring onion, cinnamon, bay leaf and pepper.

For the first time in my life, my main course Indian selection was guided by 'flavour' with the 'spice' level a secondary.

It was perhaps a bit TOO creamy for me, but each flavour was evident, and the chicken was cooked to perfection, sweet and succulent. There were no complaints on the pilau rice, which was sizeable in portion, or the side of bhajis I ordered after stealing some of my partner's from her starter!

A proud Mr Ahmed showed off his award

My guest chose the Chicken Tikka served with salad and a garlic and chilli naan. There were no complaints with this; the chicken was perfectly seasoned and steaming hot when it was served. If there's one thing we don't like it is lukewarm food, so it was good to see the dish had been devoted the relevant time.

Sadly, we were fully complemented to squeeze in a dessert, not even a coffee! For the prices of food on the menu, it is an incredibly reasonable place to dine. The staff are attentive, fully aware that their priority is ensuring the diners are suitably topped up with drinks, while at the same time ensuring food is brought out in good time.

We were then handed pieces of paper by Mr Ahmed, unsure what this was going to be. To our pleasant surprise, and with a beaming smile on his face, he told us that his four-star rated restaurant had been awarded a certificate of excellence from the trusted review site TripAdvisor.

It is always good to champion a family business, so this is what I shall do! And with talk of a new, innovative menu being drafted, and a willingness to develop itself more using social networking and customer reaction, The Pavillion is well on its way to ensuring it will be around for another 18 years, at least.

Scores on the doors (out of 10)

Setting -8
Service -9
Quality of food -8
Cleanliness and decor -8

Total score  - 33/40

To make a booking at The Pavillion, click here

Can you conquer the Hart Breaker Challenge?

In all its glory - The Hart Breaker Challenge

Inspired by the popular TV show Man V Food, Hitchin pub the Red Hart has a new dish on the menu that is sure to leave most quaking in their boots.

Introducing the ‘Hart Breaker Challenge’ – a 35oz cheese and bacon burger, with a more-than-helpful 1kg of chips on the side – all to be consumed within one hour.

There are five meaty pattys, four rashers of bacon, four large slices of cheese, a toasted bun loaded with salad, tomato, red onion and mayonnaise.

Then there’s the monstrous mound of chips. Seem simple? Think again.

Three journalists took on the challenge under the watchful eye of manager Phil Venables, the referee for this contest.

Two fell by the wayside, hunched over in pain and exasperation.

One man defeated all the odds, and not only demolished the 8760-calorie dish, but also set a new record in 58 minutes 4 seconds.

Step forward Mr Gary Caffell – who was proud to receive his ‘I beat the Hart Breaker T-Shirt, as well as a place on the wall of fame.

I was confident as I eyed it up....

Unfortunately his wingmen, Liam Osborne and myself, spent the last 10 minutes or so urging our colleague on as our throats appeared to have closed up completely after hitting the ‘meat wall.’

The burger has become the behemoth of Hitchin – 17 people have now taken on the meat monster, with only two competitors completing the challenge.

Unfortunately, for me, it was a constant struggle!

The triumphant Gary Caffell

It’s little wonder, though, the beef usually wins – the burger challenge, which costs £14.99, consists of just under 5lbs of food – the weight of a small baby.

It is also over THREE times the daily recommended calorie intake for a fully grown man – on just one plate!

So if you think you are can rank alongside Man V Food star Adam Richman, and be Hertfordshire’s premier eater, get yourself down to the Red Hart in Hitchin!

Some may say feeble, I would say a gallant effort!

The Hart Breaker is not available after 8pm on weekdays, not after 7pm on weekends or between 12pm-3pm on Fridays.

Groups of three or more must pre-book with the pub on 01462 434249.

To see more photos of attempts and other news and offers see the Red Hart’s Facebook page – www.facebook.com/redharthitchin

What the challenge consists of

5  x 7oz beef burgers

4 x large rashers of bacon

4 x large slices of cheese

1 toasted bun

Salad, tomato, red onion, mayonnaise

1kg of chips

A few words of warning...

You accept all and any risk in taking the challenge. It’s a lot of food so if you have a pre-existing medical condition that may be exasperated by consuming large quantities of food in a short space of time, you are not advised to try the challenge.

The Hart Breaker Burger is a high calorie and high fat food item – it is not healthy! It should only be undertaken occasionally.

The management and staff are the challenge referees and their decision on all matters in final.