Bayleaf Restaurant, Whetstone: style over substance, and at a price.

1st January 2015
Despite the excesses of the seasonal eatfest and the fact that we had been out for curry the night before, a friends eating group went to the Bayleaf, which is newest Indian Restaurant on the high road, and occupies the site where the Lantern (passing much mourned) used to be and the Greek Grill (disappeared after a short and untested stay). The Bayleaf has a respected takeaway higher up the road, but I have not rated it highly despite the local contrary opinion. Local opinion on the Bayleaf is positive, and so it was good to give it a try. They have a web site on http://bayleaf.co.uk/restaurant/  which is quite helpful and gives clues. When I have passed in the evening, it always seems busy.
The restaurant is very modern, with austere walls and a wall of bubbling tinted water tank with nothing in it but the bubbles. It all looks very high end, with waiters taking orders on tablets and an Apple based epos system (All adds to the cost eventually). On new years day, I had expected it to be deserted, and with a 7.30 booking for 7 people (which I had no difficulty in making a couple of days before), I had expected to be in splendid isolation, but it was not to be the case, and the place was packed on January 1st: a tribute to the curry eating power of the residents of North London.
I wonder if the number of customers that night came as a surprise to the restaurant also (may have been a mix of bookings and cold-callers), and I thought they seemed a little understaffed. It was just as well we were not in any particular hurry, as the service was slow. I cannot tell what the rate limiting factor was: it may have been the speed with which the kitchen decorated the food, or may have been the norm. The restaurant's solution to this was 'push the poppadoms'. For the first half hour, every five minutes we were asked if we would like to order them (not part of cover), and I am guessing that it not only helped to fill the time, but they must be a high margin item at 90p each. (see http://www.currybiz.co.uk/poppadoms.asp for wholesale prices which at time of writing was about £7.50 for 140 pieces or just over 5p each).
Eventually for starter, I had Tikka Nazaqat (the menu said 'Taste the three individual flavoured tikka (hariyali tikka, koyla tikka,  and malai tikka). Succulent pieces of chicken marinated in spices and yuoghurt, barbecud in a traditional charcoal clay oven. Served with fresh salad.) This is what came:

(picture taken in poor light with phone at end of battery with no flash)

Basically this is a small portion priced at £5.45. It was hot enough (7.9) and tasty and fresh, but a very small starter, and as you can see a triumph of style over quantity. The three flavours were subtle.

I ordered the tandoori mixed grill for main. (A combination of Chicken tikka, malai tikka, lamb chop, tandoori chicken and dumba kebabs. Served with a naan)

By this time, the battery on my phone had run out, so there is no picture. Suffice it to say that the portion size was similarly small, and it could have been hotter with a CHOF of 7.5. Perfectly tasty. Not noticing that it came with a naan, I order keema naan. The naan that came with it may or may not have been keema, as there was a severely thin topping of brown on what was more like a paratha than a naan, and was not the keema naan that one might get at a more traditional restaurant. The menu said it would be stuffed, so I am guessing that it did not come. Unfortunately they took the bill away from us at the end so in retrospect, I have no way of knowing what we were charged with: the hazard of eating as a group (you cannot make too much fuss and look credible). If you look at pictures in the gallery of the website, it is clear that fashionably small portions are their thing.

So, for a meal and a drink (beer/house wine), including service, this came to £58 for two. This is 50% more than we had paid the previous night at the Radhuni, for a meal that was not a million miles away. It was ok (I don't know if they can get it hotter on less busy nights) but not more than that, and for a suburban Indian, it was just plain too expensive. Yes the food was attractively served and was pleasing to eat, but the three spodges of sauce are not why you go for a curry. I will avoid going back there.

Radhuni: contemporary Indian Cuisine in the heart of Hampden Circus.

31st December
Having spent enough over the years on indifferent and or overpriced restaurant meals on new years eve, with the enforced jollity at midnight, we did something off target. After seeing the matinee of 'Made in Dagenham', I had booked dinner at 8pm in a local curry restaurant. I did this in the belief that most of the action would be in the more mainstream restaurants catering for those that wanted to celebrate NYE in a conventional way. I was wrong, and at that time on a Thursday night, albeit a big one for eating out, it was packed. For a suburban restaurant on a local parade, they must have loved it, but they did not take advantage of their customers.
The Radhuni used to be the Bekash, and to be honest we had not tried it since it opened two or three years ago. When passing it in the evening it never looked packed, but clearly there is a well deserved local following, which is reflected on TripAdvisor. There is a comprehensive web site giving information (some out of date) on http://radhunigb.co.uk/ . They were serving their normal menu at normal prices: all power to them for treating customers fairly. The menu is a mix of 'contemporary' (meaning not your standard curry and rice)
For starter, I had the Nawabi Kebab which is described in the menu as tender pieces of spring chicken, diced lamb and king prawns marinated in herbs and spices, barbequed in the clay oven.

What you cannot tell from this picture is that the dish was sizzling hot, and scores 9.5 on the CHOF scale. What I did not think of at the time is that what was served did not match the description on the menu, and the sauce, as other reviews have commented tastes a bit sweet like a sweet and sour dish. I have looked up Nawabi Kebab, and it is true, that this does not look like any Nawabi Kebab from a recipe or other menu. It was fine and tasty, and I did not have reason to complain except I am not a great lover of sweet and sour. Suffice it to say, it will remain a mystery as I would not order it again for sweet and sour reasons. Huge quantity.

For main, I had the CHEF’S SPECIAL BIRYANI of Basmati rice cooked with chicken tikka, lamb tikka, king prawn, mushrooms, peas, sultans (sic) and almonds.

This came with a medium vegetable curry. My wife asked for one that was a bit spicier, and they took her at her word. It was a bit too hot, but they did offer to replace. Huge quantities (we bagged and took away the remainder, which seemed to be the norm for the other customers) and hot (you can see the hotplate for the sauce in the background). It scored an acceptable 8 on the scale. When restaurants are full, you may have to tolerate the fact that things might have been standing around a little, but not too much. Very good and enjoyed subsequently as a take away. Interestingly, the prices on their takeaway menu are the same as the restaurant.

At the end of the meal, the hosts offered a complimentary NYE drink.

All in, it came to about £42 including a couple of beers, a raita and keema naan. Very fair. The staff were helpful and polite even though the place was full. I think we will be going there again, but will not be having the Nawabi Kebab.