Little India Bistro & Tandoor Kingsland

Every Indian restaurant is different, with slightly different flavours and styles - depending on where the Chef hails from. Little India is definitely my absolute all time favourite.  Someone once described Little India as the 'McDonalds' of Indian food - possibly because of its chain status. This shouldn't faze anyone - the food and service is always fantastic with a great range of vegetarian as well as meat dishes.  The best part of the McDonalds analogy is that you can go into a Little India and know that you are going to enjoy the meal - not one of those awful surprises that you can get sometimes when you try something new! When I was studying and living in Dunedin, I used to go to the Hanover St Little India.  After a while they knew my order before I had made it to a table.  Khumb Mattar, Onion Bhajis, Garlic Naan and a coke.  I would take my dates, my mum, flatmates, boss... I have since become a little more adventurous and might choose a vegetarian platter as my starter!  A girl's gotta live it up from time to time!  Despite no longer being vegetarian I usually stick to the vege menu - their Palak Panneer is also a very good rendition of the Indian classic. The Onion Bhajis deserve another mention.  They rock!  It's the best version I have ever come across.  With a dollop of yoghurt and tamarind sauce - it honestly could be better than (mediocre) sex!

I suspect the secret is in their great tandoor, as you won't get better chicken tikka anywhere else in Auckland - and we've tried many others. The staff are always friendly as well which is a plus, and they even have their own especially brewed beer - Monsoon. A delicious non-alcoholic option is their mango lassi, especially if you accidentally order over your spiciness tolerance level! If you're keen to try a vegetarian dish, I highly recommend the Malai Kofta - great flavours. Also, a great place to take nut allergy sufferers, as they can make pretty much any dish nut-free. And make sure you order at least one of the chicken tikka dishes, you won't regret it!