Moti mahal, Kensington (16th December 2008) by Junior

Twas the night before, the night before, the night before (you get the picture)?Christmas, and nothing stirred, not even a mouse?. The now annual 'RoT festive spectacular' was well attended, with a full house enjoying mince pies and sherry at Chez Junior's located in the gentrified district of South Ken. The cry to go easy on the mince pies and long on sherry was heard loud and clear with the attending RoTers contributing 7 bottles for the occasion, thus the evening got of to a boozy start, with a particular favourite being the medium olorosa from Waitrose.

The crew then decamped to the always excellent Anglesey Arms, a regular fave' of local inhabitants, which met with the discerning approval of the RoT crew, contributing to the convivial pre-festive atmosphere, aided by a fine selection of ales. Due to the swelling contingent of unemployed amongst our ranks, and the fact the Jim's tight, we decided to try a new ruby house away from South Ken's 'Brick Lane' corner, where the excellent fare comes at a premium, and ventured to the Moti Mahal on Old Brompton Road, a short hop from the Angelsey.

The food was excellent with a good balance of fresh ingredients and spice leading to a top dining experience. The ale and sherry might have helped, but as a local resident I shall be returning soon to confirm initial impressions. The staff coped well with 9 middle aged ruby officianados, fuelled on sherry and real ale, though the food seemed to take a while, leading to stress amongst the farther flung members of the lodge.

The Anglesey Arms is one of the South Ken's gems. It can have a tendency to be a victim of its own success, especially in the summer months, but the superb selections of ales, combined with the 'lived in' wooden interior is too much of draw, despite often being crowded. Regulars know the rotation of guest ales includes Sharps Doombar, Hogs Back HBB, or TEA and Timothy Taylors Landlord, ample reason to forgive the local 'Yah' atmosphere often set by local trustafarian residents.

Moti Mahal does not seem to be related to the restaurant of the same name in Gt Queen Street. The food was fresh and spicy without being drenched in ghee and oil. With an assortment of 'traditional' curries, the menu was a tad unadventurous, but nonetheless of good quality and not too expensive given the SW7 postcode.