Chicken Tikka Masala at Tulsi Cuba St - Sickly Sweet, Sub-Par Service


I've been cleaning all morning and have developed a gargantuan appetite and burned a lot of calories, so I can treat myself to a curry and a cheeky garlic naan. We arrive to the restaurant and receive a frosty reception. We take our seats and they are very comfortable, cushy pleather. The decor is clean and realitively modern, in earthy shades, although it remains unchanged since the first time I visited in my second year of university, and that was a while ago! The music is funky Bollywood and is cheerful and catchy, though a shade too loud (or maybe it's just my sensitive hearing - I often find restaurant music to be too loud and wonder if it's just me). I order my old faithful: Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Hot. From experience, Tulsi's Indian Hot is a lot milder than its other competitors so accordingly I emphasise my desire for fire. Tikka Masala is not authentically Indian in any way, shape or form. Rumour has it that it was invented by a Pakistani chef in Glasgow, Scotland and originally contained tinned tomato soup! Heston Blumenthal has a great episode on Indian curry in Britain, which includes Tikka Masala.

The plates are warmed, which is a nice, albiet old-fashioned touch. I remember in culinary school having "warm dish: warm plate" drilled into us ad-nauseum. The rice arrives first and there is a veritable mountain of it. The curry is a vibrant carmine hue, dotted with a sprinkling of coriander. The garlic naan is generous with those lovely scorch marks from the tandoor. I take a bite. Blech! It is so sweet! From the first bite it is not especially spicy despite my request, but at least imparts a lingering tongue tingle. The rice is not very warm, which is unfortunate as it is basmati. The chunks of chicken thigh are tantalisingly tender and flavourful. For $1 extra, the garlic naan is well worth it, dripping in butter and peppered with golden garlic. I sample my companion's vindaloo. It is still saccherine, but at least the acidity from the vinegar balances out the sweetness somewhat. I note with annoyance that theirs is hotter than mine, despite them only ordering "hot." The accompaniments and meat are good but the sauce is almost inedible, and if I wasn't so ravenously hungry I would have been unable to finish it. It is so sweet that by eating it you are running the serious risk of developing diabetes or toothache. Honestly, unless the chef adjusts their seasoning levels Tulsi has lost a repeat customer.

I inform the server of this upon payment and he is hostile and defensive, not even offering to inform the chef. Good customer service is not rocket science - it's not hard to not be rude, standoffish and cold. Terrible food and terrible customer service at the same place? No thank you. Even for the price point this is unacceptable. Tulsi - up your game.

Would I re-order this curry? Not in a bloody hurry!

Food: 2/10
Service: -1/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Cost: $10.99

135 Cuba Street, Te Aro


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