The Ashoka

I used to order a takeaway here every friday and always enjoyed the food there l only sat in once the rest where take always, You could tell there was a lot of confusion here due to the leaflets that they where handing out there was no communication with the other staff the guys that where doing the pamphlet drops where doing the same streets so l would get up to 14 pamphlets per week. There has been a sign on the door saying that they are closed for a few weeks due to refurbishment, that has been several months now.

Ashoka? Or should that be ashocking eating experience?
Now that I’ve got that pun out the way — me and three friends went here as part of a groupon curry karaōke deal — 5 course buffet for £19 altogether. As this was a groupon deal, booking became a bit of a nightmare, but we managed to get a date eventually within the restrictions although the email confirmation got both the time and the number of people wrong.
The restaurant itself was crammed — we were sat on a table with two other groups of four with insufficient space to get out of our chairs. The courses were rationed — poppadums between 7 and 8, selection of starters between 8 and 9 and then buffet main course after 9 o’clock — bearing in mind we were already hungry on arrival, this was far from an ideal setup. I assume the majority of the other diners were also enjoying the groupon experience and as such we mostly got loud music and one particularly shambolic rendition of ‘I Will Survive’.
The food itself? Spiced onions were good, the rest was at best mediocre.

To the tune of Ding Dong Merrily On High…
No way am i cooking today
It’s way to feckin stressful.
lets call in a takeaway
and eat it out the foil tray
Yummy yummy tasty food
this lamb is so damn nice
and so is this rice
they delivered so damn quick
even on xmas day
the nan was wrapped in foiiiiiillllll
please pass me more pakora!
Cooking in X mas day is like so 90’s man. Calling in is the new slaving all day and the Ashoka has placed itself right at the top of my list for this new tradition.
Things that make me go swoon…
1. They were open!
2. They were friendly and quick
3. The food was fresh, warm, stupidly tasty and well priced at that
(lamb dansak, garlic nan, chicken pakora and veg pakora, delivered for just over 15 of your earth pounds)
Plus, PLUS! Given the generous nature of the portions, i was pretty much eating indian food for the next three meals!
Ho, Ho, Ho…