Olhão (Algarve), Portugal: Hut One, Hut Two, Indian Hut #1 Scores A Touchdown In My Book

Indian Hut

Rua do Morgado, 3

Olhão Centro, Olhão

+351933012376

https://www.indianhutrestaurant.com

Prices: €€€€

In the back streets of old Olhão, you will find the original Indian Hut, having been in the same location for 10 years. There is a new, but not improved, Indian Hut 2 out on the main drag along the Ria Formosa a few blocks away, but this is our go-to spot.

It is tiny with just a few tables inside and four or five outside under the awning. Being in the mild climate of the Algarve, eating outside is always an option, even on a winter night. The staff are warm and friendly and the service impeccable.

The food is wonderful, having spent four months in India in 2014/2015, I have experienced Indian cuisine at its source, so I know a little bit about what I am talking about. We always start with a couple pappadum (€1 each) and a pickle tray (€3.50), which will easily satisfy four people. The onion bhaji (4 for €3) and chicken samosas (2 for €3.50) are also delicious, but take it easy because the entrees themselves are very filling.

The first time we ate here, I ordered the chicken madras (€8.50), a semi-spicy sauce with big chunks of chicken breast, and an order of pilao rice (€3) which is more than enough for two people (the rice that is). The last couple of times, I had the butter chicken (€10.50) which is the best I ever had. The first time I ordered the 'normal' version, but the second time I asked for 'moderately' spicy and it was wonderful! The serving is quite big, a creamy sauce and several chunks of chicken breast, and it has been difficult not to eat the whole portion, it is that good.

My wife is a saag paneer (€8.50) fan and their's is also very tasty and filling with warm, creamy spinach and chunks of their homemade Indian white cheese. My buddy George loves the fish curry (€9) and gets it as hot (spicy) as the can make it, and his wife Sherry loves the prawn saag (creamed spinach and shrimp - €11).

The wines, beers, and spirits are reasonably priced and a complimentary glass of port is a normal after dinner treat. The only negative is that the entree prices are a Euro or two too high, putting a meal for four, including starters, pilau rice, entrees, drinks, and dessert in the €70 to €80 range which is quite high by Portuguese standards.

CombatCritic Gives Indian Hut #1 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

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Title: Olhão (Algarve), Portugal: Hut One, Hut Two, Indian Hut #1 Scores A Touchdown In My Book

Key Words: Olhão, Algarve, Faro, Portugal, Indian Hut, Indian, hut, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2021- 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Bugibba, Malta: House Of Spice IS IN THE HOUSE MALTA!

House of Spice Restaurant Malta

48, Triq il Halel

Bugibba, Malta

@houseofspicemalta On Facebook

Phone: +356 2733 3281
Prices: €€€€

I spent four months in India (2015) and have been enjoying Indian food for years, and this was some of the most delicious Indian food I have had.

We were greeted warmly, the restaurant was clean and modern, the service impeccable, and the food authentic and superb. From the papadum and relish tray, to the veggie samosas (€3.95), my wife's Saag Paneer (€8.50), my Beef Vindaloo (€8.50), and Pulao Rice, everything was spot-on. We also had a very nice bottle of Syrah for around €10 ... HOOAH!

The portions were perfect for the price and the food prepared with care and precision. A little over $50 for a meal like that, including a bottle of wine and tip, is a terrific value. The only negative is the lack of a website, just a Facebook page, needed to allow people to see the menu and present a more professional image. A simple website is cheap (or free), easy to set-up, and a necessity in today's tech-based society. Otherwise, we will be back very soon Hanif!

CombatCritic Gives House of Spice Malta 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

"U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

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... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Title: Bugibba, Malta: House Of Spice IS IN THE HOUSE!

Key Words: House of Spice Malta, House of Spice, house, of, spice, HOS, Malta, Bugibba, India, Indian, curry, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Copyright 2017/2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Lawrence, Kansas: A Pleasant Surprise - Good Indian, Decent Prices

Bayleaf Indian Restaurant & Bar

947 New Hampshire Street, Ste 120

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone number: (785) 840-0855

Website: bayleaflawrence.com

Prices: $$$$

We have been wanting to try Bayleaf since they opened, but had not until tonight. The food was ready as promised, 20 minutes exactly after I ordered on Eat Street. The place was empty at 5:35 on a Saturday, a bit odd, but the friendly server gathered our order post haste, listing the contents by memory exactly as we ordered them ... meat samosas - check, beef vindaloo - check, palak paneer - check, plain and garlic naan - check. She handed me my bag and I left.

With the $7 Eat Street discount, the tab came to just a tad under $32, not bad. But $39 for one appetizer, two entrees and some bread - no soup or salad, no drinks, no dessert - without the coupon it would not be a great value.

The Meat Samosas ($4.95), savory pastries with a chicken and vegetable filling and two dipping sauces (a red sweet and sour and a mild green) were big and good. The Naan (Plain - $2 and Garlic $3) were large and as fresh and good as any I have eaten.

My wife's Palak Paneer ($10.95) with fresh spinach and homemade curd cheese in a mildly spicy sauce was also as good as any we had during my four months in India. The Beef Vindaloo ($14.95) had plenty of beef and a few potatoes in a tomato and onion curry that was delicious. Both the palak paneer and beef vindaloo came with basmati rice, but $14.95 for a medium size curry and rice is a bit on the pricey side. At $8.95 and $11.95, they would have been a much better value, but the Indian restaurants in Lawrence seem to think they can get away with charging $15 for a curry and rice, so they do. That is why we do not eat at the two Indian restaurants (across the street from each other) in town all that often.

OK, maybe I am spoiled, but having eaten similar, but much better, meals for two in India for $10-$12 max, I find it difficult to shell out nearly 4 times as much stateside. If it were not for the $7 Eat Street discount, we probably would not have bothered, but I am glad we did because the food at Bayleaf was very good. Having lived in England for three years and traveled India for four months, I am used to good Indian food at reasonable prices. The Indian restaurants in Lawrence need to drop their dinner prices if they hope to fill their tables, which they are not doing currently.

I am basing my rating on a dinner for two for $31.50 (7 rating  - with coupon), not $38.50 (5 rating  - without coupon) ...

CombatCritic Gives Bayleaf Indian Restaurant 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

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Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Bayleaf Indian Restaurant & Bar on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, Kansas: A Pleasant Surprise - Good Indian, Decent Prices

Key Words: Bayleaf Restaurant, Bayleaf, bay, leaf, bar, Indian, India, curry, Lawrence, Kansas, 66044, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: S&G = "Shits & Grins"

Lawrence, Kansas: A Good Value With $7 Discount, Not So Great Without

Bayleaf Indian Restaurant & Bar

947 New Hampshire Street, Suite 120

Lawrence, KS 66044

Phone number: (785) 840-0855

Website: bayleaflawrence.com

Prices: $$$$

We have been wanting to try Bayleaf since they opened, but had not until tonight. The food was ready as promised, 20 minutes exactly after I ordered on Eat Street. The place was empty at 5:35 on a Saturday, a bit odd, but the friendly server gathered our order post haste, listing the contents by memory exactly as we ordered them ... meat samosas - check, beef vindaloo - check, palak paneer - check, plain and garlic naan - check. She handed me my bag and I left.

With the $7 Eat Street discount, the tab came to just a tad under $32, not bad. But $39 for one appetizer, two entrees and some bread - no soup or salad, no drinks, no dessert - without the coupon it would not be a great value.

The Meat Samosas ($4.95), savory pastries with a chicken and vegetable filling and two dipping sauces (a red sweet and sour and a mild green) were big and good. The Naan (Plain - $2 and Garlic $3) were large and as fresh and good as any I have eaten.

My wife's Palak Paneer ($10.95) with fresh spinach and homemade curd cheese in a mildly spicy sauce was also as good as any we had during my four months in India. The Beef Vindaloo ($14.95) had plenty of beef and a few potatoes in a tomato and onion curry that was delicious. Both the palak paneer and beef vindaloo came with basmati rice, but $14.95 for a medium size curry and rice is a bit on the pricey side. At $8.95 and $11.95, they would have been a much better value, but the Indian restaurants in Lawrence seem to think they can get away with charging $15 for a curry and rice, so they do. That is why we do not eat at the two Indian restaurants (across the street from each other) in town all that often.

OK, maybe I am spoiled, but having eaten similar, but much better, meals for two in India for $10-$12 max, I find it difficult to shell out nearly 4 times as much stateside. If it were not for the $7 Eat Street discount, we probably would not have bothered, but I am glad we did because the food at Bayleaf was very good. Having lived in England for three years and traveled India for four months, I am used to good Indian food at reasonable prices. The Indian restaurants in Lawrence need to drop their dinner prices if they hope to fill their tables, which they are not doing currently.

I am basing my rating on a dinner for two for $31.50 (7 rating  - with coupon), not $38.50 (5 rating  - without coupon) ...

CombatCritic Gives Bayleaf Indian Restaurant 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Bayleaf Indian Restaurant & Bar on Yelp

Title: Lawrence, Kansas: A Good Value With $7 Discount, Not So Great Without

Key Words: Bayleaf Indian Restaurant, bayleaf, Indian, India, curry, naan, Lawrence, Kansas, KU, university, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: S&G = "Shits and Grins"

Palaco Handmade Crafts: Beautiful, Ornate, Handmade Crafts ... Reasonable Prices ... Outstanding Service!

Palaco Handmade Crafts
Shop #5 Temple Road (Behind State Bank ATM)
McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, HP, India 176219
Phone: +91 97364 86748
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/PalacoCrafts

I would have missed Palaco Handmade Crafts if i had not started talking to the owner Taj while waiting in line for the ATM. The shop is behind the State Bank ATM on Temple Road about 125 meters from the Main Square, heading toward the Dalai Lama's Temple, and just 50 meters from the Buddhist Stuba (Buddhist Temple with prayer wheels) in the middle of town (same direction).

The shop is in the back on the left and is small, but filled with beautiful treasures from Tibetan, Kashmiri, and Indian craft makers, normally small families and individuals and not the mass produced garbage you find in many shops.

Silk and Kashmiri (Cashmere if you are American) woolen scarves, bedspreads and carpets, intricate inlaid wood trays, bowls, lamps and other small furnishings and knick-knacks, brass "chakra" bowls, Buddhist "tangas", purses and bags, and many other crafts are avaialble at very fair prices.

Taj is a wonderful person, inviting me for a cup of saffron tea made from VERY EXPENSIVE kashmiri saffron on my first visit, he is truly a warm and friendly person. Their prices are so low that you do not need to haggle like most stores in India, knowing that you are getting a good deal and an outstanding value.

CombatCritic Gives Palaco Handmade Crafts A Rare 10 Out of 10 Bombs ... BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Follow CombatCritic On Yelp (An Elite '14/'15 Member) And  TripAdvisor ("Top Contributor") Where You Can Read His Latest Reviews, Try His Favorite Recipes, And More!

Key Words: Palaco Handmade Crafts, Palaco, handmade, crafts, Tibetan, Kashmiri, India, Indian, McLeod Ganj, mcleod, ganj, Dharamsala, Dharmsala, silk, wool, Taj, purses, inlaid, wood, Temple Road, Shop #5

McLeod Ganj: Mediocre Service, Non-Existent WiFi ... Superb Thai Curry

“Mediocre Service, Non-Existent WiFi ... Superb Thai Curry

The Clay Oven

McLeod Ganj, Himachal Pradesh, Dharamsala 176219, India

The restaurant sits just off the main square on the TIPA (Dharamkot) road and looks nicer than most in McLeod Ganj with wood beam ceilings, earth tones, and a nice terrace. 

The free WiFi was nearly non-existent, so don't bother if you need to get anything done while waiting to be seated, get your menu or your food.

I stood at the counter waiting for a table for nearly 5 minutes while employees danced around me saying nothing and with just three parties in a place that seats 50. I finally got my menus another 5 minutes after the grumpy guy (owner?) at the register ignored me and I sat myself.

I ordered the green chicken (Thai) curry (200 rupees - $3.20) and waited close to 30 minutes ... but IT WAS WORTH THE WAIT! Accompanied by white rice, the curry came in a clay pot, was generous in size, and hot, not scalding. The flavor was as good as any green curry I have had stateside and I have had quite a few. Spicy, but not overly hot, there were chunks of white meat chicken, mushrooms, and onion with just the right curry to rice ratio. Good stuff and at $3+ it was definitely the best value in terms of curry I have experienced!

The food quality and value alone would rate 9 BOMBS, but deducting 1 BOMB for lousy internet and another for mediocre service ...

CombatCritic Gives The Clay Oven 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... MORE BOMBS ARE BETTER!

Follow CombatCritic On Yelp (An Elite '14/'15 Member) And  TripAdvisor ("Top Contributor") Where You Can Read His Latest Reviews, Try His Favorite Recipes, And More!

Key Words: The Clay Oven, clay, oven, Dharamsala, McLeod Ganj, Mcleod, Ganj, India, Thai, Tibetan, Indian, curry, coffee, Italian, pizza, pasta, menu, travel, value, CombatCritic

Carpe Diem: Sieze the "Lait" ... "Cafe au" That Is!

Carpe Diem Restaurant and Pizzeria
Jogiwara Road - Above Cinema
McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, H.P. India
+91-988-219-2294

Cuisine: Breakfast, Coffee/Tea/Beer, Indian, Italian, Thai

Prices: $$$$

Rooftop Terrace

I heard good things about the pizza, understanding that they have a wood-fire oven. The place is not easy to find unless to look up to the third floor of the building above the cinema on Jogiwara Road. The indoor restaurant is up one flight of stairs, but the rooftop terrace is quite nice if the weather permits.

The indoor restaurant was empty at 8PM on a Sunday night, but the terrace was packed, leaving one table for me. The crowd seemed to be young, American/European/Australian bohemians dressed in baggy clothes with dreadlocks, which is extremely common in McLeod Ganj at least. There are six or seven tables with chairs and a sitting area with low tables and mats to sit on (do not forget to take off your shoes).

Mutton (Lamb) Pepperoni Pizza - 210 Rupees ($3.40)

The menu is eclectic, but I had to try the "excellent pizza" I had heard so much about. I ordered the non-vegetarian pepperoni pizza (210 rupees - $3.45), thinking that it would be the standard spicy, greasy, pork variety we American expect ("pepperoni" in Italy is green bell peppers). The pizza came rather quickly and looked quite good actually. Not huge, it was thin and crispy, much like the pizzas you get in Rome and the flavor was also decent ... until I got my first bite of pepperoni. I actually like lamb from time to time, but not on my pizza. The pepperoni was obviously made of lamb (mutton here) and although not disgusting by any stretch, it was a little off-putting because it was not expected. Beside the taste of lamb sausage, the pizza was good, but next time I think I will order a vegetarian option or go with a Thai green curry or Indian dish.

One of the few restaurants that serves beer (you better like Kingfisher), the menu is huge and the prices are fair, a little higher than many places around town. The service was fast and friendly.

CombatCritic Gives Carpe Diem An Initial 6 Bombs Out of 10 ... MORE BOMBS ARE GOOD!

Key Words: CarpeDiem, carpe, diem, Jogiwara Road, breakfast, café, Thai, pizza, Dharamsala, food, Ganj, restaurant, beer, India, internet, Italian, McLeod, McLeod Ganj, menu, restaurant, Thai, Indian, terrace, travel, value, CombatCritic