Morpeth one nice takeaway and one nice little eatery !

I don't eat out very much but its something that I do intend to do more often in the future and if anybody wants to come along with me to sample some of the North-Easts food fare then please get in touch via the site. (female applicants will be pushed to the top of the list ! ha ha !)
I don't really want to turn this blog into a restaurant review Ala Giles Coren or Fay Maschler but It would be great to find some little feasting nuggets around where I live and pass them on to you.
So the other Sunday after a boozy night out in Morpeth I ended up going to a great little Indian takeaway as recommended by my mighty Chef mate Rus called the Morpeth Tandoori. Its situated in a picturesque part of Morpeth called The Chantry and the takeaway has recovered from the flooding which hit the town a few years ago.
When it comes to consuming Takeaways after a few beers I tend to stick to what I know and so 1 Garlic and coriander Naan bread, 1 Chicken Bhuna with Pilaf rice and 1 extra of sag a loo was promptly ordered. I then sat down and had to wait 20 minutes for my food. This annoyed me mainly because the usual pint of lager I would drink while waiting was not available but really when I thought about it, it really meant the chef was cooking it to order and therefore it was not left overs from earlier in the evening or worst still the kitchen had run out of prep after a busy weekend and was not being defrosted in the microwave while I waited.
OK the food arrived and for about a tenner I had enough for 2 so not bad on the value front really. I then went on stage two of the takeaway experience which is getting a little brown bag from current location to home with minimum spillage and trying to maintain its core temperature to prevent an outbreak of bacteria forming in it. I don't mind bacteria but I don't want it mutating into any kind of creature that might eat my food.
Warning no matter how happy you are after a few light refreshments do not under any circumstances start swinging your brown bag. I did once and I was left holding 2 brown handles while the bottom half of the bag sailed over a hedge into someones garden. Its one thing knocking on someones door and asking for your ball back but asking for your curry back is something else !
I live about 5 miles away from Morpeth so I headed up the high street in search of a taxi to take me and my curry home. 8 minutes later my friendly taxi driver had got us both home.
Stage 3 of the takeaway experience is the ceremony of taking everything out of your bag and arranging it neatly on your kitchen table and then removing the cardboard lids off the stylish silver tubs they came in and then putting far too much on your plate that you will never eat. Head into living room put the TV on and find some rubbish to watch while eating away your tummy treat.

Back to the food well the naan bread was moist garlicky and huge and an absolute delight. The Chicken in the Bhuna was very succulent but didn't seem to be pan fried as it had none of that nice caramelised flavour. It could have been cooked in the oven in foil as it had that taste to it but it was still very nice. The sauce had an intense flavour and the rice was so fragrant I could have used it as aftershave. The sag a loo was delicious and is a meal in itself and on the whole it was a great way of rounding off the evening.
If your in the area do pay the Morpeth Tandoori a visit and if your sober you will enjoy it even more.

I have not been to this place but another Chef mate of mine Alan went for a bite to eat here with 4 ladies and they all raved about the food. When I finally spoke to Alan about the cafe after going in the huff with him for not inviting me along to share the experience with 4 women he said the food was a great and had a few things on the menu which was a bit of a surprise for a cafe.
After looking at the menu I can see what he means and to see dishes like Rabbit, Boudin Noir and Parma Ham mixed with Chilli and sea salt squid tells me that the cook in charge must have some passion and imagination for food.
It does not have a booze licence so you can bring your own refreshments to go with your meal but they do supply the glasses for you.

Emmmmm...this looks nice I think I'll pop along there soon. Hope to see you there.