The stylish interior of Dewan-E-A

A ‘royal’ dining experience atDewan-E-Am

The name ‘Dewan-E-Am’ means ‘The dining room of royalty’ which will give some indication of the quality of service diners can expect when they visit this popular Indian restaurant in Caterham-on-the-Hill.

Located just along the road from Tesco at 188 Coulsdon Road, the restaurant is easy to find with ample parking nearby. When I visited recently on a Saturday evening with my friend Sally, the restaurant soon became busy with regular customers who were greeted warmly by restaurant owner Sam Choudhary.

As we nibbled on some lovely warm papadams we perused the menu, trying to decide whether or not to order a starter or have an extra side dish with our main courses instead. The ‘Special Platter’ starter caught our eye, so we decided to order one to share as an appetiser.

The dish consisted of tender pieces of Chicken Tikka, Lamb Tikka and a Sheekh Kebab, just the right amount for us to share, beautifully presented with a drizzle of sauce and salad garnish. For our main courses I chose the Chicken Surprise and Sally chose one of the Dewan-E-Am Specialities, Lamb Korai.

We ordered a portion of Mushroom Pilau Rice and a Peshwari Nan bread to share, to go with our meat dishes. Sally’s Lamb Korai was cooked with hot fresh garlic, chilli and a selection of spices with onion and green herbs.

It was not too spicy and Sally said that it made a wonderful change from the creamy curries she normally chooses. My Chicken Surprise was a lovely mild Chicken Bhuna but you will have to order the dish yourself to find out what the added surprise is! Both our main courses had generous servings of meat.

The excellent service and food accompanied by a delicious bottle of Chardonnay ensured a very enjoyable evening and the quantity of food we ordered was just right. The prices are very reasonable too.

For example Sally’s Lamb Korai was £6.10 and the Mushroom Pilau Rice we shared was just £2.75. Sam encouraged us to try Masala tea to finish our meal, which neither of us had had before, which tasted of Cinnamon and hit the spot perfectly! Dewan-E-Am have Banquet Nights every Wednesday which, at £12.95 per person offer excellent value for a wonderful Indian meal. Be sure to book a table - call the restaurant on 01883 348913.