Casa Indiana
To the joy of student-dom
- Saldanha (Linha Amarela/Vermelha)
- €
- Av. Rovisco Pais 2 loja a, 1000-268
The university experience is different all over the world. From the gilded mini-cities of American campuses, to the sartorially Harry Potter urban quidditch here in Lisbon. In the UK, it doesn't matter whether you go to the heart of Birmingham or the Welsh countryside, it is universally British experience that your hangovers and birthdays will involve eating a lot of cheap curry. It is not an accident Chicken Tikka Masala is the nation's favourite dish.
Still flying high off the delights at Shree Ram a few days before, and because it's unbearably cold in Lisbon this February (often dropping below 10 degrees celsius), the scene was set for another curry. Having spent no time consulting any reviews or bogus tourism sites, we figured we'd head to Casa Indiana, which just so happens to be opposite Shree Ram.
Casa Indiana, really might be a converted living room, a genuinely cosy space with fewer than 10 tables. We sat down and basked in the enveloping aromas of ghee, ghee, chilli and ghee. We knew immediately what kind of a meal we were in for.
With the poppadom and aloo tikki dispatched upon sitting down, it was time to warm up and fill up. The spicy Paneer Karai and Lamb Rogan Josh both voluptuous with ghee and spiced just the right side of runny nose. These are the curries that we thank the billion-plus Indians the world over for. Blown away by the generosity of the pricing we also gluttoned on a plate of tandoori chicken, the chunks of galinha simultaneously juicy in the centre and dry and crispy on the outside from the tandoor cooking. This was so good, we forgot to capture the evidence. Supplemented with a paratha and with each curry served with a portion of rice, we left stuffed and loaded up for the British student classic breakfast, cold curry.
It's no surprise to us Casa Indiana thrives in the shadow of the IST university in Saldanha. Students and curry is always a winning capitalist enterprise. I'll never suffer with a hangover in Lisbon again.
Don’t forget to order: The Tandoori chicken was really good, but get your favourite curry here, they do them all!