20 Aug 2024
James Cameron shares his possibly contentious opinion on what he considers to be the best Indian in St Albans...
All my life I have been searching for the Cheers-like ideal of a place where everyone knows my name, somewhere where they have my drink lined up as I walk through the door, somewhere to belong. I got close in my youth when I managed a lock-in in my village pub, but that was mainly because my sister was a barmaid there. Since then I have found it difficult to dedicate myself to one establishment when there are so many fine places out there to try. I am committed to achieving it at The Alban, however, which is not difficult as it is the finest Indian restaurant in St Albans (in my opinion).
Despite the hours of poppadom eating that I have already put it at The Alban, however, it is not enough for the proprietors. Last time we visited we were berated for having left it so long, and this time they were surprised to discover that we actually lived in St Albans, as based on the infrequency of our appearances they assumed we only came when we were holidaying here.
I would like to state for the record, in case they are reading, that we visit The Alban more than any other restaurant, either within St Albans or wider afield, though clearly not enough for their liking.
I will do better in the future, though, as every visit is a delight. Not merely for the quality of the food, it is very good but then so are the offerings at many other places in town. More because of how well looked after we feel whenever we visit. It’s the smile of recognition, the inquiries into our well being and the fact that we don’t have to go into detail on all our various dietary requirements that make you feel almost part of the family as soon as you walk through the door.
The restaurant itself is pleasant, clean and has a nice view over the crossroads by The Horn.
On week nights you can enjoy the sight of commuters shuffling homewards with their dreams slightly more crushed. The music playing on this visit was a great mix of ‘70s power ballads, and there is something about ‘Jolene’ that fits surprisingly well in an Indian restaurant.
We all have our favourite dishes at The Alban, and could quite happily make an identical order each time but it’s always nice to experiment with a few variations to keep things interesting.
We start with poppadoms, of course, crisp and delightful as always.
The lime pickle has to be ordered separately but is definitely worth it, as there would be a noticeable lack of tang without it.
You get oddly small spoons to serve up the pickles and chutneys, possibly to make you appreciate them more for having to really work for them.
For the starters we went for two lots of Aloonee Bhajeea because everyone loves it and there would be fighting otherwise. These are the absolute best, thin slices of potato like battered hot crisps with an extra layer of carom seeds.
We also got some Chicken Tikka, juicy chunks full of flavour with a mint sauce so good that one of my sons just went ahead and started eating it on its own.
For the mains I decided to try something new, as I normally go for the Red Fort (a fantastic thick gingery sauce). Instead I opted for the Chicken Sindhi, a regional variation on the Jalfrezi which had a lovely citrusy sour heat but was maybe a little too spicy for my palette (though I had been suitably warned by the menu).
This also meant that my son refused to share any of his Lamb Dhansak with me as mine was too hot for him to get anything in return. This was a real shame as the few little scrapings of the sauce I managed to nab were creamy and lovely and the lamb (which I wasn’t allowed near) was proclaimed to be very succulent.
They do a wide range of vegan side dishes, of which we always have to go for the Chana Masala. This delicious chickpea dish is made even better by the cut of the onion, which creates nice shapes in your mouth. The Tarka Dal, a nice bright orange lentil soup, was the perfect thing for cooling down any dishes for which people might have been slightly over-ambitious with the spice levels of their dish.
Aloo Gobi had the perfect texture of cauliflower, often an unappreciated ingredient but definitely the star here. A new favourite, and justifying the policy of experimentation, was the French Beans which were cooked just so and had a level of sweetness that tied the whole plate together with a nice little zing.
Surprisingly we ended the meal just the right level of full with no leftovers, and the four of us were able to eat like kings for £125, including drinks. One word of warning, if you’re ordering for takeaway it’s important to know that there is also a St Albans Tandoori which is right the other side of town at the top of St Peter’s Street.
Whilst this is also a fine restaurant they will get very confused if you try to pick up food there after ordering from The Alban (or even on one
particularly memorable night from City Spice, when we ended up having to eat two dinners).
Finally, you may be feeling that I have denigrated or offended your own particular favourite by claiming The Alban as the best in St Albans.
If you will allow me to return to the world of metaphors for a moment, like spouses, the whole system only works if you think that your own one is the best ever. If we all liked the same restaurant best we would never be able to get a table there, just as if we were all married to the same person then dinner time would be a logistical nightmare. Therefore you should cherish the restaurant you have, nurture the relationship and see how it repays your attention many times over, in the form of high quality curry.
