I'm in take away/delivery hell!

[Hallie]

What have I done.

Tuesday was the day of official relocation from NW3 to our new abode in Muswell Hill (N10). I'm now starting to wonder if leaving behind my 0207 area code was such a good idea.

Tuesday night - totally exhausted from our move, too tired to go out for a meal and no identifiably safe take-aways within a 5 minute walk. I ring up 'Room Service' and 'Deliverance' only to find that they don't service our area. Ring Scoot to find out that we are in a take away black hole serviced only by Dominios (bleck!!!) and a few other dodgy sounding establishments.

This bodes quite badly for the future as we generally rely on delievered or very good take away for one meal a week. What I need are recommendations - anyone who can suggest good places that deliver or do take away nearby. This would include decent pizza, Chinese, Indian, and or anything else. It doesn't have to be the ultimate (though that would be nice) - just reliably good food.

Help!

[Bapi]

Oh dear- welcome to my world Hallie. But congrats on the new place by the way

The Parsee seems to deliver and Highgate is not that far away. But agree we are not best served in the North. Best to find a few restaurants you like in the vicinity and then send a cab out for your takeaway food, as we do.

[Gary Marshall]

Best to find a few restaurants you like in the vicinity and then send a cab out for your takeaway food, as we do.

you lazy fecker!

i am truly amazed at your laziness

talk about lifestyles of the rich and famous!

gary

[Suzi Edwards]

i've always wondered about doing that (so i'm as least as lazy as you bapi) can you tell me exactly how it all works? do most mini cab firms allow this?

[Bapi]

Best to find a few restaurants you like in the vicinity and then send a cab out for your takeaway food, as we do.

you lazy fecker!

i am truly amazed at your laziness

talk about lifestyles of the rich and famous!

gary

Hi praise indeed- thank you kind Sir.

In mitigation, more often than not we either get deliveries from our local places. However, our favourite local Indian doesn't deliver - so if I am on the way home I get a cab and pick it up usually. Alternatively ring the cab firm- and confirm that you wish to order a cab to pick up a takeaway. Ask their procedure for doing this - but more often than not the cabbie will pick up and pay for the meal and then charge you the cab fare to pick it up and deliver it to your door. Not quite as lazy as it sounds Gazza- not everyone has a car in London you know? Our local cab firm think nothing of it as they once said someone rang up and ask them to pick up a box of matches and a packet of fags and deliver them!

I have to admit somewhat embarrassingly that when I get off the tube and whilst walking home past a parade of shops that, er all the local takeaway chaps whose places we have frequented wave at me as I walk past their shop windows. Not that I have been in there too often - oh no hell no

[Gary Marshall]

. Not quite as lazy as it sounds Gazza- not everyone has a car in London you know?

no, but you do!

post student life i've never had the luxury of a decent takeaway, a mate staying over asked 'so what do you do if you want a takeaway?'

Answer: walk the 26 paces to the pub! also good for forgotten ingredients too, like the cream i needed last night and the garam massala the week before!

if i want indian food, it's a 20 mile round trip, and i even do that for a takeaway occasionally

there was a regular in the pub who used a now defunct curry delivery service as a taxi, he ordered the curry to be delivered to the pub and they dropped him off at home on the way back to york, now that's clever!

gary

[Gary Marshall]

I have to admit somewhat embarrassingly that when I get off the tube and whilst walking home past a parade of shops that, er all the local takeaway chaps whose places we have frequented wave at me as I walk past their shop windows. Not that I have been in there too often - oh no hell no

don't they do it in ludlow too? (your second home!)

gary

[Bapi]

I have to admit somewhat embarrassingly that when I get off the tube and whilst walking home past a parade of shops that, er all the local takeaway chaps whose places we have frequented wave at me as I walk past their shop windows. Not that I have been in there too often - oh no hell no

don't they do it in ludlow too? (your second home!)

gary

You're a fine one to talk - who was practically trying to break in to every curry house in Ludlow? This was on the way back from our not wholly unsubstantial meals I might add.

[Hallie]

don't they do it in ludlow too?

Oi boys! When I said north I didn't mean that far.

I will try the Parsee Bapi. But PLEASE what I really need are recommended safe take away places! Pizza? Chinese? Certainly they must be out there somewhere.

In a fit of annoyance I sent an e-mail to the bloke who runs Room Service and asked them if they had plans to expand in this direction. He replied by basically saying that they hoped to have the service in this area by the end of the year. If they can pull that off then I think we'll be alright. When we lived in NW3 we had a whole range of choices - everything from fairly decent sushi (Hi Sushi, Yo Sushi), to very good Chinese (Weng Wah), excellent pizza (Basilica), and deliveries from Zuccato if we wanted Italian. I don't understand why places like Room Service and Deliverance never thought of extending their service here when they would have a complete monopoly on food delivery.

So I beg you once more for your helpful suggestions...

[MobyP]

What you need is a Bombay Bicycle - I recently opened an account with them. They bring me food and beer - I sign over 10% of my life earnings for the next 30 years.

Having tasted their curries, I consider this entirely reasonable.

[Suzi Edwards]

<rant> If the Thai "meal" that room service "enabled" me to get from Silk and Spice last night is anything to go by, you should be happy that Room Service doesn't deliver.

My soup has ONE SINGLE TABLESPOON of broth. I measured it. The remainder was made up of two of the smallest prawns I have ever seen, two tomato quarters, a half a button mushroom and a piece of chilli. My prawn red curry had six small prawns, a cup of sauce, two half slices of aubergine, nice pea aubergines and about 8 slices of bamboo shoots. I still cannot speak about the squid.

We called Room Service to complain. They were completely unhelpful as the restaurant was closed. They promised a ring back from customer service this morning, but I'm still waiting.

The meal cost 31.00GBP. Without a doubt the worst takeaway and service I have received for some time. </rant>

[Bapi]

there was a regular in the pub who used a now defunct curry delivery service as a taxi, he ordered the curry to be delivered to the pub and they dropped him off at home on the way back to york, now that's clever!

Er, I have been known to wander into my other local Indian restaurant, after R has ordered a delivery from them, and cadge a lift back home with the curry !! Work smarter - not harder-young Marshall

Hallie - I'll send you list of the places we use via PM, when I get the chance.

[Gary Marshall]

The meal cost 31.00GBP. Without a doubt the worst takeaway and service I have received for some time. </rant>

sometimes i really feel sorry for you london dwellers.

don't suppose it would improve your mood if i told you about the fantastic pear tatin i've just enjoyed at no 3 would it?

no, thought not

or the excellent thai curry in my local for £7.50.

no, thought not

cheers

gary

[Bapi]

Can somebody please slap him?

[Hallie]

What you need is a Bombay Bicycle - I recently opened an account with them. They bring me food and beer - I sign over 10% of my life earnings for the next 30 years.

Having tasted their curries, I consider this entirely reasonable.

An arm and a leg is a small price to pay in exchange for saving a tongue and a stomach from a terrible take away experience.

Please Moby, send me the details...

[Winot]

Moby - why would you want to get beer delivered at Bombay Bicycle prices? Get a few crates from Oddbins and stick 'em in your cellar, man!

[Hallie]

<rant> If the Thai "meal" that room service "enabled" me to get from Silk and Spice last night is anything to go by, you should be happy that Room Service doesn't deliver.

My soup has ONE SINGLE TABLESPOON of broth. I measured it. The remainder was made up of two of the smallest prawns I have ever seen, two tomato quarters, a half a button mushroom and a piece of chilli. My prawn red curry had six small prawns, a cup of sauce, two half slices of aubergine, nice pea aubergines and about 8 slices of bamboo shoots. I still cannot speak about the squid.

We called Room Service to complain. They were completely unhelpful as the restaurant was closed. They promised a ring back from customer service this morning, but I'm still waiting.

The meal cost 31.00GBP. Without a doubt the worst takeaway and service I have received for some time. </rant>

Suzi, I'm so sorry to hear that Room Service let you down - though this probably had more to do with Silks and Spice than the delivery service.

We had one bad experience with a Greek restaurant we ordered from via Room Service. I don't think Room Service can guarantee that all of the places they use are actually up to e-gullet standards . A bit of trial and error has to be factored in, however, its still better than opening the yellow pages, offering a prayer to the patron saint of take aways and hoping for the best.

[Jon Tseng]

In my experience room service miserly and slow - too many layers of bureaucracy getting from RS to the restaurant to the kitchen to the customer

Deliverance far better. Good pizza, but limited delivery area

See if there's a pizza hut what delivers maybe... we do this a fair amount... and even better its impossible for them to find our house in time so every other pizza is free! ;-)

J

[Carlovski]

there was a regular in the pub who used a now defunct curry delivery service as a taxi, he ordered the curry to be delivered to the pub and they dropped him off at home on the way back to york, now that's clever! 

Er, I have been known to wander into my other local Indian restaurant, after R has ordered a delivery from them, and cadge a lift back home with the curry !! Work smarter - not harder-young Marshall

Hallie - I'll send you list of the places we use via PM, when I get the chance.

Good trick that one.

The other variant is in places where getting a taxi is a nightmare (Like Southampton) go for a curry (Even if you aren't that hungry!) and get them to ring you one, they are more likely to turn up as they know you are sat in there, and they tend to have a taxi firm they use regularly so sometimes get one more quickly. And you can have another beer

[Pranian man]

Honeymoon in Crouch End is first class and about the best Chinese in the area (also doing other Asian cuisine, but I haven't tried this) and definitely does takeaways - the sea bass in particularly good. Jashan on Turnpike Lane is, I think, by far the best Indian in the area. Does excellent fish curries and check out the tandori paneer kebabs. They also definitely do take-aways but don't deliver. As many will no doubt tell you, and you probably know already, they produce the Indian fayre for the Harrods foodcourt.

[lalala]

My aunt lives in N12. You don't know food hell until you've lived/shopped or had the munchies there...

However, there are a few good restos and a huge waitrose that has good roasted chickens.

We were so excited when the new m&s food opened up in the new barnet/finchley arts complex, but it doesn't stock the taw valley cheese that we like to take home to the united states, so we're still schlepping that from kensington/marble arch or whereever our last shopping trip takes us.

Having said that, she lived in Chiswick when it was a cultural and food wasteland, I wouldn't call it that now. Maybe there is hope for N.Finchley.

lalala

soon to be known by another name

[MobyP]

Moby - why would you want to get beer delivered at Bombay Bicycle prices? Get a few crates from Oddbins and stick 'em in your cellar, man!

Does not compute. Gave a large portion of my brain to delivery man when he asked for a tip.

the Bombay Bicycle Club. Hmmm....

[Pranian man]

I have to agree with the sentiment of the above post - there are far more deserving cases for sympathy than a foodie living in Muswell Hill. It is curious that such a sought after area doesn't have a single quality restaurant, but there are some good options in nearby Crouch End and Highgate. Also nearby are the terrific Turkish cafes and shops of Green Lanes and even Tufnell Park, Primrose Hill and Islington aren't that far away - what more could you want?

By the way, talking of Primose Hill, has anyone been to the excellent vegetarian restaurant, Manna? Also, in that area, if you like good food, don't even think about going to Lemonia.

[Hallie]

I have to agree with the sentiment of the above post - there are far more deserving cases for sympathy than a foodie living in Muswell Hill. It is curious that such a sought after area doesn't have a single quality restaurant...

I agree - there are far worse gastronomic black spots than Muswell Hill. My complaint was about the lack of a delivery service or decent take away places within very short walking distance, because basically, if I want a take away its because I'm feeling far to exhausted to drive/hop on the bus/ walk to a local establishment. This also relates to your comment regarding the calibre of restaurants in the area. We could also do with a very good deli.

The problem is that I've been spoiled by living in NW3 where good take away (either collected personally or delivered) was in abundance.

And yes I agree, Lemonia is v. disappointing (...no great loss there).

I will particularly miss Basilico pizzas and the Weng Wah Chinese restaurant. I did however get a mailing through the letter box yesterday for a pizza place that does wood fired pizza and delivers called Treviso: www.treviso.co.uk - the menu doesn't look that bad so there might be hope yet...

[Carlovski]

Spare a thought for those of us out in the sticks - your worst culinary desert is an oasis of delights in comparison to what is available in most of the uk.