The Clay Oven 深井咖喱寶

Rating: ❤❤❤❤

I've never really ventured all the way to Kennedy Town before - Sheung Wan is really the farthest I've gone on the east side of HK Island. Thanks to the restaurant for the invite, I had a chance to check out this remote neighborhood and enjoy some good Indian food!

I'm one of those people who hates calling so I made the reservation online. I got a text shortly thereafter confirming my reservation. Very convenient!

It was a cold night and I was looking forward to some spicy food! I could smell the restaurant a block away almost. The restaurant was colorful and ethnic with lots of paintings and lanterns. The decor was very typical in a way. As we had a reservation, we were seated right away. The restaurant was about half full on a week night. It started filling up as the night went on. 

Pakora with Papadams (Free) - we were each given a pakora inside a papadam in the shape of a cone. The pakora consisted of bits of chicken and potato in a deep-fried batter. It was rich and yummy to eat as the outside was very crispy while the inside was soft due to the creaminess of the potatoes. The papadam was also nice and crispy, albeit not as spicy as the ones at Clay Pot. Two sauces were provided - the red was sweet while the green was mint-like. 

Mango Lassi ($36) - one of the better mango lassi I've had! The drink was thick and rich while not being overly sweet. One of my favorite drinks when eating Indian food to combat the spiciness!

Butter Chicken ($79) - a very hearty dish! Made from tomatoes, butter, and cream, the sauce was rich, buttery and slightly spicy. The tandoori chicken itself was very delicious as it was juicy and succulent. 

Ox Tail Vindaloo ($108) - I was asked if I wanted my vindaloo to be "properly spicy" or dialed down - to which I replied spicy please! Indeed it was! We wanted to try something different so instead of ordering our vindaloo with lamb, we went with the ox tail instead. The curry was good as it was hot and spicy with rich flavors of spices. We were too sure if the ox tail went well with the vindaloo. The ox tail was harder to eat and not as tender as lamb for example, but I still enjoyed it. 

Garlic Naan ($25) - the garlic naan here was disappointing as it was way too dry. The garlic taste was not as strong as the ones at Aladdin's Mess either. 

Paratha ($28) - the paratha looked delicate with thin layers stacked together. Unfortunately it was not as flavorful as I hoped it would be. It was quite bland actually. 

Gulab Jamun ($36) - Indian desserts were never my cup of tea as I find them too sweet. J ended up ordering the gulab jamun though. The milk-based dumplings were piping hot! It was really sweet and tasted like condensed milk. The texture was nice and spongy. 

Vanilla Ice Cream ($25) - didn't really taste like ice cream at all. It was not rich in milk content so it just tasted like cheap ice cream.

When we got the check, a plate of sweets were placed in front of us. I was too full at that point so didn't try any. We were also not sure how this has been sitting outside.

Verdict - on the whole, the curries here were excellent while the naans could use some improvement. The service was pretty good and attentive. The owner turned the lights up for me once he saw me taking pictures with my camera. How thoughtful! We were hightly intrigued by their tandoori lamb leg which requires advance notice as the portion is quite big. Seems like a great dish for a party or gathering! Hmm...maybe next time!

The Clay Oven
G/F, Kam Hing Building, 27-31 Catchick Street, Kennedy Town,Western District 
2872 6900

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