Chapati Indian restaurant & bar, Henderson

Butter chicken and lamb masala at Chapati Indian Restaurant. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Address: 56 Lincoln Rd, Henderson
Phone: (09) 836 0218

My lingering memory of Chapati is the comfort of it all. The red-panelled restaurant sprawls over a large warm room, filled loosely with tables and high-backed, deep-seated chairs. Chandeliers dripping with ruby-red stones hang from the ceiling. Waiters stand handsome and tidy in their white shirts.

Which is rather unusual in suburban Henderson. Added to that, it was Thursday and the restaurant was full and departing guests were singing its praises as we went in.

Then there were the smells, the wafts of cumin, cardamom and other spices to lift us out of everyday Auckland and into high expectation, like horses with their nostrils flared and ears pricked. And we weren't to be disappointed.

To give Chapati a fair go, we decided to share everything, and in keeping with Indian tradition (and the huge thirst that comes with curry) ordered bottles of Taj beer all round.

Our selection of entrees was a fitting introduction to what was to come. The samosas (vegetable and meat, both $7) were light and spicy and the mixed vegetable pakora good too, although the papadoms and side dish platter to share were disappointing. But at $10 it wasn't a disaster.

Our main courses were at another level entirely. Alongside the old favourites including lamb korma, lamb rogan josh (both $20) and chicken tikka masala ($19), we sampled the chicken saagwala cooked with spinach and onion and ginger chicken (both $19). Both were superb.

The saagwala, was tasty, creamy and delicious. It must have been made with fresh spinach too, because I crunched the occasional stalk. The ginger chicken turned out to be a delectable combination of spices and tender thigh meat.

The potato and cauliflower, aloo gobi ($16), was also delicious. The only complaint was for the tikka masala which the wimps among us found too hot (as distinct from spicy) but the rest of the group finished that too.

In the end, after asking for another serving of rice and to the delight of our handsome waiters, we finished everything. They cleared the table and obviously thought that was it.

But no, we wanted the dessert menu and moved right along to the mango kulfi $5.50, a mango lassi ($4.50) for me and the gulab jamun ($5.50) for Barb. It was an unusual choice given the description: "milk powder dough dumplings in syrup", but the gulab arrived looking like a selection of elongated, shiny-brown birds' eggs and tasted surprisingly good.

The kulfi was a fragrant, mango sorbet-style icecream. By then we really had exhausted the menu and sadly, after copious cups of masala tea ($3), had to leave our comfy chairs and head out into the real world.

Overall, Chapati is an oasis of great cooking, style and comfort in an otherwise unremarkable block of shops opposite Waitakere Hospital. The waiters were friendly, prices were lower than at most Indian chain restaurants and, best of all, not even the weak- stomached among us felt bloated or regretful the next day. We'll be back.

Rating out of 10

Food: 8
Service: 7
Value: 8
Ambience: 8
Our meal: $281 for six entrees, main courses and desserts, plus rice and roti and two bottles of beer each.
Wine list: Adequate
Verdict: A stand-out Indian restaurant offering excellent cuisine in elegant surroundings at around $40 a head — all in suburban Henderson