I have a habit of knowing what I’ll be ordering when it comes to certain cuisines, and Indian food is no different.

Clay and Coal is located on Goodwood Road in Cumberland Park amongst other popular eateries. There’s a decent selection of dishes on offer with all your western favourites. They do have a selection of items that are prepared in their clay and coal tandoori oven which not all Indian places have.

The decor is neat and well presented with the black and brown colour combination being a familiar sight in Indian restaurants. The leather seating was quite comfortable, and the front part of the dining area is exposed to plenty of natural light.

For lunch, I ordered the Lamb Rogan Josh. The dish came out 15 minutes after ordering and was average in presentation. What I received was two scoops of curry on a plate with rice. I think the presentation would have been better had the curry been presented in a copper bowl.

Most Indian restaurants offer two entree sized curries with rice as part of their lunch time deals, however, this place only offers one. Having said that, the serving size was generous and is roughly the same as what you would get from two entrees.

The curry sauce had a nice thick consistency and the flavours were just right. There was a slight burning at the back of my throat but that’s the way I like it.

The lamb, on the other hand, wasn’t that great. The quality was below average with quite a few fatty bits that were difficult to break down in my mouth. I thought the meat was a bit tough as well. I should be able to break the meat apart with a fork, but in this instance, I could barely cut it with a knife.

The rice was well cooked with nice individual grains. The proportion of rice to curry was one to one, which is what I expect.

The staff were friendly and the service was good. The atmosphere was relaxed as I was the only one in the restaurant. The cost of my meal was $9.90 which was reasonable considering the serving size. Their normal prices are fairly average and consistent with their competitors.

Verdict: The dining experience would have been better had they used better quality lamb.

WHERE: 482 Goodwood Rd, Cumberland Park