One downside of living in a small village in the country is we don’t have many takeaways, they are all in town. And they don’t deliver here so the ring of the doorbell and someone stood there with your dinner just doesn’t happen. So when we first moved here many moons ago that was one thing I needed to get used to. I had lived in the middle of a city centre where everything was available on my doorstep. I could eat a different cuisine every night if I wished it was bliss. So it was a big change. Still my absolute favourite all time was curry, I loved a good curry. Always a play it safe korma girl my husband had opened my eyes to chilli. He would, if I let him sprinkle chilli flakes on a roast dinner such was his love of hot food. Instead he had a shelf in the condiment cupboard dedicated to spice. Well known in the family it was a great gift idea for someone who was notoriously difficult to buy for. So through him I had cautiously experimented and gained an appreciation for heat. Not a vindaloo girl but still something to put colour in your cheeks.

When we heard on the grapevine a curry house was opening just down the road it was like a dream come true such was my excitement. It was like a little taste of home being able to get a curry that you haven’t cooked delivered on a Friday night. . So first available weekend we placed our order. Now, I’ve come a long way from burning pasta. I cook and love experimenting with flavours, spices and seasonings. Far from having a sophisticated palette I know what works and what I like. So when it arrived a bland, under seasoned over priced small portion I was really disappointed we both were.

I bought some cookbooks (Amazon of course) and started trying to recreate my favourite dishes myself. I learnt marinating and slow cooking was the best. I experimented with spices I couldn’t pronounce and eventually did a good effort but still it wasn’t the same as having it delivered.

Friends told me about an Indian in town called Namaste. Well known with expats it’s a modest restaurant in the Gare area. Definitely not fancy but the menu was outstanding.

I went there once with friends heavily pregnant I could have scored multiple times and politely declined offers of “gear” on my way there. It seemed my huge belly didn’t put them off. The Gare is an interesting place….

The food was so so good. I had found my Mecca. And so Namaste is the Indian of choice for me in Luxembourg. I’ve heard about others which are good but I’ve stayed loyal to Namaste. On a rare occasions we get it delivered to my husbands work and he brings it home.

When you move somewhere new you have to adapt. Your taste change, you try different things but for me I will always be a cobra beer and curry girl. So many happy memories of boozy nights in curry house’s. Now I make new memories at home. Thank you for reading x