The place: Bukhara.

The address: 33 Church Street, Cape Town, 8001.

The British have an obsession with Indian food. One can barely walk a block in a London neighbourhood without some imaginatively-named Indian restaurant signage, like “Little India”, “India Delight” or “Delicious Delhi” beckoning you in off the homogenous high street. The whole area of Brick Lane, just east of the City, is effectively an orgy of Indian cuisine.

During my time living in Blightly, I cultivated a certain fondness for the ritual around a curry. A group of friends and I would often end the weekend with dinner in Little India at the end of the High Street, and it was here that I became well-versed in the merits of the Lamb Rogan Gosh, the pitfalls of the Vindaloo and the careful preparation of the crispy poppadom (which has more spelling options than Muammar Gaddafi) and the doughy naan bread.  The service was always immaculate and never a sliced banana or bottle of Mrs Balls in sight.

Tiger Beer or Royal Challenge would be the beverage of choice as we’d dissect every event that happened over the course of the weekend, desperate not to leave the comforting bosom of Little India for the reality of another working week. It was thus slightly inevitable that on returning to Cape Town, a substitute for Little India was to be found. And did we find one. Enter Bukhara.

Situated adjacent to Greenmarket Square, a mere poppadom frisbee’s throw from Wale Street, this absolute gem of a restaurant is an institution in Cape Town and never fails to impress. Last week we decided to reintroduce the sacred London tradition and sat around a table to enjoy a curry whilst rehashing some vintage tales from the underground.

A feature common to all the restaurants in the Bukhara stable is a glass-walled kitchen which, apart from easing concerns about what goes on in the kitchen, creates a wonderfully industrious, authentic atmosphere. With a great wine list and reassuringly long list of malt, we were in good hands. As its website suggests, “Bukhara invites you to enjoy great Indian food in plush yet vibey, busy atmosphere.” And it certainly lives up to the hype.

Experienced pros do not overplay their hands with the naan bread, and hence we saved ourselves for the feast which ensued. I opted for the Lamb Rogan Gosh (despite vacillating between it and the Lamb Korma) which was outstanding. With generous servings we were able to dip into the communal Prawn Masala, while arguably the best plate of the night was the butter chicken: simply sensational and fast-becoming something of a signature dish. Despite much talk of one our foursome taking on the outrageously hot Vindaloo, it didn’t happen, much to my disappointment.

The naan bread was a great side, and we shared a generous portion of basmati rice. The service throughout was excellent – and it was great to see a good mix of locals and tourists filling up the tables. On a few outings to Bukhara I’ve not seen it anything but busy – often a key indicator in the merits of a restaurant in the mother city.

A big draw to the UK curryhouse is the very reasonable price they charge for great food and a trip to a far-removed world. Bukhara would certainly not fall into the “very reasonable” category, though the money is well spent in this venerable institution. And if a full dinner seems a bridge too far, Bukhara does offer a lighter menu before 6pm – a worthwhile option.

If it’s Indian you’re looking for in Cape Town, Bukhara is it. The Tendulkar of curry houses.

Review brought to you by Table Magic.