It's extremely refreshing to see an Indian menu in Oslo that contains more than the British curry-house standards. Although the standard basics are still available for less adventurous diners, there are quite a few options that are not found as often (or at all) at other local restaurants. Moreover, Der Peppern Gror does away with that odd local habit of letting the diners specify a spice level. Instead, they prepare the dishes at the level appropriate to each dish and indicate this in the menu.
Unfortunately, the dishes we tried varied significantly, making it hard to gauge the overall food quality. My bhindi was excellent and certainly among the best Indian dishes I've had in Oslo. However, my friend's yellow daal was incredibly bland and flavorless. Both of our dishes were listed as "Medium," but while mine had a pleasant kick to it, hers was beyond mild. Perhaps they scaled back when she waved off the waiter's raita suggestion? My paratha was also a bit disappointing. It didn't really come apart in layers and seemed more like a coiled chapati.
Our fellow diners ordered from among the more common Norwegian Indian staples, and again, some were definitely better than others, and none of them quite lived up to the hype this place has gotten.
In terms of the service and atmosphere, the downstairs seating is quieter by far than the main floor. Service downstairs was a bit scarce, but the staff members were all friendly.
In spite of our mixed experiences, I would still like to make a return visit to try some of the chaats, and hopefully there are more dishes on the menu that are on par with the bhindi, rather than the daal.
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