I’ve never understood those people who travel around to different restaurants and then order the same dish every time.

The cry of “I know what I like” doesn’t make much sense to me and yet, like so many others, I can easily slip into that category. Call it laziness, call it being unadventurous, call it a secret fear of being disappointed.

Whatever it is, I gravitate towards the familiar rather than the experimental.

Just occasionally it’s fun to discover the gem in the neighbourhood.

This place is a stone’s throw from my home and I’d only ever ordered a takeaway; never eaten in. But I’m glad I did.

The menu at Cardamon Green took me by surprise, which can only be a good thing.

It was neither overwhelming with too much choice, nor did it rely on those old standbys that divert diners from daring to do something different. In my case, I opted for the diversion.

It helped that the restaurant oozes class. It is roomy, not cluttered. The decor is tasteful, not blingy. The staff are helpful but not in-your-face. (I needed my specs to read the menu; the friendly Maitre d’ instantly offered me his). The atmosphere is pleasant, laid-back, accommodating and courteous.

Perfectly crisp papadums arrived with four pickle options. We nibbled these as we considered the menus, of which there was a selection of three: a set menu option with six starters and nine mains for a very reasonable £10.50 per head; the main selection and then a list of fish specials that included lobster. Normally Mrs E is a fishy type.

This time she struck out for a dish she’d never had before, observing (quite rightly) that in an environment such as this only a curry would do.

For starters we chose satay chicken on skewers (me) and fried machili (Mrs E). The chicken was mouth-watering with a peanut butter sauce that delivered a pleasant kick but not an overwhelming wallop. The machili – fried cod in Asian spices - was delicious.

Main dishes generally come in three price categories starting at £7.95 for chicken and going up to £12.95 for prawns. Lamb sits somewhere in the middle. Mrs E chose lamb kukkar makhani. It was a little sweet and creamy for her taste but the meat was tender and it had a nice gentle spice. The verdict on the accompanying peshwari naan: “ace”.

I went with a chicken Bengali Naga, a fiery Bangladeshi dish (served with pilau rice) that was more madras than vindaloo and all the better for it. The chicken was succulent and fell apart on the fork, the sauce with its naga chillies was rich and flavoursome, As a combo it worked exceedingly well.

Portions were generous but not over the top. Moreover, the presentation was well considered, precise and appealing.

Restaurant review, Cardamom Green, Waterloo.

Beer was Cobra, quenching and quaffable. Wine was an Italian pinot grigio rosé which, at over a fiver for a large glass, represented our only (minor) gripe.

A big selling point is the restaurant’s open kitchen where the chefs can be viewed through a picture window (running the length of the wall) as they prepare food. It’s a significant selling point.

An annoying trait with so many restaurants these days is being badgered over the quality of the food or being asked too frequently if more drinks are required.

The Cardamom staff inquired just once about the meal – it was excellent – and took a drinks order at the exactly the right moment. No hovering, no lurking – attentive versus overly solicitous. It meant we could enjoy the cuisine and chat at our leisure.

A delicious assault on the eye, the nostrils and the tastebuds, the Cardamon Green experience is one to savour. And it’s on my doorstep ...